Massage for osteochondrosis - contraindications, how the procedure occurs

What is osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis is a complex of several degenerative disorders localized in the cartilage of the joints. The whole process looks something like this: the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc begins to collapse, this leads to the introduction of the nucleus pulposus into it, which quickly swells and then shrinks, drying out - all this makes the intervertebral disc itself flat, and the fibrous ring protrudes strongly or ruptures. As a result, the roots of the spinal cord are compressed and unpleasant sensations appear, such as pain syndromes and disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

In this case, osteochondrosis can develop in different joints. Typically this is:

cervical region;
thoracic region;
lumbar region.

This is explained by the fact that these areas bear the maximum load during the day.

Important: In the place where the inflammatory process occurs directly, spasms, impaired coordination of movements and problems with memory and vision are common.

Roughly speaking, osteochondrosis is the aging and destruction of intervertebral discs and vertebrae. About 60-80% of people suffer from this disease, which is facilitated by poor nutrition of cartilage tissue and hormonal imbalances. Of course, the main reason is the uneven distribution of the load on the spine: trivial things like a bag on one shoulder, uncomfortable shoes, a high pillow or a soft mattress can significantly affect the functioning of the spine.

However, there are much more reasons why osteochondrosis develops than it seems:

incorrect posture, curvature of the spine, stoop;
weak muscle corset;
improper functioning of blood circulation;
too hard physical work, sedentary lifestyle;
metabolic disorders, unhealthy diet;
presence of injuries and damages;
sleeping in an uncomfortable position, short sleep;
viral/bacterial infections that occur on a regular basis;
individual characteristics of the body;
hereditary factors;
age-related changes.

Features of performing therapeutic massage of the cervical-collar area

The procedure must be carried out in a comfortable environment for the client and the specialist.
For good gliding of hands, use oil.
The time required to complete the ShVZ for children is up to 15 minutes. For adults – up to 30 minutes.
To achieve maximum effect and benefit, it is recommended to conduct a course of 15 sessions.
The frequency of sessions depends on the problem and purpose: every 1, 2, 3 days.
The procedure should not cause acute pain or discomfort. It is necessary to monitor the reaction and requests of the client.
After completing the procedure, help the client stand up smoothly without making sudden movements.

What should you avoid with osteochondrosis?

As we have found out, osteochondrosis occurs mostly due to excessive stress on the spine. To prevent the disease from manifesting itself even more aggressively, it is necessary to ensure that factors that put pressure on the injured spine are excluded from life. It is also a good idea to pay attention to strengthening the muscular frame of the back.

Doctors recommend leading an active lifestyle, moving more: regular morning exercises, therapeutic exercises, changing body position every half hour may be a good option.

Helpful advice: A little warming up of the body with osteochondrosis can have a positive effect on the condition of the spine. Visiting the sauna with prolonged walking in the water is allowed. Water improves blood circulation due to the pressure difference, and also produces a hydromassage effect.

It is advisable to avoid overly soft furniture, especially when it comes to sleeping. Buying an orthopedic mattress that follows the natural curves of the spine will significantly reduce the load on the back muscles. It is also worth paying attention to the shoes that are preferred - the load on the back directly depends on the comfort of the chosen shoes.

Posture requires constant monitoring. Especially if there are hints of its violation. In everyday life, you should stop lifting heavy objects and putting stress on your back, start eating right and monitoring changes in your weight. If you start osteochondrosis, you may encounter complications such as:

migraine;
hearing loss;
loss of vision;
autonomic dysfunction;
intervertebral hernia;
exacerbation of diseases of the genitourinary system.

Helpful advice: Despite the fact that crunching in the joints brings a short-term feeling of relief, you should not provoke it (especially in the cervical and lumbar region). The reason is that by forcing damaged articular surfaces to rub, one can achieve their progressive destruction and, accordingly, acute osteochondrosis.

Method of performing neck massage

Before starting a session, always check with the client about any contraindications to the procedure.
Place the client on a chair in front of a massage table with a cushion
The patient should take a position so that the forehead touches the pillow and the chin touches the chest. Hands in front of you.
Perform 7 strokes between the head and shoulders
Perform 7 rubs
Perform push-ups, gradually increasing pressure with the edge of your palm
Do kneading 5-7 times.
Massage the trapezius muscle with the entire surface of the palm, 5-10 times.
Light circular massage of the shoulder joints 5-7 times.
Perform vibration reception - up to 15 seconds.
Stroking the entire collar area 5-7 times.

