The physical processes of our planet always affect humans. Gravity acts constantly. In our body, the muscles resist it - they are the ones who do not allow us to be pressed to the ground, to be squeezed. In addition, our appearance and health are influenced by our habits - sitting, walking, making various movements. Few people do this correctly from the point of view of the health of our body - as intended by nature.
Signs of physiological posture:
- In a sitting position, the leg muscles in their natural state slightly spread the knees to the sides. Therefore, the “foot-to-foot” position leads to poor posture and problems with the hip joint;
- The pelvis in a sitting position should be in a forward tilt - in this case, there is a forward bend in the lower back (this automatically contributes to straightening the back).
- Shoulders are relaxed and straightened.
- The top of the head stretches upward (the head does not fall to either side).
And how are you?
Unfortunately, this is what usually happens in life:
- a person does not pay attention to his posture and lives as he is used to, as is more convenient;
- begins to feel pain in the neck or lower back, back, joints;
- turns to a neurologist and he, after an MRI or CT examination, makes a disappointing diagnosis, for example, intervertebral hernia (a frequent accompaniment of incorrect posture), and the option to get rid of it is a complex spinal operation.
Only the cause of pain in the spine is not eliminated even by such an operation, so the hernia will appear again - in a different place. And the reason is the incorrect position of the body, which we ourselves create in everyday life, often simply without noticing it.
Therefore, treatment of even a hernia begins not with surgery (and proper treatment of this disease does not allow surgery), but with your work on your posture and habits. At the Exart medical rehabilitation center, experienced doctors help you with this in order to increase the efficiency and speed of recovery.
Diagnostics
Patients with pain in the cervical spine consult an orthopedic doctor or traumatologist. A comprehensive examination of the spinal column and adjacent anatomical structures is carried out using modern instrumental methods. To clarify the cause of cervicalgia, laboratory tests are needed. The greatest diagnostic value is:
- Neurological examination
. During the study, deep and superficial sensitivity of the posterior parts of the neck is checked to exclude radiculopathy and myelopathy. The results of functional tests for coordination of movements are indicative. Muscle strength of the upper extremities and the range of active and passive movements in the cervical spine must be assessed. - X-ray studies
. The method effectively detects the main causes that may cause pain in the cervical spine. On radiographs you can see signs of spondylitis and spondylolisthesis, space-occupying formations. To identify spinal instability, functional radiography of the neck is performed in the position of flexion and extension of the spinal column. - Neuroimaging methods
. A CT scan of the spine is used for a detailed study of the cervical vertebrae. The study allows you to evaluate the structure of bone tissue, the presence of fractures or displacement of fragments. Visualization of intervertebral discs and ligaments is achieved using MRI. To exclude spinal canal stenosis, myelography is performed. - Functional diagnostics
. If the cervical spine hurts periodically, and the pain intensity is low, this may be due to damage to the neck muscles. To study the state of muscle structures, electromyography is prescribed. To confirm or refute radicular syndrome, electroneurography and evoked potential studies are indicated.
Laboratory examination methods are of auxiliary value. To confirm the infectious cause of pain, general and biochemical blood tests are performed, and a blood culture is examined. Additionally, serological tests are recommended to identify the most typical pathogens of neuroinfections. To exclude the rheumatic etiology of pain in the cervical spine, the level of rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies in the blood is determined.
How to maintain proper posture at work/study?
The educational process or work day involves sitting for many hours. At the same time, the muscles responsible for maintaining correct posture, of course, get tired - that’s why we arch our backs, lower or raise our heads, round and compress our chests, and lean our hands in any direction.
To avoid this, it is enough, when you feel the first signs of fatigue of the necessary muscles, to stand up and perform the simplest exercises for a couple of minutes, walk around, move around, stretch your lower back, stretch. And repeat such breaks to warm up exactly as long as your body needs. Remember: neither work nor study will return your health! 2 minutes of warm-up once an hour will not affect your income or knowledge acquisition in any way - don’t be lazy to do the right warm-up!
Even if at the time of reading this article you already have some diseases of the musculoskeletal system, do not neglect these recommendations - they are simple, but they will slow down the development of diseases and allow you to cope with them faster.
Treatment
Help before diagnosis
Patients who have very severe pain in the cervical spine should provide functional rest for the neck and avoid head movements, especially turning from side to side. To reduce tension in the neck muscles, it is necessary to take regular breaks from working at the computer or machine. To find out the cause of cervicalgia and select treatment, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Until the diagnosis is verified, it is permissible to take analgesics from the NSAID group to relieve excruciating pain. Independent use of warm compresses is prohibited.
