Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is one of the most common problems on our planet, which sooner or later affects absolutely everyone. Given the trends of the modern way of life, the first signs of pathology can appear already at a very young age (20-25 years), and for no apparent reason. Often the only symptom is headaches and increased fatigue, which in the frantic pace of life are often simply "hammered" into such "little things", they pierce their teeth and do not think about the reasons. An orthopedic traumatologist told in his article about the causes of pain and also talked about how to get rid of them.
But osteochondrosis of the cervix can manifest not only as recurrent headaches, but can cause much more serious health problems: diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, problems with hearing, vision, coordination, the development of ischemia. (lack of oxygen) the head and spinal cord, damage to the nerve roots of the spinal cord - root disease, partial or total loss of mobility. The essence of the procedure is very simple - over time, a large load on the spine and malnutrition of the intervertebral structures leads to thinning and destruction of the intervertebral discs and the restructuring of the vertebrae themselves, which will inevitably lead toin cessation of their functions.But all these terrible scenarios are precautionary and precautionary. First of all, this condition should not be considered as a disease, but should be treated as a process of "wear" of the spine. After all, everything has its own expiration date, whether it is a car, phone or favorite bag. Therefore, care of the spine is required, as well as for a favorite thing. At the same time, do not forget that you can buy a new thing, but you can not buy a new "damaged" spine or you can not exchange it for a guarantee. And the most important thing is that the cartilage tissue is not restored, so the sooner you get to know osteochondrosis, the more you should "make friends" with it. And even with the right treatment, at times, he will remind himself.
The reason for the development of osteochondrosis
There are many reasons that can easily be grouped - the wrong way of life. Let us point out the main risk factors for developing such a situation:
- sedentary lifestyle
- prolonged stay in one position (development of muscle hypertension).
- overweight?
- unhealthy diet (lack of water and essential micronutrients in the body).
- excellent physical activity and weight lifting.
- wrong attitude?
- spinal injuries?
- hereditary predisposition.
After analyzing the reasons, it is quite easy (at least on paper) to remove the vast majority of risk factors from your life - which, in fact, is the main method of treatment. Ultimately, drug treatment fights the effects of the disease.
Some kind of specific drug prevention has not yet been devised, although the pharmaceutical market is traditionally rich in offers. Of course, all types of chondroprotectants have a clinical effect, but it is achieved after a long and continuous use of the drug and is not very persistent. In fact, these drugs contain substances that make up the intervertebral discs, and by taking them, we achieve only a "possible" improvement in the nutrition of these structures. All anti-inflammatory drugs only remove the pain syndrome, make the patient's life easier, without affecting the cause of these pains. Physiotherapy is very common, such as shock wave therapy, electrophoresis and magnetotherapy. In extremely advanced cases, the question may even arise about surgical treatment.
It should be noted separately that all these treatments are possible only with a doctor's advice!
Self-medication in this case is strictly contraindicated - at best, you will just waste your time, at worst you can only harm yourself.
How to deal with this problem?
The first step is to change the word "fight" to the word "prevention". And it consists in ensuring the normal functioning and nutrition of the spine. It is worth noting that we work with the structures of the musculoskeletal system and nutrition.
In addition, this project must be continuous and lifelong - this is the main guarantee of success.
The "I will do the exercises every six months" option does not work! Permanently, it can and will be possible to postpone the problem (at best), at worst the result will be zero and you will seem to be actively struggling with the problem.
1. Physical activity / sports
This is the first row that prevents spinal wear. If you do not want the mechanism to rust and collapse, you must make it work. But the work should also be moderate, we are talking about healthy loads (work with body weight, functional training, stretching, cardio) and not to hang 100 kg of iron on yourself and run with them on hard ground.
2. Provide a normal amount of oxygen
In the city it is almost impossible to do this, but you should try to walk as often and often as possible, visit forest park areas and periodically ventilate the room at work (it is important to avoid hypothermia on your own). ).
3. You can not stay long
Regardless of employment, take a short break every 40-50 minutes. When sitting for a long time, take a walk during the break or do some simple exercises on the spot to relieve muscle tension and pressure on the back.
If your profession requires you to stand constantly, you need to sit down from time to time. It is important that when you rest, your back is straight, as symmetrical as possible and your feet are on the floor.
4. Ergonomics
It is imperative that you provide yourself with the best possible work environment. We are talking not only about a work chair, but also about the correct adjustment of the work screen, the right clothes and shoes, the amount of jewelry around the neck, etc. A kilo of jewelry with prolonged wear will not have a positive effect on your health.
When working with a computer, the head should be straight, the arms should not be placed higher than the level of the elbows, the angle of inclination of the back when landing is 100-115 degrees - this position is considered the most normal and youallows you to prevent excessive muscle overwork.
5. Complex exercise therapy
Physical therapy exercises will help strengthen the corset muscles of the back and ligaments. We are talking specifically about exercise therapy, daily (maybe several times a day) soft exercises, in which the muscles are not overworked. A specialist will help you choose a set of preventative exercises for exercise, depending on the stage of the disease.
An example of the simplest complex for strengthening the neck muscles:
- Lying on your stomach, put your hands on the floor. Slowly raise your head, hold this position for a minute. Return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.
- Lying on your stomach, extend your arms along your body. Slowly turn your head to the right. Return to the starting position. Then turn your head to the left. Repeat the exercise in both directions 5 times.
- Sit in a chair. Slowly, as you exhale, tilt your head forward, bringing it as close to your chin as possible. Return to the starting position. As you inhale, slowly tilt your head back. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
- If the situation allows, perform head rotations, 4 times clockwise and 4 times counterclockwise.
6. Power features
Improper diet can cause the disease to develop, so you need to monitor your diet. It is necessary to refuse or minimize the use of salt, sugar, sweets and confectionery, fatty foods. Improper diet contributes to weight gain and increased stress on the spine. The following foods should be in the diet:
- Vegetables and fruits (sources of vitamins);
- Cereals (energy sources);
- Meat and fish (sources of protein and minerals);
- Dairy products (calcium sources and other essential trace elements);
- Foods rich in fiber (necessary for proper bowel function and metabolism).
- Products containing chondroprotective agents (improve the properties of cartilage tissue).
Monitor fluid intake. You should drink 1. 5-2 liters of fluid a day. Lack of water in the body negatively affects the metabolism and condition of all body structures.
7. Proper sleep
Sleeping position must meet the following criteria:
The choice of mattress and pillow is equally important. When choosing a bed, you need to rely on three points:
8. Massage
Last on the list, but one of the first to matter. An experienced massage therapist will not only ensure normal blood flow and oxygen supply to all the structures of the spine, but will also help to correct deformities and dysfunctions of the spine.
Preventing osteochondrosis is lifelong, you have to work hard to keep your back as healthy as possible, but as a result, you will be able to maintain not only a healthy back, but also a healthy body, becausein fact the main recommendation is to follow a healthy lifestyle, help your body function normally and pass "TO" in time!