Cervical spine osteochondrosis is one of the most common problems on our planet, affecting everyone sooner or later. Considering the trends of modern lifestyle, the first signs of pathology can appear at a fairly early age (20-25 years) and without any reason. Often the only symptoms are headaches and increased fatigue, which in the frantic rhythm of life, often simply “cut” into such “little things”, clenching their teeth and not thinking about the causes. In an article, an orthopedic traumatologist explained the causes of the pain and also talked about how to get rid of them.
But osteochondrosis of the neck can not only manifest itself as intermittent headaches, but can also cause much more serious health problems: cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, hearing, vision, coordination problems, ischemia (lack of oxygen) in the head and spinal cord, spinal corddamage to the nerve roots - radiculopathy, partial or complete loss of mobility.
The essence of the process is very simple - over time, the heavy load on the spine and the malnutrition of the intervertebral structures lead to the thinning and destruction of the intervertebral discs and the restructuring of the vertebrae themselves, which inevitably results in their functions.
But these horrible scenarios are preventable and preventable. First, this condition should not be treated as a disease but as a process of "wear and tear" of the spine. After all, everything has its own expiration date, be it a car, a phone or a favorite handbag. Consequently, spine care is at least as important as a favorite thing. However, keep in mind that you can buy a new thing, but you can’t buy a new “damaged” spine or replace it under warranty. And most importantly, the cartilage tissue doesn’t recover, so the sooner you get to know osteochondrosis, the more you need to “make friends” with it. And with proper treatment, it will remind you from time to time.
Cause of osteochondrosis
There are many reasons that can be easily grouped together - the wrong lifestyle. Highlight the main risk factors for developing such a condition:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- prolonged stay in one position (development of muscle hypertension);
- overweight;
- unhealthy diet (lack of water and essential trace elements in the body);
- high physical activity and weight lifting;
- incorrect posture; spinal injuries;
- hereditary predisposition.
After analyzing the causes, it’s pretty easy (at least on paper) to remove the vast majority of risk factors from your life - which is actually the main method of treatment. After all, drug therapy is a fight against the consequences of the disease.
Some form of drug prevention has not yet been invented, although the pharmaceutical market has traditionally been rich in supply. Of course, all kinds of chondroprotectors have a clinical effect, but this occurs after long and constant use of the drug and is not very long-lasting. 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. Each anti-inflammatory only removes the pain syndrome, making the patient’s life easier, without affecting the cause of those pains. Physiotherapy is quite common, such as shock wave therapy, electrophoresis, and magnetotherapy. In extremely advanced cases, the issue may even arise with surgical treatment.
It should be noted in particular that these treatments are only possible after consulting a doctor!
Self-healing is strictly contraindicated in this case - at best it will simply waste your time, at worst it can only hurt itself.
How to deal with this problem?
The first step is to change the word “fight” to “prevention”. This, in turn, consists in ensuring the normal functioning and nutrition of the spine. It is worth noting that we work with the structure of the musculoskeletal system and the diet.
Moreover, this job must last continuously and for a lifetime - this is the main guarantee of success.
The "I do the exercises every six months" option doesn't work! The problem can and can be postponed permanently (even in the best case), in the worst case the effect will be zero and it seems to you that you are actively fighting the problem.
1. Physical activity / sport
This is the first in line to prevent spine wear. If you don’t want the mechanism to rust and crumble, it needs to work. But the work should also be moderate, we are talking about healthy loads (weight gain workout, functional training, stretching, cardio) and not about hanging 100 kg of iron on yourself and running with them on rough terrain.
2. Provide a normal amount of oxygen
In the city, this is almost impossible to do, but you should still try to walk as often and as often as possible, visit the forest park areas, and regularly ventilate the room at work (it is important to avoid hypothermia yourself). .
3. You can't stay too long
Take a short break every 40-50 minutes, regardless of your area of employment. If you’re sitting for a long time, take a walk during the break or do some simple exercises on site to relieve muscle tension and back tension.
If your profession requires you to stand constantly, you will need to sit down from time to time. It is important that your back is as straight as possible, as symmetrical as possible, and that your feet are on the floor.
4. Ergonomics
It is essential to ensure the best possible working environment. We are not just talking about an office chair, but about setting up the work monitor correctly, the right clothes and shoes, the amount of jewelry on your neck, and so on. A kilogram of long-lasting jewelry will not have a positive effect on your health.
When working with a computer, the head should be straight, hands should not be raised higher than the level of the elbow, the angle of inclination of the back when landing is 100-115 degrees - this situation is considered most physiological and allows to prevent muscle overload.
5. Complex exercise therapy
Physiotherapy exercises help strengthen the posterior ligaments and ligaments. We are talking specifically about movement therapy, everyday (even several times a day) soft exercises in which the muscles are not overloaded. A specialist will help you select a series of preventative exercises for exercise, depending on the stage of the disease.
Example of the simplest complex that strengthens neck muscles:
- Lie on your stomach with your hands on the floor. Slowly raise your head, hold this position for a minute. Return to starting position. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.
- Lying on your stomach, you stretch your arms over your body. Slowly turn your head to the right. Return to the original position. Then turn your head to the left. Repeat the exercise in both directions five times.
- Sit in a chair. Slowly, as you exhale, tilt your head forward, standing as close to your chin as possible. Return to starting position. Slowly tilt your head back as you inhale. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
- If your condition allows, rotate the head 4 times clockwise and 4 times counterclockwise.
6. Power supply features
Improper diet can cause the disease, so you need to monitor your diet. There is a need to refuse or minimize the use of salt, sugar, sweets and confectionery, fatty foods. Improper nutrition contributes to weight gain and increased spinal stress. The diet should include the following foods:
- Vegetables and fruits (vitamin sources);
- Cereals (energy sources);
- Meat and fish (sources of protein and minerals);
- Dairy products (sources of calcium and other essential trace elements);
- Fiber-rich foods (essential for proper bowel function and metabolism);
- Products containing condoprotectors (improve cartilage tissue properties).
Monitor fluid intake. Drink 1, 5-2 liters of fluid daily. Lack of water in the body has a bad effect on metabolism and the state of all the structures in the body.
7. Get proper sleep
The sleep situation must meet the following criteria:
Choosing both a mattress and a pillow is important. You should rely on three symbols when choosing bedding:
8. Massage
Last on the list, but the first one is important. An experienced massage therapist not only ensures normal blood flow and oxygen supply to all structures of the spine, but also corrects spinal deformities and dysfunctions.
Preventing osteochondrosis takes a lifetime, you have to work hard to keep your back healthy for as long as possible, but as a result you will be able to maintain not only a healthy back but also a healthy body because in fact the main recommendation is a healthy lifestyle. , promoting the normal functioning of the body and experiencing the "TO" in time!