Benefits and contraindications of massage for osteochondrosis

Often, a therapist, having diagnosed osteochondrosis, offers massage as a separate treatment method. This procedure is aimed at influencing the muscles, since it is the muscle tissue and tendons that reflect the immediate condition of the joint. If they are atrophied or painful sensations are observed in them, it means that blood circulation is impaired, which contributes to the appearance of edema, cyst formation, blocking blood flow and osteochondrosis.

In general, massage treatments can have the following positive effects:

improving blood supply to bone structures;
normalization of blood supply to the muscles of the neck and head;
elimination of spasms, pain and discomfort;
restoration of mobility of intervertebral joints;
increased venous outflow;
improving blood circulation in the brain;
slowing down the aging process of vertebral discs, restoring their functions;
relieving muscle tension;
stimulation of muscle and elastic elements;
prevention of muscle wasting;
restoration of strength and improvement of general condition.

In order to achieve greater results, massage should be supplemented with light physical exercise, but at the same time, do not overload the muscles and joints, because massage techniques are also a load for the body. Stretching exercises are encouraged.

Important: The massage procedure for the treatment of osteochondrosis should not cause pain. If for some reason the massage turns out to be painful, it means that it was performed incorrectly. It is worth entrusting the procedure to a professional who can control the process in such a way as to avoid aggravation and unnecessary tension in the muscles, as well as increase the positive effect of the treatment.

Considering that therapeutic massage is a medical procedure, it has a number of contraindications that should not be ignored in order to avoid unwanted consequences. These include:

fever, high temperature;
inflammatory processes;
skin diseases;
blood diseases, hemophilia;
tuberculosis of bones and joints;
osteomyelitis;
chronic diseases during exacerbation;
heart disease;
hemostasis;
thrombosis;
diabetes;
tumors.

Main indications

The decision to perform therapeutic massage is always made by a doctor based on the results of diagnostic studies.

Most often, the procedure is required in the following cases:

Diagnosed osteochondrosis.
Stiffness during movements.
Severe pain syndrome.
Headache.
Circulatory disorders, swelling.
Pinched nerve fibers.
Problems with spinal flexion.
Scoliosis or degenerative changes in cartilage tissue.
Signs of injury to muscles and ligaments.

Therapeutic massage is possible at any stage of development of osteochondrosis, but is not performed during an exacerbation . The duration of the course most often depends on the patient’s condition and existing concomitant diseases.

Features of massage for osteochondrosis

So, a qualified specialist has been selected for the massage, who has taken into account all the contraindications and characteristics of the patient’s body - what next? The doctor conducts a diagnosis and finds out whether the massage procedure is really necessary.

Classic massage is performed on a couch in a lying position or in a specialized chair in a sitting position. To make the patient feel comfortable during the session, massage oil is usually used. There are three stages in total that will ensure high-quality muscle development. At the same time, it is worth remembering that the spine is not affected.

First, the massage therapist rubs the skin and kneads the muscle tissue in a circular motion. The rhomboid muscle at the base of the seventh vertebra is necessarily worked out. After the manipulations are completed, the movements will be repeated in the reverse order towards the head.

The next stage involves actively working on the collar area - the specialist gradually increases the force on the muscles and performs massage techniques from top to bottom and back. The muscles are pinched with the palm, but only the skin is allowed to be grasped between the shoulder blades.

Direct relaxation of the body is achieved by negating the effects on the skin and muscles. The force with which the massage therapist performs classical techniques gradually decreases and ends with rubbing the treated area with his palms.

At the end of the massage, the patient should remain in the chair or couch and not get up for at least 10-15 minutes. The heated skin is wiped with a napkin and covered with a towel. Typically, this procedure takes about half an hour and this is enough to obtain visible results.

Self-massage

Self-massage is the simplest type of massage, which is most often prescribed “in combination” with professional massage. It does not require special skills, but it is based on classical massage techniques. Most often it is applied several times a day (usually 2 or 3) and takes a short time - no more than 10-15 minutes. It does not require special preparation, and it can be performed not only at home, but also at work. Most often, experts recommend using the following massage techniques:

the sore area (primarily the neck) is actively stroked for several minutes (with a light degree of pressure) with the pads of the index and thumb;
With the edge of the palm, the chest is first rubbed with quite a lot of effort, and then lightly “tapped” with a fist - at the same time, pressing movements are also performed.

Self-massage allows you to enhance the effect of professional procedures, speed up pain relief, and develop not only the cervical spine, but also the thoracic spine, which has a positive effect on the general condition of the patient. In addition, self-massage does not take much time and allows you to do your own thing.