Cervical spine massage
Conservative therapy
Medical tactics depend on the cause of the disease and the clinical stage. In the absence of pronounced destructive changes in the spinal column, a combination of drug treatment and physical therapy is sufficient. Physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed after acute pain in the cervical spine subsides; the most effective are acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, ultrasound and electromagnetic methods. For chronic pain syndrome, manual therapy is used. Medicines usually used:
- NSAIDs
. They belong to the first line of drugs for the treatment of acute and chronic pain in the spine. Effectively eliminate pain, reduce inflammatory reactions in joints and soft tissues. To minimize side effects, selective COX-2 inhibitors are preferred. - Local anesthetics
. If the spine hurts unbearably in the cervical region, therapeutic blockades are recommended. Anesthetics in combination with glucocorticosteroids are administered as close to the lesion as possible: into the neck muscles, facet joints, and less often, epidural blockades are performed. - Neurotropic vitamins
. To enhance the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of other medications, B vitamins, especially thiamine, are used. The drug inhibits pathological pain impulses and increases the concentration of the most important endogenous analgesic substances. - Anticonvulsants
. These drugs are combined with antidepressants for chronic resistant pain syndrome and psychogenic pain. Additionally, short courses of muscle relaxants are used. For vascular disorders, venotonics are administered.
Surgery
For unstable fractures of the vertebral bodies and arches, surgical reposition of the fragments is indicated with their subsequent stabilization using bone osteosynthesis methods - usually metal plates with transpedicular fixation are installed. For benign spinal tumors, they are removed after preliminary decompression of the brain structures. In the case of spinal osteomyelitis, sequestrectomy is necessary with further restoration of the anatomical integrity of the spinal column.
Surgical treatment methods used for osteochondrosis can be divided into two groups: decompression and stabilization. Decompression surgeries are designed to reduce pressure on the spinal canal and relieve radicular syndrome. For this purpose, laminectomy, endoscopic discectomy, and facetectomy are performed. Stabilizing operations are required when the cervical vertebrae are displaced in the frontal plane and there is a risk of spinal cord damage. Anterior or posterior spinal fusion is performed (fixation of bone structures to ensure their complete immobility).
Exercise option for correct posture at home - “Eagle”
Take the correct initial position and ensure that it is maintained throughout the entire exercise:
- Stand exactly against the wall and press your back and the back of your head against it: your pelvis, shoulder blades, and the back of your head should be pressed.
- Place a folded towel in the area of the curve of your lower back and straighten up, leaning your lower back through the towel on the wall. To maintain a comfortable curve of the lower back, you can move your feet away from the wall 10-20 cm and slightly bend your knees.
- Stretch the crown of your head upward, while your eyes look straight ahead.
Now start the exercise:
- Lower your arms down and press them straight against the wall so that the back of your hand, thumb and little finger are pressed against the wall, and the thumb of each hand is facing away from you.
- In this position, inhale and exhale, press the towel against the wall with your lower back and gradually raise your arms up, sliding along the wall.
- Be sure to make sure that your thumb and little finger do not come off the wall, that your pelvis, lower back through the towel, shoulder blades and the back of your head are tightly pressed against the wall at all times.
- Raise until it becomes difficult to perform. If the body's resistance interferes, do the exercise 3-4 times at the maximum height achieved, then try to move up a little more and repeat swinging your arms along the wall there.
- Slowly lower your arms to the starting position.
- Do 4 sets, raising and lowering your arms along the wall 4-6 times.
Variant of the exercise with the Exart simulator
To increase the effectiveness of exercises or, conversely, to provide relief in complex human conditions, the Exart center uses a simulator of the same name.
The exercise is performed in a supine position, legs bent at the knees and feet resting on the couch or floor. Under the chest there is a wide suspension attached to stretched elastic cords to ease the load when performing the exercise.
The arms are also suspended at the elbow area on cables using narrow pendants so that they are above the level of the body, while being spread to the sides, palms facing up. The exercise consists of lifting the torso and head up from a lying position, relying on the pelvis and pendants; you need to perform slow lifts of the upper body, holding for 4-6 cycles of inhalation-exhalation and slowly lowering to rest.
To accurately dose the load, complicate or facilitate exercises, the suspension structures are shifted along the body and arms depending on the specific situation. It is possible to add additional movements symmetrically or asymmetrically, if the person’s condition requires it. This is one of the best exercises for excellent posture, and specialists from the Exart rehabilitation center will help you learn how to do it correctly.
Risk factors
- Age over 40
- Male
- Presence of family history
- Having a history of trauma
- Pregnancy
- Previous spinal surgeries
- Congenital anomalies of the spine.
- Lack of regular exercise
- Work or activity that requires prolonged sitting and heavy lifting.
- Smoking. People who smoke are more likely to experience back pain than people who don't smoke.
- Overweight. Excess body weight, especially with fat accumulation around the waist, can increase stress on the back, and these people tend to have weak muscles and limited mobility
- bad posture. Impaired posture leads to a disruption in the distribution of load vectors and to muscle tension, muscle spasm and pain.
- Stress. Stress and other emotional factors are believed to play an important role in back pain, especially chronic pain. Many people unknowingly tense their back muscles when they are under stress.
- Condition after a long period of depression.
- Long-term use of drugs (such as steroids) that weaken bone tissue.
- Lung diseases that lead to chronic cough.