Diseases of the spine cause a lot of trouble, accompanied by intense pain, and sometimes even depriving the patient of the joy of movement. One of these diseases is a spinal hernia, which often results from improper therapy of osteochondrosis lesions of the spine.
The hernia develops for a long time, therefore, it will not be possible to cure it in a week, and surgical operations are very expensive and do not guarantee that there will be no relapse in the future. Gymnastics is a real find and salvation in such a situation.
The benefits of remedial gymnastics for a hernia of the spine
Gymnastic training is considered to be an effective method of therapeutic influence on hernial processes, especially in the early stages of their development. They have a firming effect on muscle tissue and reduce pain symptoms typical of hernial protrusions .
Target
Gymnastic therapy is designed to significantly accelerate the recovery and healing processes in case of hernial protrusions .
At the initial stages of hernial formation, it is able to prevent the formation of a hernia, and at later stages – to stop further destruction of vertebral tissues.
Gymnastic treatment is also effective in the postoperative period, when the protrusion has been removed. In this case, gymnastics significantly reduces the duration of rehabilitation.
The main goals of gymnastic anti-hernia therapy are:
- Strengthening muscle-vertebral tone;
- Returning the vertebrae to the correct position relative to each other and the intervertebral discs;
- Stretching of the spinal column and dorsal muscle tissue;
- Stimulation of blood flow;
- Elimination of nerve infringement;
- Recovery and increase of disk elasticity;
- Reducing the duration of the healing processes;
- Elimination of painful clinical manifestations.
Before starting a course of gymnastic therapy, a medical consultation is necessary, since such treatment has a number of specific indications and contraindications.
Indications
Gymnastic training is recommended to be carried out regularly in order to prevent people at risk of developing osteochondrosis and hernial processes.
People who are hypodynamic and neglect physical activity are also in dire need of such activities. Because of their lack of mobility, the intensity of blood circulation is disturbed, which contributes to the development of hernial processes, osteoarthritis and vertebral deformity.
Often, physical therapy is prescribed before or after an operation to remove a hernial protrusion.
This approach is explained by the increase in the efficiency of surgical treatment and the acceleration of rehabilitation recovery after such an intervention.
Contraindications
Unfortunately, even such a simple therapeutic technique as gymnastics has its own specific contraindications:
- The presence of bleeding;
- Chronic pathological conditions of the myocardium;
- Acute pain syndrome in the vertebral zone;
- Complication of any chronic process, including hernial.
What types of gymnastics can you do
There are many types of gymnastic elements, but they must be selected individually for each patient.
Someone is more suitable for Pilates or swimming, while for someone callanetics, kinesitherapy or shaping are shown . There are also options such as Tibetan gymnastics, the Dikul complex, a postoperative or general health complex, etc.
Execution rules
It is necessary to conduct gymnastic training in compliance with a number of important rules that will ensure the maximum effectiveness of this therapeutic method:
- Fluency is the main requirement for movement, control that the classes are held at a slow pace;
- Discomfort – it should not be, any element should bring a pleasant feeling of fatigue and relaxation, and not uncomfortable sensations;
- Pain – it should not be, if the movements cause pain, then they must be stopped immediately;
- You can not perform twisting, jumping and other percussion complexes, as they can lead to additional trauma to the vertebral tissues;
- Build your workouts on an incremental basis – start the lesson with the simplest elements to perform, and end with the most difficult ones.
Exercise groups
Gymnastic elements are classified into several groups according to their main focus:
- Stretching;
- Strengthening the back muscles;
- General health improvement;
- Postoperative classes;
- Relaxation-related (yoga, Chinese gymnastics, qigong, etc.).
Spine sprain
Spinal stretching is considered an effective way to prevent pathological conditions of the spine and prevents the chronicity of existing back problems.
On an inclined surface
For such a procedure, you need to prepare a wide board with straps attached to the top along the width of the shoulders. The edge to which the belts are attached must be fixed to a stable surface at a height of about one meter (table, windowsill, etc.).
You need to lie on the board and place your hands in the belt loops so that the straps are under your armpits. Such procedures should be carried out for 7-20 minutes daily. If soreness is felt, then the board is fixed a little lower.
