Osteochondrosis is a disease of bone and cartilage tissue that most often affects the spine. Osteochondrosis can develop in any part of the spine, including the lumbosacral region. Damage to this area brings significant discomfort to a person and requires immediate treatment, since the degenerative process in the tissues will only progress. Gymnastic exercises are part of the treatment of osteochondrosis and should be prescribed by a specialist. This must be a certified physical therapy instructor or physical therapist who specializes in the treatment of osteochondrosis.
At the Yusupov Hospital, patients receive care from qualified specialists with extensive experience in treating diseases of the musculoskeletal system. A set of exercises is compiled based on the individual characteristics of the person, as well as the degree of damage to the spine. An individual approach to each patient, which is used at the Yusupov Hospital, allows us to achieve maximum results in the treatment of osteochondrosis and significantly improve a person’s well-being.
When is it necessary to do exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine?
Osteochondrosis is more common in older people, although it is possible that it may develop at the age of 30. Before starting treatment, a diagnosis must be established that confirms osteochondrosis, and not another disease of the musculoskeletal system. It is also important to correctly determine the localization of the pathological process. The details of therapy will depend on this. Diagnosis of osteochondrosis is successfully performed at the diagnostic center of the Yusupov Hospital. Modern equipment allows you to make a diagnosis accurately and in the shortest possible time, which is very important for the timely start of treatment.
Treatment for osteochondrosis will include medication and physical therapy. The use of medications is aimed at reducing inflammation, reducing pain and inhibiting the degenerative process. Physiotherapy is aimed at improving the condition of tissues by increasing blood circulation in the affected area, normalizing metabolic processes, and relaxing muscles. One of the components of physiotherapy is gymnastic exercises for osteochondrosis. They will differ depending on the location of the spinal lesion. For osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, certain exercises are used that have a beneficial effect on this particular area.
Exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine can only be performed after permission from a doctor. This part of the therapy is as mandatory as taking medications. Without compliance with all components of treatment, it is almost impossible to achieve positive dynamics. The gymnastic complex must be performed regularly, using the exercises recommended by the attending physician. After completing the main course of treatment, the person will need to continue classes to prevent relapse of the disease.
Getting ready: clothes and equipment
Main requirements for clothing:
- It should not restrict movement, but should not be too spacious.
- Clothing should be light, made from natural materials, but warm enough so that the lumbar spine does not become overcooled. The best option is thick cotton fabric (possibly with added wool).
For physical therapy exercises, you will need a thick roller, which is placed under the shins during exercise in a lying position - this removes excess stress from the lumbar spine. The height of the roller should be such that it can maintain a right angle between the thigh and lower leg.
Well, let's move on to practice.
A set of exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
Exercise for lumbar osteochondrosis is based on three basic principles:
- exercises should be performed regularly;
- the intensity of exercise increases gradually;
- exercises should not cause pain or overload the muscles.
A set of exercises for osteochondrosis is performed every day for 2-3 months, even when the pain and discomfort have passed. It is necessary to work well on the spine in order to consolidate the positive results of therapy. It is better to continue doing gymnastics further, as this significantly reduces the risk of problems in the spine and improves overall well-being.
Classes for the treatment of osteochondrosis are selected by a specialist. It is very important to take into account all the patient’s characteristics in order to design the most optimal and safe therapy. The specialist monitors the execution of the exercises and monitors the correctness of the patient’s actions. He will point out the intricacies of performing a particular exercise and, if necessary, adjust the chosen type of gymnastics in a timely manner.
Exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbar region can be as follows:
- stretching of the back muscles. The person lies down on a hard, flat surface, stretches his arms above his head, and straightens his legs. The back is stretched, with the arms stretched in one direction and the legs in the other;
- raising the pelvis. Starting position: lying on your back, arms along your body, legs hip-width apart, bend at the knees, feet resting on the floor. The pelvis is gradually raised, forming a straight line between the knee, hip and shoulder joints. The pelvis also smoothly falls down;
- rotation of the hips in different directions. Starting position: lying on your back, arms perpendicular to the body, legs bent and joined at the knees, feet resting on the floor. The knees smoothly lower to the right, trying to touch the floor, then to the starting position, and to the left;
- spine stretching. Starting position: on all fours, with the hips and floor forming an angle of 90C between themselves; the arms are straight, the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints form a straight line and are also located at an angle of 90C to the floor. The right arm and left leg are extended parallel to the floor, the position is fixed for a few seconds and returns to its original position. Next, the left arm and right leg are extended;
- kitty. Starting position as in the previous exercise. Perform flexion and extension of the spine. As you inhale, the back rounds, the head looks down, as you exhale, the back bends, and the head looks up.
A more complete course of gymnastics is determined individually by a specialist.
Recommendations of orthopedists, rheumatologists, rehabilitation specialists
The most important thing in doing the exercises is not to put stress on damaged discs. You cannot do more approaches than the physical therapy doctor recommended, due to the increased likelihood of injury. Only statistical loads are practiced, but not dynamic ones. This means that sudden jerks, turns, and tilts are completely excluded. Movements should be slow, smooth, careful, with a small amplitude. This will help strengthen the muscle corset and avoid damage to soft tissues when the vertebrae are displaced.
Exercise to strengthen the muscle corset.
What else do physical therapy doctors recommend to their patients:
- You need to train once a day every day or break the complex into 2-3 parts. You can skip training if you feel unwell: increased body temperature, gastrointestinal upset, an attack of arterial hypertension;
- loads should be increased gradually. Some patients begin training with great enthusiasm and try to perform the entire complex perfectly. The result can be muscle pain, and sometimes a relapse of osteochondrosis;
- You need to train in comfortable, loose clothing made of breathable materials. During exercise, a person sweats. Synthetic clothing retains heat, which is quite dangerous in case of low-grade inflammation in the spine;
- It is best to perform exercises 2-3 hours after eating. Exercising on a full stomach will be just as effective for the vertebrae, but it will have a negative impact on the digestive processes.
Exercise therapy doctors recommend listening to your own feelings that arise during training. If you feel pain or discomfort when performing a certain exercise, then it is better to reduce the number of approaches or do it less intensely. Sometimes during training there is a pleasant feeling when the muscles are stretched. This is how the body signals the need to perform this exercise as often as possible.
During classes, you need to drink a lot of liquid (in the absence of contraindications) - clean water, lightly salted non-carbonated mineral water, unsweetened fruit drinks, compotes, juices. This will increase the therapeutic effectiveness of exercise, speed up metabolism and tissue healing, and improve overall health.
Exercises for lumbar osteochondrosis: contraindications
There are several situations in which performing exercises with osteochondrosis is contraindicated:
- acute period of osteochondrosis;
- exacerbation of other chronic diseases;
- acute respiratory disease;
- severe form of diabetes mellitus;
- severe form of heart failure;
- high-grade cancer;
- presence of fractures;
- open wounds.
To perform exercises, it is necessary to cure current diseases and eliminate exacerbation of chronic ones.
What to do during exacerbations
Another mistake that leads to worsening of the back condition is incorrect treatment. For example, if you have an exacerbation, you should not use an ointment with a warming effect. It reflexively distracts from the pain, but then increases the swelling due to the fact that it warms and thereby increases the flow of fluids to the sore spot. The influx of fluid, accordingly, leads to even greater swelling, which will only intensify pain in the future. In the first days, it is better to use anti-inflammatory ointments; you also need to reduce active loads and use a corset. My course, Restoration of the lumbosacral spine in 10 minutes a day, has all the necessary recommendations: what to do on these days, and what exercises will help you quickly recover and return to your daily life.
