Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is one of the most common problems on our planet, which sooner or later affects absolutely everyone. Taking into account the trends of the modern lifestyle, the first signs of pathology can appear already at a fairly early age (20-25 years) and for no apparent reason. Often the only symptom is headache and increased fatigue, which in the frenetic pace of life are often simply "hammered" into such "nonsense", gritting their teeth and not thinking about the reasons. An orthopedic traumatologist told in his article about the causes of pain and also talked about how to get rid of it.
But cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself not only as periodic headaches, but can cause much more serious health problems: diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, problems with hearing, vision, coordination, development of ischemia (lack of oxygen) of the head and spinal cord, damage to the nerve roots of the spinal cord - radiculopathy, partial or complete loss of mobility.
The essence of the process is very simple: over time, a large load on the spine and malnutrition of the intervertebral structures leads to the thinning and destruction of the intervertebral discs and the restructuring of the vertebrae themselves, which will inevitably lead to the rupture oftheir functions.
But all these terrible scenarios are preventable and preventable. First of all, this condition should be considered not as a disease, but to treat it as a process of "wear and tear" of the spine. After all, everything has its own expiration date, whether it's a car, a phone or a favorite bag. Consequently, spinal care is at least as necessary as for a favorite thing. At the same time, don't forget that you can buy a new thing, but you can't buy a new "damaged" spine or you can't exchange it under warranty. And the most important thing is that the cartilage tissue is not restored, so the sooner you know about osteochondrosis, the longer you will have to "be friends". And even with the right treatment, from time to time, he will remember himself.
The reason for the development of osteochondrosis
There are many reasons that can easily be grouped together: the wrong way of life. We highlight the main risk factors for the development of such a condition:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- prolonged stay in one position (development of muscle hypertonicity);
- overweight;
- unhealthy diet (lack of water and essential microelements in the body);
- excellent physical activity and weight lifting;
- incorrect posture;
- 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 primary method of treatment. After all, drug therapy is a fight against the consequences of the disease.
Some kind of special drug prevention as such has not yet been invented, although the pharmaceutical market has traditionally been rich in offerings. Of course, all types of chondroprotectors have a clinical effect, but it is achieved after long and constant 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, only a "possible" improvement in the nutrition of these structures is obtained. All anti-inflammatory drugs only remove the pain syndrome, facilitate the patient's life, without affecting the cause of the appearance of these pains. Physiotherapy is quite common, such as shockwave therapy, electropharesis and magnetotherapy. In extremely advanced cases, the question of surgical treatment may also arise.
It should be noted separately that all these methods of treatment are possible only after consulting a doctor!
Self-medication in this case is strictly contraindicated: at best, you will simply 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 function and nutrition of the spine. It is worth noting that we work with the structures of the musculoskeletal system and diet.
Furthermore, this work should last continuously and for a lifetime - this is the main guarantee of success.
The "I will do the exercises every six months" option doesn't work! Permanently, it can and will be possible to postpone the problem (at best), at worst the effect will be zero and it will seem to you that you are actively struggling with the problem.
1. Physical activity / sport
This is the first in line to prevent spinal wear. If you don't want the mechanism to rust and crumble, you need to 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 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 it is almost impossible to do this, but you should still try to walk as often and often as possible, visit the forest park areas and periodically ventilate the room in the workplace (it is important to avoid hypothermia yourself).
3. You can't stay too long
Regardless of your work area, take a short break every 40-50 minutes. When sitting for a long time, take a walk during your break or do some simple exercises in place to relieve muscle tension and back fatigue.
If your profession requires you to constantly stand, you need to sit down from time to time. It is important that during rest the back is straight, as symmetrical as possible, and that the feet are on the floor.
4. Ergonomics
It is essential to provide yourself with the best possible working environment. We are not just talking about a work chair, but also about the correct setting of the work monitor, the right clothes and shoes, the amount of jewelry on the neck, etc. A kilogram 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 hands 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 positionit is considered the most physiological and allows you to prevent muscle overload.
5. Complex physical therapy
Physiotherapy exercises will help strengthen the back muscle corset and ligament apparatus. We are talking specifically about physical therapy, light everyday exercises (perhaps several times a day), in which the muscles are not overloaded with work. A specialist will help to choose a set of preventive exercises for physical therapy, 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, stretch your arms along your body. Slowly turn your head to the right. Return to original position. Then turn your head to the left. Repeat the exercise in both directions 5 times.
- Sit on 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 your conditions allow, perform head rotations, 4 times clockwise and 4 times counterclockwise.
6. Peculiarities of the power supply
An improper diet can trigger the development of the disease, so it is necessary to monitor the diet. It is necessary to refuse or minimize the use of salt, sugar, sweets and confectionery, fatty foods. Improper nutrition contributes to weight gain and increased stress on the spine. The following foods must be present in the diet:
- Vegetables and fruits (sources of vitamins);
- Cereals (energy sources);
- Meat and fish (sources of protein and minerals);
- Dairy products (sources of calcium and other essential trace elements);
- Foods rich in fiber (essential for the proper functioning of the intestine and metabolism);
- Products containing chondoprotectors (improve the properties of cartilage tissue).
Monitor your fluid intake. You should drink 1. 5-2 liters of fluids per day. Lack of water in the body has a negative effect on the metabolism and the state of all structures in the body.
7. Adequate sleep
The sleeping position must meet the following criteria:
The choice of mattress and pillow is equally important. When choosing bed linen, you should rely on three signs:
8. Massage
Last on the list, but one of the first in importance. An experienced massage therapist will not only ensure normal blood flow and oxygen supply to all spinal structures, but will also help correct spinal deformities and dysfunctions.
Osteochondrosis prevention is lifelong, you have to work hard to keep your back healthy as long 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 lead a healthy lifestyle, help your body function normally and go through "A" timely!