Walking on all fours
Experts recommend that patients with hernial vertebral protrusions walk on all fours more often. Such movement provides training to the spinal muscles and helps to restore the correct position of the vertebrae.
Stretching the vertebrae on a stool
A similar therapeutic and gymnastic element is also very effective. You need to lie on your stomach on a stool. The vertebrae should bend at the site of the hernia.
Stretching exercises
- The hood is inclined forward.
- Lie on a support that rises half a meter from the floor, so that the hernia is located in the place of the fold. Transfer some of the weight to the knees and the elbow. Relax so that the vertebrae can stretch;
- Hood tilted to the side.
- It is necessary to lie on your side, placing a dense roller under the painful area. The upper half of the body should try to lie on your back, and the lower half on your stomach. Stretching shouldn’t hurt.
- Direct extraction.
- Lie with your back on the floor, try to rest your chin on your chest, while pulling your socks towards you.
Strengthening the muscles and ligaments of the back
In the process of training, you need to soberly assess your capabilities and coordinate them with your well-being. The load should be distributed throughout the muscle corset, and not concentrated only in the problematic vertebral zone.
In addition, it is impossible to continue training, overcoming the pain; if such sensations arise, in order to avoid complications and deterioration of the clinical picture, it is necessary to stop exercising.
With a hernia of the cervical spine
A cervical hernia is often accompanied by chronic migraine headaches, classes will help prevent and eliminate such sensations:
- Perform head turns;
- Tilting the head all the way to the chest with the chin;
- Throwing the head back;
- Raises the shoulders with a delay of a few seconds.
Pectoral
Hernial processes with thoracic localization negatively affect respiratory functions, disrupt vertebral mobility and cause intense pain symptoms.
Performing gymnastic movements regularly will help to cope with these disorders:
- Lie down with a roller under your back, and your hands behind the back of your head and lift your torso;
- Sit in a chair. Wrap a wide scarf around your chest. Take a deep breath, and when exhaling, tighten the scarf, as if squeezing your chest;
- From the same position as you inhale, perform back bends, placing your hands under the back of your head. As you exhale, bend in the opposite direction;
- Bend to the sides, trying to reach harder with your arms.
Lumbosacral
Lumbosacral hernial processes are characterized by functional disorders and pain, which will help get rid of such gymnastic training:
- Lying on your back, strain-relax the muscle tissue of the abdominal press;
- From a supine position, lift the upper half of the body, legs should be motionless;
- Do bends with bent legs from a lying position;
- Spinal deflections, standing on all fours;
- Hanging on the crossbar;
- Lying on your stomach.
Kinesitherapy according to Bubnovsky
Kinesitherapy , developed by Bubnovsky, is widely used today by many rehabilitation centers. The basis of ” Bubnovskaya ” gymnastics is the elimination of inactivity as a daily life factor, the complex includes many elements performed at different rates.
In addition, there are exercises on the simulator, which was also developed by Bubnovsky. As a result of training on this simulator, vertebral functionality, muscle tone are quickly restored, pain symptoms are eliminated, etc.
For the lumbar
- In a supine position
- Lift the pelvic region;
- Hands under the back of the head, bend your legs, perform torso lifts, trying to touch your knees with your elbows.
- On all fours
- Spinal flexion;
- Stretching the back;
- Perform pulling movements forward without bending the lumbosacral region;
- From the starting position, sit on your right leg, and stretch your left arm forward, then repeat with the other leg.
After operation
After surgical removal of the hernia, patients are also shown gymnastic restorative therapy.
A competent approach to the selection of the performed elements contributes to quick rehabilitation and the return of motor abilities.
It is possible to include physiotherapy exercises in the complex of rehabilitation measures a month after the surgery.
Typically, such a gymnastic program includes exercises:
- Bending of bent legs from a lying position;
- Lifting the upper half of the body, lying on your back;
- Raising the pelvis from the same position;
- Lifting the upper half of the body, lying on the stomach;
- Raising the legs from a position similar to the previous one.
This is just a rough selection for the purpose of your acquaintance with the complexity of the postoperative therapeutic and gymnastic complex. A more detailed program is drawn up by the attending physician.
Recovery will not come immediately, but the formation of a hernia was not done in one day. The main thing is not to overstrain during exercise, to avoid painful movements, then recovery will occur faster.