Exercises for lumbar osteochondrosis: physical therapy in Moscow
High-quality gymnastics for osteochondrosis is carried out at the Yusupov Hospital. This is a multidisciplinary medical institution where they treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. For the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis, the patient is prescribed a number of measures that are aimed at improving the condition of the spinal tissues and eliminating or inhibiting the degenerative process. Exercises for the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis are suggested by experienced exercise therapy instructors, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. Classes are held at the rehabilitation center of the Yusupov Hospital, which is equipped with everything necessary for effective gymnastics. In the future, the patient will be able to perform physical exercises at home, but at the initial stage of treatment, the help and supervision of a specialist is necessary. After a course of treatment for osteochondrosis at the Yusupov Hospital, patients note a significant improvement in their condition, the pain goes away, and they can return to everyday activities.
You can make an appointment with rehabilitation therapists, physiotherapists and other specialists, get advice from an exercise therapy instructor, find out more information about the work of the rehabilitation clinic and other questions of interest by calling the Yusupov Hospital.
Basic complex
Despite the fact that the complex is selected individually for each patient, there are basic exercises recommended for everyone who has been diagnosed with a spinal disease, if it is not in an acute period.
Important! In the acute period, if the patient constantly feels pain, doctors recommend not to engage in exercise therapy until the pain is relieved. You can resume an interrupted course of exercise only when the pain subsides. Along with this, there are special exercises for the period of exacerbation (performed mainly while lying down and without tension), which the doctor will show the patient.
Exercise therapy rooms operate in many clinics, hospitals and health centers. In them, instructors work with patients, first carefully studying the medical history, then selecting the necessary exercises and arranging their frequency.
A doctor conducts classes in the exercise therapy room
To start attending classes, the patient will need a doctor’s referral, which he will issue after diagnosis.
Therapeutic exercise is not fitness or sport; it does not require the patient to have a certain physical fitness, sports skills, endurance, and so on. Absolutely everyone can do exercise therapy if it is not contraindicated by a doctor.
Exercises are recommended for people of all ages and regardless of physical fitness.
In any of the complexes, first there is a warm-up, warming up and preparing the muscles for the load, then the main load-training part follows, in conclusion there is always a cool-down that relaxes the muscular system, so that the next day you do not experience muscle pain attached to the existing spinal pain due to osteochondrosis .
Lying leg stretch
Lying on the floor, next to the door. The healthy leg is pressed as close as possible to the doorway, and the one being worked out is raised up and rested with the heel on the wall next to the door. Try to keep your raised leg as straight as possible. You should feel a stretch in the back of your thigh and hold it for 15-30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Requirements for carrying out exercise therapy
For lumbar osteochondrosis, physiotherapy will have its own characteristic features, as it is aimed at strengthening muscle muscles, relieving pain, and improving the condition of cartilage tissue. Regular implementation of the complex will help get rid of salt deposits and reduce discomfort when turning and bending. It is carried out against the background of following a healthy diet and undergoing therapy and other procedures. The main requirements in therapeutic exercises are:
- It is prescribed by the attending physician.
- It is carried out only during the period of remission.
- The lesson plan is discussed with a specialist.
- Must be performed every day.
Exercises for lumbar osteochondrosis are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the hips, buttocks, and sacrum. This will increase flexibility and eliminate pinched nerve endings in this area. As a result, the tone of the central nervous system increases, blood circulation improves, and the risk of developing adhesions in the medullary canal of the back is minimized.
Achieved effect
When drawing up a therapeutic regimen, neurologists explain to the patient the meaning of regular physical education and gymnastics. Lumbar osteochondrosis cannot be cured with pharmacological drugs. No medications have yet been synthesized whose use would help restore damaged discs and vertebrae. Therefore, the goal of therapy is to improve blood circulation in the lumbar region. Regular training is the best way to cope with this task. What effect should be expected after several months of daily exercise:
- together with the blood, a sufficient amount of nutrients is supplied to the vertebral structures for their regeneration;
- the muscles of the entire back are strengthened, which helps stabilize the discs and vertebrae, preventing their displacement, compression of the spinal roots and blood vessels;
- improving lymphatic drainage and blood circulation stimulates the restoration of soft tissues, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and in case of osteochondrosis of 1st degree of severity, cartilage.
Stiffness in the lower back gradually disappears, posture and gait are corrected, and the loads that arise when walking are distributed evenly to all parts of the spine.