Cervical osteochondrosis: signs, nuances, massage treatment

It is the cervical spine that reacts to disturbances in a special way - the symptoms of osteochondrosis in this area differ from its other types. This feature is explained by the fact that the cervical vertebrae are located very close and even a slight displacement can lead to serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system, as well as cause acute pain.

Important: In addition to pain, cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself as weakness and poor sensitivity of the hands (pinched nerve endings), problems with head movements (bone formations, changes in the structure of the intervertebral disc), dizziness (pinched artery) and even impaired vision or hearing (poor circulation) .

The development of this disease occurs in several stages:

First: the osteochondral tissue of the vertebrae is destroyed, the symptoms are either indistinguishable or absent;
Second: the height of the intervertebral disc decreases, cracks appear in it, pain and weakness are recorded;
Third: a herniated disc forms, damage appears in blood vessels and muscles, pain may be accompanied by dizziness;
Fourth: the bone tissue that protects the vertebrae grows, nerve endings are pinched, movements become constrained, and neighboring joints are certainly damaged.

All this leads to poor nutrition of the brain and disruption of its functioning. A person may lose coordination, his motor activity will be impaired, and pain and spasms will be felt in his arms and legs on a constant basis.

Advanced osteochondrosis can cause ischemia, stroke and other diseases that will cause irreparable harm to the human body, including death.

First of all, treatment of this type of osteochondrosis must be carried out comprehensively - massage procedures are complemented by physical therapy, medications, vitamins, a proper diet, an active lifestyle and traditional medicine. All this should improve blood circulation and eliminate the occurrence of muscle spasms. It is possible to use painkillers and medications that relieve inflammation.

The principle of massage is practically no different from the classical one:

impact on the surface layers of the skin from the collar area to the chest through stroking;
working with deeper layers of skin using a grip;
warming the skin to improve blood supply;
kneading and subsequent relaxation.

Helpful advice: If the pain is based on only one side, the massage should begin with the healthy part, and then smoothly move to the area of the pain. The main thing is to exercise extreme caution so as not to worsen the situation.

Classic manual massage technique

Since classical massage is most often used for osteochondrosis, there is a general technique for its implementation, which includes the following steps:

A superficial massage begins the session. The chiropractor uses circular, zigzag, and wave-like movements with both palms. The movements themselves are usually stroking or rubbing.
Deep massage. This is pressure with one hand placed on top of the other in the affected area along the line of the transverse vertebral processes.
Cervical spine massage. In this case, stroking and rubbing movements are performed in the neck area. This helps normalize blood circulation in the affected area.
Strong movements knead connective and muscle tissues.
At the end of the session, the doctor performs relaxing pats, taps, and vibration movements. The session ends with stroking the back with straight palms.

When performing a massage, the patient must sit on a chair or lie on the couch with his stomach down. It is important to note that with the right approach to massage, tangible results are noticeable already in 1-2 sessions, since the pain syndrome is significantly reduced. Arnovel clinic specialists will carry out high-quality professional work and help reduce the manifestations of osteochondrosis. In addition to complex therapy, the disease will subside within a few weeks!

Types of massage for osteochondrosis

Of course, the classic massage option is not the only one of its kind. Here are just some of the techniques used:

Cupping (vacuum) massage

Since ancient times, the effectiveness of cupping treatment has been noted. With their help, they got rid of a lot of all kinds of ailments, and osteochondrosis is no exception. It is believed that cupping massage will achieve the greatest effect in this case.

Important: Considering the unique nature of the procedure, before deciding to perform it, it is advisable to consult a doctor who, based on the characteristics of the patient’s body, will draw a conclusion whether such a massage is worthwhile.

You can install banks in two ways:

On both sides of the spine. Only 15 minutes are allocated for the entire session and the procedure should be repeated only after the consequences of the first session have disappeared;
The specialist uses a special gel to create a vacuum in the jars. Through this system, the bank moves along the back. The main thing is not to impact the spine.

Thai massage

This technique is based on exercises that resemble yoga. With their help, you can improve blood circulation and improve overall well-being. As in the first option, you should trust the procedure exclusively to a specialist.

1-3 hours are allocated for a Thai massage, and during this time the entire problem area is worked out with fingers, elbows and even feet. With the help of such a non-standard approach, it is possible to relieve the patient of pain and improve the health of the entire body.

