Exercises for osteochondrosis to help relieve pain and regain mobility

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Simple sets of movements to strengthen muscles and develop flexibility.

Is your back and neck pain associated with osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis is a serious and in many cases inherited disease in which the blood supply to the cartilage and ossification (ossification) of the bones are impaired.

Such problems often begin in childhood or puberty and can lead to various skeletal deformities such as severe thoracic kyphosis (hump) or changes in the femoral head.

At the same time, persistent or recurrent back and neck pain, in which some doctors diagnose osteochondrosis of the spine, are often caused by other reasons, such as:

• spasm or damage to the muscles surrounding the spine;
• protrusion or hernia of the intervertebral disc;
• myalgia - muscle pain;
• arthrosis is the destruction of cartilage.

For such disorders, pain can be relieved with exercise, but first, make sure that the condition does not require medical attention.

When to see a doctor

There are a number of symptoms in which you cannot postpone a visit to the doctor:

• the pain is constant or acute, worse at night, in a lying position;
• painful sensations extend to one or both limbs;
• there is weakness, numbness, or tingling in one or both limbs;
• there is swelling or redness on the back;
• weight is reduced for no apparent reason;
• problems with bowel or bladder control.

If the pain is mild, it occurs from time to time, for example after a long day at work, you may well improve your condition with exercise.

How to deal with neck pain

A meta-analysis of scientific research has shown that strength training is the best for nonspecific neck pain.

Several experiments at once 1.

2.

3. Confirmed good results from a series of simple dumbbell exercises.

What movements to perform to strengthen muscles

Most of the exercises below involve weights. For a start, light dumbbells of 1–2 kilograms or even 0.5 liter bottles of water or sand are suitable.

However, in order to maintain muscle tone, over time, you will need to increase the load. Therefore, it is better to immediately buy collapsible dumbbells.

Raising arms with dumbbells

Raise your straight arms in front of your body until the dumbbells reach the level of your collarbones. Don't block your elbows - keep them slightly bent.

Lower the dumbbells back and repeat again. Make sure that your shoulders do not rise to your ears and do not come out forward. Run smoothly and control the lowering phase.

Perform two or three approaches 10-15 times. When you can easily finish 15 reps, increase the weight of the dumbbells.

Standing dumbbell arms

Stand straight, take dumbbells, slightly bend your elbows. Tighten your abs and lower your shoulders. Spread your arms out to the sides to parallel with the floor, while simultaneously expanding your hands with your thumbs down. Slowly lower the limbs back and repeat again.

Do not lift your shoulders, keep your neck straight, look forward. Do two to three sets of 10-15 reps.

Bent over arm with dumbbells

Tilt the body forward to parallel with the floor, straighten your back. If it pulls under your knees, bend your legs for comfort.

Take dumbbells and hold them in straight, lowered hands. Direct your gaze to the floor in front of you. Spread your arms to the sides to the same level with the body, lower them back and repeat.

Perform smoothly and in a controlled manner, do not use momentum. Do two or three approaches 10-15 times.

Shrugs

Stand up straight, hold the dumbbells in lowered arms, extended to the sides of the body. Raise your shoulders to your ears, hold for a second and lower back down. Do two or three approaches 10-15 times.

Strengthening neck in static

For this exercise, you will need an expander or regular belt. Stand up straight and place a loop of a fitness elastic or head strap around the back of your head. Grasp the free end with both hands and pull forward.

Resist the pull by keeping your head straight and straight for 5 seconds. Then rest a little and repeat three more times.

Next, turn the loop so that the end of the belt or expander is on the side, and repeat the same thing - pull the projectile with your hand and resist, keeping your head straight and straight.

For 5 seconds, try your best - pull as hard as you can to keep the neck straight, without skewing to one side. Repeat the same on the other side.

What exercises to do for stretching

For one of the exercises, you will need a mat and massage roller. But the latter can be dispensed with.

Stretching breast muscle

Stand in the doorway, place your forearms on the jambs parallel to each other. Put one leg forward, transfer your body weight to it and pull your chest out of the room.

If the doorway is too wide and uncomfortable for you, you can move the movement differently. Stand with your face in a corner, place your forearms vertically on the walls on either side of it and push your chest forward.

Hold the pose for 10 seconds, rest and repeat two more times. Gradually increase the time in the position up to 30 seconds at a time.

Back stretch surface neck

This simple exercise can be done right at your desk. Straighten your back, relax and lower your shoulders, look forward. Move your head back to create a double chin.

Keep looking straight ahead. Feel the back of your neck stretch. Hold for 5 seconds, relax and repeat three or five more times.

Stretching on video

You will need a massage roller for this exercise. If not, you can use a rolled-up blanket.

Lie on the floor, place the roller under your upper back in the area of the shoulder blades. Raise your hands and fold your fingers behind your neck. Lower your head and pelvis to the floor and relax in this position. For a start, 10 seconds will be enough, over time you can increase this time by three times.

If you are doing a massage on the roller, you can also roll your upper back in this position.

How often to practice

In the scientific papers cited above, people trained for an hour a week for periods ranging from 20 weeks to a year.

You can break this hour into any convenient segments. For example, in one experiment they tried to practice 60 minutes once a week, 20 - three times, or 9 minutes every day. The results were in all groups.

Another study found that even two minutes of strength training five times a week was enough to noticeably reduce pain levels in 10 weeks.

So choose a schedule that works for you, but stretching is best done every day. It will take no more than 5 minutes.

How to deal with back pain

Strength exercises and body stabilization movements are used to relieve discomfort. The former strengthen the muscles of the back and abdominal muscles, the latter teach them to work properly to support the spine.

