None of us doubts that the spine is one of the most important parts of our body. The supporting element of the skeleton, the receptacle of the spinal cord. However, we pay little attention to it, I practically did not hear that someone was worried about their condition. In the meantime, according to the Internet, almost every third person suffers from chronic back / neck pain. Such is the payback for walking upright …
Prerequisites
Indeed, as scientists note, such problems are absent in tetrapods. Straightening up and standing up to our full height, we constantly load our spine, which, in general, is not very adapted for this. Incorrect posture, uncomfortable shoes, heavy physical activity (carrying heavy loads) – all this creates unnecessary stress in him, squeezing the vertebrae, twisting the spinal column.
Remembering the professional illnesses of IT specialists, we usually talk about reduced vision, overweight, and finally, tunnel syndrome. Do you remember the general recommendations from books for novice users: watch your posture, do not slouch, choose the right chair, the center of the screen should be below eye level? All this is not an empty phrase.
By neglecting these tips, you can earn osteochondrosis, curvature of the spine and other unpleasant things. So this is with many – you say – and nothing, people live! But have you ever wondered how? Here are some “special effects”:
- Pain in the back, neck – it goes without saying;
- Feelings of constant tension that cause discomfort;
- Sharp headaches (yes, yes);
- Painful sensations in arbitrary parts of the bodies – this is the spine after all;
- “Numbness” of the limbs;
- Snapping-crunchy joints;
- Compression of blood vessels, leading, for example, to circulatory disorders of the head (decreased blood flow through the vertebral arteries);
- Rapid appearance of “flies” in the eyes (see mushek.net );
- etc.
Unpleasant, isn’t it? And it would seem that modern medicine heals a lot. But do not expect an easy recovery a la “I drank the pill and passed”. During periods of exacerbation, nothing helps, no pills, no injections, pain relievers have little effect. Discomfort can reach such an extent that you just don’t want to lie down.
Scared? Yes, maybe I’m exaggerating. But who might end up losing?
At-risk groups
As mentioned earlier, the development of these problems is facilitated by improper posture and increased stress on the spine (lifting weights, a simulator with high weights, etc.). In addition, you should think about if you have flat feet and are overweight. Lack of sleep has a very negative effect – it is generally a catalyst for all chronic diseases.
Do not forget about comfortable shoes, ergonomics of the workplace, some still advise to buy orthopedic mattresses and pillows.
Prevention and treatment
As for prevention, everything is standard here: warm up, do gymnastics: rotational, nodding head movements, stretch your back.
As doctors say, strengthening the muscles supporting the spine will help a lot . However, you should not immediately run into the rocking chair and exhaust yourself by swinging the “trapezium” and “wings”. These are completely different muscle groups and will not help you. Neurologists say that the professional hobby for “rocking” will only help you “kill” your spine as soon as possible.
It is necessary to strengthen the longitudinal muscles of the back, which, in general, are rather weakly involved in our daily life, and even among people involved in sports: we just have almost no movements that load them. The boat exercise will help here. Perhaps later I will publish a set of exercises on this topic.
Swimming is very useful: hydrodynamic weightlessness allows the spine to rest, and the process itself involves almost all muscle groups, which has a beneficial effect on their tone.
If you have already caught problems with the spine, then in addition to physiotherapy, massage is very effective: it will have to be done at least once every six months or a year. Do not be lazy, after consulting your doctor, sign up for physical therapy classes. There you will be shown some simple exercises that you can do at home. The main thing is not to throw it – there is no instant effect.
And finally, a little gymnastics for neck flexibility . Remember, as with eye gymnastics, there will be no sense if you do it once a day. Be careful and take your time.
- Neck retraction Tilt your head back while maintaining eye and jaw level. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times. This refers to the movement of the head forward and back, without bending (nodding).
- Stretching the trapezius muscle With one hand, tilt your head to the side. The second hand is behind the back. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Flexion and extension of the neck Gently flex and extend the neck, making a nodding motion. Stretch your neck. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Neck Flexion Tilt your head down and return to the starting position. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Neck Turns Slowly turn your neck to the left to see your left shoulder. Then also to the right. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Neck extension Pull your neck back and return to the starting position. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Shoulder Shrug Shrugs up and down, then back and forth. Repeat 10 times.
- Stretching the Neck Hold your arm outstretched at the wrist with the opposite hand. Gently turn your head towards the holding hand. Hold for 3 seconds, repeat 10 times.
PS
I am not a doctor and generally far from medicine. I was inspired by my sad experience to write the article. So I will be glad to receive your comments and advice. Regarding exercises, I want to add: be extremely careful with any actions with the head and neck, and also do not self-medicate, contact the specialists. Otherwise, good luck, don’t get sick;)