Prevention is very important in the treatment of numerous diseases. Especially when it comes to osteochondrosis of the cervical and other departments. From how well a person strictly follows the recommendations of specialists, he can count on a more successful cure for this unpleasant pathology. Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis will also help prevent a more serious development of the disease or even protect yourself from it, if the patient is at risk.
However, before starting preventive measures, it is necessary to understand why the pathology struck this or that person. Often this helps to get rid of pain in the back and limbs. You should also definitely visit a doctor who can determine the degree of the disease and prescribe the most optimal course of therapeutic measures and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.
Causes of disease
It is still not known what exactly provokesdevelopment of this pathology. However, there are some data that will help to understand this issue. First of all, people over 35 are at risk. Today, there are more and more cases when osteochondrosis is diagnosed even at the age of 18. Most of all, pathologists are predisposed to those people who ignore the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, exercises and other methods of solving the problem.
More often the disease appears in those who prefer not to spend time on sports, abuse alcohol and smoking. However, at least pathology develops against the background of other provoking factors:
- genetic predisposition;
- intoxication;
- overweight;
- metabolic disorders in the body;
- insufficient amount of useful trace elements;
- age-related changes;
- fractures and injuries of the spinal column;
- malformed posture, sedentary lifestyle, complete lack of physical activity;
- excessive loads;
- hypothermia;
- stressful situations.
Who needs prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
First of all, preventive measures should be taken by all adults who are over 18 years of age. This is due to the fact that young boys and girls spend more time at the computer, so they lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle.
At this age, few people think about warming up or morning exercises. Therefore, doctors are not at all surprised by the fact that the younger generationosteochondrosis and more serious ailments are being diagnosed more and more often. There is a risk of scoliosis.
If we talk about gender, then the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is required equally for both men and the fair half of humanity. Young children are more likely to get scoliosis. Therefore, preventive measures against osteochondrosis in this case are extremely rare.
Does prevention help
There are no guarantees that preventive measures will help to avoid the disease and the need for treatment of osteochondrosis. No matter how hard a person tries to adhere to all the recommendations of a doctor, this does not yet give a 100% guarantee that he will be able to avoid such a disease. If we are talking about heredity, then degenerative-dystrophic diseases are difficult to completely exclude.
However, thanks to prevention, you can delay the moment when you have to start treatment for cervical osteochondrosis. Despite the fact that there remains a rather impressive chance of developing the disease, a potential patient has the opportunity to alleviate his condition and prevent the disease from developing in a more severe stage.
It should be understood that people over 40 years of age have to deal with such pathologies quite often. If before that you follow the doctor's recommendations, then the disease will not manifest itself so much.
Exercise
There are special exercises for the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis. Events of this type always include special gymnastics. Exercise therapy helps not only to prevent the appearancedisease, but also used in a situation where the disease has already been diagnosed. Exercise becomes one of the methods of therapeutic procedures.
Such prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is allowed at home. A detailed course of therapeutic exercises is selected by a doctor, since among them there are those that are strictly prohibited. For example, in no case should you perform exercises that imply an axial or rotational load on the patient's spine. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that gymnastics is performed in a sparing mode.
If we talk about gymnastics for the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, then usually only 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough to more likely avoid an unpleasant disease. Doctors recommend doing the necessary exercises in the morning. The best option is 10-15 minutes after waking up. It is also worth paying attention to other useful recommendations. An example of a small set of exercises:
- Slow head turns - about 5-10 times. It is better to perform sitting.
- Lower your head down, as low as possible. Perform, sitting on a chair, 10-12 times.
- Sitting on a chair, pull in the chin, moving the neck back.
- Sit down at the table. Place one elbow on the table, and the palm of the same hand on the temple. Tilt your head with slight resistance with your hand. Repeat about 10 times and switch hands.
- Place your palm on your forehead and tilt your head, overcoming the resistance of your hand. About 8 times thenrest 10-20 seconds and switch hands.
- Raise your shoulders as high as possible and hold for about 10 seconds, then relax and inhale. Perform sitting or standing about 10 times.
- Knead the back of your head with your fingertips. Movements should be intense and deep (not painful). Can be done sitting or lying down.
How to organize your workplace
Most problems with the spinal and cervical region are observed in those people who do not sit properly during the working day. Against this background, there are many problems with posture. Therefore, speaking about the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis in women and men, it is worth paying attention to the need to create the right conditions for many hours of work.
Even if a person occupies an uncomfortable position, then over time he gets used to it. This is due to the activity of compensatory mechanisms in the human body. As a result, the initial discomfort becomes completely invisible.
What to do in this situation. In fact, it is enough to choose the right chair or armchair. Fortunately, there are many very comfortable pieces of furniture on the market today that are designed to keep your back in the right position throughout the working day.