"Rock" massage

To carry out such a procedure, you will need an item that any housewife has - we are talking about a rolling pin. This massage affects the human body no worse than a standard fingertip massage. In this case, you can carry out the procedure yourself if it is not possible to contact a specialist.

The patient can gently tap the rolling pin, moving lower and lower, or simply lie on it with his lower back and roll it for ten minutes. It may seem that this is too simple, but, firstly, it is not entirely true, and secondly, the effectiveness of this method is undeniable. This technique is especially relevant for lumbosacral osteochondrosis.

Acupressure

Another common type used to treat a huge number of diseases and pathologies. It is based on the impact on certain biologically active points on the human body, which, in turn, affect the internal organs, muscles and other elements of the human body.

It was this technique that formed the basis of the well-known acupuncture, the benefits of which are beyond doubt. Acupressure helps solve the problem and relieve a person from the unpleasant and painful sensations that accompany osteochondrosis. Moreover, it does not require much time. This method is especially effective for pain in the hip joint.

Unlike massage using a rolling pin, this option can be dangerous if left to an amateur. To conduct acupressure, a specialist must understand anatomy and have an understanding of how active points work on the internal structure of the body.

Hardware types of massage

This is one of the most modern and gentle methods of influencing the affected areas. It does not require effort on the part of the massage therapist, and therefore is easier to perform. Hardware massage is usually most effective when there is significant pain. The main types of such massage are hydromassage (water jet massage), as well as pneumatic massage and vibration massage.

Using these techniques allows you to achieve the following results in just a few sessions:

blood and lymph circulation improves;
degenerative processes in intervertebral discs are slowed down, the sensitivity of nerve endings is restored;
after the first session there is a noticeable decrease in inflammation.

Unlike manual massage, hardware procedures are usually more pleasant and “softer”, but they cannot always be recommended in complex cases of osteochondrosis, since the devices cannot “work” the desired areas the way an experienced chiropractor can do.

Techniques for performing massage of the collar area using devices

A significant part of people in the 21st century work in offices and spend at least 8 hours every day in a sitting position, which does not give the body health and well-being. Neck and back massage is recommended for almost every office worker in the absence of contraindications. Ideally, CVZ massage should be done once a week to relieve tension and prevent the development of osteochondrosis and other diseases. Homemade devices for self-massage of the cervical-collar area, which anyone can use, will help with this.

The butterfly is a compact device that provokes nerve contractions using safe electrical impulses. The butterfly allows you not only to relieve tension from the back, neck and shoulders, but also to reduce the volume of fat deposits.

A hand massager is a compact, inexpensive and easy-to-use device with a long handle, which makes it easier to carry out the procedure in hard-to-reach places.

The massage belt, like the collar massager, is securely attached in the cervical region and covers the entire cervical-collar surface and effectively affects a person using various vibration modes.

The pillow-massager is convenient to use in the car, in the office, at home. A simple evening ritual of relaxing on the sofa can be turned into a useful procedure that will allow you to relax after a hard day and prevent the development of osteochondrosis and other diseases of the spine.

Each of us saw Kuznetsov’s applicator at his grandmother’s place. It is a mat with small rosettes with spikes that can be used for any part of the body. Perfectly improves blood circulation and accelerates lymph flow. The applicator is indicated for use by almost everyone and at any age.

The technique of cervical-collar massage is one of the most popular techniques of the 21st century, which is actively used for the health of adults and the proper development of children!

Author of the article:

Practicing: 15 years, Teaching: 8 years

How to properly massage the collar area for children?

The treatment procedure is indicated for children starting from infancy, as an effective remedy for:

weakening of the muscular corset of the back and neck
insomnia
headaches, migraines
osteochondrosis
manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia
delays in speech development
deterioration of the cardiovascular system
circulatory disorders
consequences of birth injuries
respiratory diseases
partial loss of voice
swelling, poor lymph flow
reduced immunity
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
deterioration of hormonal levels

Health-improving exercises and therapeutic massage of the cervical-collar area are indicated for every schoolchild, which will make it possible to have a preventive effect on the development of osteochondrosis and scoliosis in young and adulthood. And for infants it can often replace a course of drug treatment.

Contraindications

There is a list of universal contraindications for massage, which includes:

hypertension;
fever;
any infectious processes;
local skin damage;
functional organ failure;
neuropsychiatric disorders;
intervertebral hernia;
tumors;
thrombophlebitis.

The list may be extended, so before going for the procedure, it is better to consult with your doctor. If you feel unwell, it is better to postpone the procedure.