Also, some complexes include 1.

2. Exercises for stretching the muscles of the back of the thigh, developing the flexibility of the lumbar spine and lengthening the muscles - the hip flexors.

These movements help to release the restrictions caused by a sedentary lifestyle and move without pain.

What exercises to do for muscle strength and core stabilization

Do each exercise in five sets of 30 seconds. Move on to a more difficult variation when you manage to complete the last approach with ideal technique and do not get tired.

Twisting

Lie on your back, place your hands behind your head, bend your knees at right angles and place your feet on the floor. Tighten your abs and lift your shoulders and shoulder blades off the floor. Drop back down and repeat.

Do not put your fingers on the back of your head, keep your elbows to the sides - do not move them forward, hugging your head. If you cannot meet this condition, cross your arms over your chest and do so.

Dead bug

Lie on your back, bend your hips and knees at right angles, and extend your arms in front of your body.

At the same time, straighten your right leg and extend your left arm over your head, but do not place them on the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat the same with the other limbs. Continue changing positions.

To make the movement more difficult, you can add weights to the ankles, and hold dumbbells in your hands.

Side plank

Place one forearm on the floor, turn to the side and align the body so that the body and legs are in the same plane. Extend your free hand up. Hold the position, trying not to lower the pelvis until the end of the approach.

To make the movement more difficult, lift the leg on top.

Raising your legs and hands lying on your stomach

Lie on your stomach, straighten your legs and stretch your arms forward. Raise all limbs at the same time, tighten your buttocks at the top point, lower yourself back onto the mat and repeat. If it's too difficult, take turns lifting the opposite arm and leg.

To make the exercise more difficult, place weights on your ankles and grab dumbbells.

Bird - dog

Get on all fours. Raise your right arm and left leg at the same time and extend them parallel to your body. Hold for two seconds, lower back to the floor and repeat on the other side.

If you cannot keep your balance, first try to raise one arm and then a leg, separately. To complicate things, take dumbbells and place weights on your ankles.

Buttock bridge

Lie on your back, bend your knees, place your hands next to your body, palms down. Lift your pelvis off the floor and straighten your body in one line from knees to shoulders. Hold for a second, squeezing your buttocks, lower yourself back to the floor and repeat.

To complicate the exercise, perform it on one leg, and straighten the other and hold it in weight.

Plank

Stand in support lying on your forearms, tighten your abs and buttocks, direct your gaze to the floor. Watch the position of the lower back: if it begins to bend, and you cannot resist it, finish the exercise.

To make the movement more difficult, lift one leg.

What exercises to do for stretching

Do each for 20 seconds. All exercises will take about 5 minutes.

Pulling the knees to the chest while lying down

Lie on your back, lift both knees and pull them closer to your chest. Press your lower back to the floor and gently increase the range by placing your hands under your knees.

Raising one knee to the chest

Lie on your back, pull one knee closer to your chest, wrap your hands around your hip from the back, interlocking your fingers into a lock. Leave the other leg on the floor. Hold the position for the allotted time, gently deepening the stretch, then return your foot to the floor and repeat on the other leg.

Back of the thigh stretch

Lie on your back and lift one straight leg up. If you can, wrap your hands around the area under the knee and pull towards you. If this does not work, use a belt or expander: put a loop over your leg, grab the ends of the elastic and pull towards you. Repeat on the other limb.

Piriformis stretch

Lie on your back, bend your knees. Roll your right hip to the side and place your ankle on the knee of your left leg. Grasp your left knee and pull it closer to your chest, increasing the stretch. Repeat on the other side.

Stretching tensioner wide fascia of the thigh

Lie on your back, spread your arms to the sides so that your body with arms resembles the letter "T", and spread your hands with your palms to the floor. Bend your right leg at the knee and lower it to the left side of the body, twisting the body. Turn your head to the right and look at your hand.

Keep your right shoulder and shoulder blade flat on the floor, and do not let them turn after your foot. Hold on for the allotted time and repeat on the other side.

Pose cobras

Lie on your stomach, stretch your legs, bend your elbows and rest your palms on the floor.

Leaning on your hands, lift your shoulders and chest off the floor. Move your palms further away from the body to relieve the load on the lower back, strive to bend in the thoracic spine, press the front of the thighs to the floor.

Watch the sensations in your lower back. If discomfort arises, lower yourself a little and move your arms further forward.

Cat - camel

Get on all fours. Arch your back in an arc and lower your head, as if you were being grabbed by the middle of your spine and pulled towards the ceiling. Hold the pose for a few seconds, then bend back like a cat.

Alternate between these positions, move smoothly and breathe deeply.

Stretching the square muscle of the lower back

Get on your knees and lower your pelvis to your heels. Bend over and lie on your stomach on your hips. Stretch your arms in front of your body and spread your palms to the floor.

Bring your right hand in a cross over the left and feed the body to the left. Feel the right side stretch. Hold the pose and then repeat on the other side.

Standing Quadriceps Stretch

Stand up straight, bend one leg at the knee, grab your foot and pull your heel towards your buttock. If this is easy, tilt your pelvis back - imagine pulling your pubic bone towards your navel. This will increase the tension in the front of the thigh. Perform on both legs.

How often to practice

Do this workout 5 days a week. First, a block of strength exercises, then stretching.

On busy days, you can shorten the session and do only one set of each exercise plus the stretching block. This mini-workout will take no more than 15 minutes.

If you work from home, try taking breaks during your work day. This will be good for your posture and help reduce the harm from sitting for a long time.