It is also worth getting a special footrest. The computer monitor should be placed parallel to the eyes. Don't set it too high or low. The spine during work should remain flat and fit snugly against the back of the chair.
He althysleep
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, as well as the prevention of many any diseases, includes proper rest at night. Many mistakenly believe that in order to avoid this or that pathology, it is enough to sleep as much as possible and not stay awake at night. However, the position of the person's back during rest is equally important.
Therefore, in order to start the prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home, you first need to purchase a specialized orthopedic mattress and pillow. Thanks to these objects, the physiological position of the human body is carried out correctly.
If everything is approximately clear with the mattress, then not everyone can pick up a pillow. Experts recommend giving preference to rectangular products when it comes to an adult. For a child, it is better to buy a roller or a round pillow.
Proper nutrition
Many do not understand the connection between diets, prevention and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. In fact, the work of almost all body systems depends on what a person eats.
First of all, the human diet should contain foods rich in nutrients and trace elements. Separately, it is worth noting the B vitamins, calcium and proteins. Of course, not everyone can afford a diet or buy a strict list of products that contain the necessary components. In this case, it is enough to take vitamin complexes. You can take both pills and putinjections. But, it is best to give preference to more natural fruits and vegetables.
In terms of calories, nutrition should be such that a person can replenish all the energy expended during the day. Ideally, women should consume about 1900 calories per day, and men - 2300.
Physical activity
A person who moves little is practically doomed to numerous back and cervical problems. Unfortunately, in the age of computerization and the ability to even get food and new clothes without leaving home, it is becoming increasingly difficult to force yourself to move once again.
This problem is especially noticeable in large cities of developing countries. However, you need to understand that a sedentary lifestyle is dangerous not only for osteochondrosis, but also for more serious he alth problems. For example, the likelihood of developing a heart attack, stroke, thrombosis and many other dangerous conditions increases significantly. Therefore, it is important to periodically step out of your comfort zone and take time for your he alth.
First of all, it is worth making it a rule to go outside and take a walk every day. Also, do not avoid housework. Cleaning, laundry and other chores help keep the body in good shape. If the house has an elevator, then you should abandon it in favor of the stairs. In just a few weeks, the hard climbing stairs will not seem so painful and exhausting. The same goes for various shopping and entertainment centers.
Thus, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money andtime for the gym. Daily exercises give the necessary load for the body. Therefore, this is quite enough for preventive measures.
Massage
In the presence of symptoms, these procedures also help to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical region. In this case, it is not necessary to apply for expensive services of masters. As with therapy, the so-called self-massage can be performed as a preventive measure.
However, do not be too zealous with such procedures. First of all, it is not recommended to put pressure on the vertebral discs themselves. You can only massage areas next to them. According to doctors, the treatment of the upper muscle layer of the back is quite enough. The skin needs to be stroked and tapped.
In no case should you make twisting movements or hit the body with force. Also, supporters of manual therapy are prohibited from performing any manipulations on their own. In this case, only an appeal to specialists is allowed. At the same time, it is not allowed to attend such procedures too often. It is best to contact a chiropractor no more than 4 times a month. Procedures should be as gentle and non-traumatic as possible.
Good to know
It is worth considering a few more useful recommendations:
- Avoid hypothermia.
- Give up bad habits.
- Start eating right.
- Don't give in to stressful situations.
- Start hardening or at least use a contrast shower.
- Teach yourself toexercise in the morning.
- Start swimming. This sport perfectly strengthens the muscles of the back and has a general healing effect.
- Perform pull-ups and other exercises that help strengthen the cervical region.
- If possible, do breathing exercises. It has a positive effect on the entire body.
- Stop lifting weights. If the work is connected with just such an activity, then you need to break the weight into several parts. When lifting heavy things, always keep your back straight and bend your knees slightly. This will significantly reduce the load on the spinal column and neck.
- If discomfort occurs after sleep, you should immediately change the mattress to a specialized one. Soft products are not always the best for the back. The best option is a medium firm mattress.
It is equally important to treat any viral diseases in a timely manner. It would be nice to spend more time outdoors.
Conclusions
Based on the foregoing, it becomes obvious that preventive measures do not require much time and financial costs. However, one must be prepared for the fact that it is not always possible to prevent the manifestation of this pathology. To choose the best course of prevention, you should consult a doctor. In some situations, diets, massages, or exercise can be detrimental to he alth if the patient suffers from additional pathologies.
Don't rely on pills that promise to preventthe possible appearance of an ailment or to cure it once and for all. Osteochondrosis is a complex pathology. Of course, it is possible to temporarily stop the signs of the disease, but many expensive remedies can boast only a temporary effect.
In order to recognize the disease in a timely manner, it is worth periodically visiting specialists and undergoing an examination. Do not spend all the time sitting at the computer or in front of the TV. When working in an office, you should keep your back properly and not stoop. It is better to choose a quality chair.
