The leading symptoms of osteochondrosis of any localization are pain and limitation of movement. Taking pharmacological drugs does not become a panacea due to their pronounced side effects and toxic effects on the human body. Vertebrologists, neurologists, and traumatologists recommend that patients do physical therapy and gymnastics daily to improve their well-being. The most effective training is done in a pool or any natural body of water.
Areas of focal damage.
Even ordinary swimming helps to redistribute the load on the spine, accelerate blood circulation, and remove tissue breakdown products from the intervertebral disc. But gymnastic exercises in water are especially effective in the treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar osteochondrosis.
The benefits of aqua procedures
Exercises are easier to perform in an aquatic environment than on land. This is due to the high density of water. During swimming, all muscle groups are used, which cannot be said about classical exercises.
The positive effects of swimming include the following:
- improving the functioning of the heart and respiratory system;
- activation of metabolic processes;
- strengthening the muscular corset of the spine;
- improved posture;
- expansion of the space between the vertebrae;
- increased intelligence;
- improvement of brain activity;
- reducing blood cholesterol levels.
Advice.
In order for swimming to help cope with the disease, and not cause even more harm to the body, you need to adhere to certain rules. Do not forget that this procedure is not only entertaining, but also therapeutic.
The benefits of swimming for the musculoskeletal system
The fact that water repeatedly reduces a person’s weight and has a beneficial effect on the spine is no secret to anyone. Studies have shown that when in water, a person’s weight is about 3 kg. This allows you to perform physical exercises without fear of overload and other adverse consequences.
If classes in the gym are aimed at developing the muscles of the inflamed area, then swimming includes absolutely all muscle groups.
Swimming for osteochondrosis helps:
- stimulation of the cardiac, respiratory and vascular systems;
- increasing joint mobility;
- strengthening the cervical and dorsal muscle corset;
- relaxation of the spine;
- increasing lung capacity;
- improvement of psycho-emotional state.
Muscles that work while swimming
Contraindications
Before visiting the pool, you need to consult a doctor, because only he can give permission to the patient to undergo these procedures.
Swimming is contraindicated if the patient has the following pathologies:
- heart failure;
- infectious diseases;
- epilepsy;
- respiratory failure;
- disruption of brain function;
- severe back pain;
- dermatitis;
- eczema;
- regular cramps.
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Water gymnastics: a set of exercises for osteochondrosis of the neck
Doing special exercises in the water is a great addition to swimming.
An approximate set of exercises is given below:
- Lower yourself chest-deep into the water and walk (first in place, then in motion).
- Raise (pull towards the chest) the left and right knee alternately. At the same time, spread your arms to the sides.
- Take a vertical position, put your hands on your belt, bend forward and at the same time move your elbows back.
- Standing in the water, stick your stomach forward.
- Perform squats in the water, holding the edge of the pool with your hands.
Between each group of exercises you need to rest, raising your arms to the sides. A short break will allow you to restore your breathing and relax your muscles.
Expert opinion
Dr. Shishonin notes that with cervical osteochondrosis, uncontrolled movements in the cervical spine are very harmful. A spasm occurs in the neck muscles, which leads to the development of various kinds of complications. The most preferred swimming style for cervical osteochondrosis is on the back.
If with lumbar osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias in the lower back, swimming helps relieve pain, then with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine this effect is not observed.
The minimum benefit from communicating with water is acquiring the skills of lying on the water and complete relaxation. The person should lie on the surface of the water in the form of a star. To do this, you need to inhale deeply so that the overall density of the body decreases, then you need to make small breathing movements. This is necessary to ensure that the air does not completely leave the lungs. You can lie on the water and relax.
With cervical osteochondrosis, swimming should be treated with extreme caution. There's no point in swimming again. During water procedures, deep muscle spasms often occur. When the body is hypothermic, myositis can also be added to everything described above. This pathology is accompanied by acute pain syndrome. Therefore, after swimming, be sure to wipe yourself dry and avoid drafts.
Basic principles and methods
Swimming for thoracic, lumbar, and cervical osteochondrosis is best done in a pool or natural body of water where there is no strong current. Otherwise, to overcome the resistance of water, a person will have to make certain efforts, which is undesirable for a diseased spine. A swimming pool with swimming lanes and space for gymnastics is suitable for training.
One of the swimming techniques.
The temperature of the water environment should be within 25-30°C, since at lower or higher values it will be uncomfortable to practice. The temperature difference between water and air has a positive effect on the neurovascular reactions of the body. The tone of blood and lymphatic vessels increases, innervation is normalized. The skeletal muscles relax, but at the same time the muscular corset experiences sufficient therapeutic stress.
The first training sessions must be carried out with a physical therapy doctor. He will create a set of exercises individually for the patient and monitor their implementation. Before diving into the water, you need to do a short warm-up:
- raise and lower your shoulders, make circular movements with them;
- bend slightly from side to side, and then bend forward and backward;
- walk, raising your knees high.
If a person wants to exercise in the pool, but does not know how to swim, then you can use an inflatable raft, pillow or circle. Vests are not suitable for training as they unnecessarily restrict movement.
Breaststroke swimming is most often used in aquatic therapy for osteochondrosis. A characteristic feature of this style is the ability to cover long distances without feeling very tired. When swimming, before pushing off your legs, you need to take a deep breath, and when rising to the surface, exhale sharply.
The purpose of swimming and gymnastics is not personal athletic achievement. Visiting the pool several times a week should improve your well-being and bring pleasure. Swimming slowly on your back is very beneficial. In this position, the neck muscles relax as much as possible, but at the same time, blood flows intensively to the vertebrae. And swimming for osteochondrosis of the lumbar region allows you to simultaneously strengthen the striated muscles of the entire back and evenly distribute the load on the spine.
Let's remember anatomy
The spine consists of vertebrae that are flexibly connected to each other, with intervertebral discs between them. Oddly enough, the cause of all the problems is upright walking. Over millions of years of human evolution, Mother Nature has never been able to figure out how to save people from back diseases. Animals do not face such difficulties. What about the giraffe? No one knows whether his neck hurts, but it is true that zoologists find no evidence of changes in the spine. Why? Yes, because he walks on four legs, his neck supports his small head, and the entire load is evenly distributed on his limbs.
Our spine is forced to bear the entire weight of the body. Being under constant tension, the cartilage tissue of the disc gradually deforms, it acquires a flatter shape. Displacement of the vertebra and compression of the nerve ending cause severe muscle spasm, which does not give rest and causes stiffness of movement. There is no cure for osteochondrosis; you can only reduce symptoms and prolong periods of remission. Depending on the location, osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic or lumbar region is distinguished.
Is it possible to swim with a herniated disc?
Swimming with a hernia of the lumbar spine cannot be called a fashionable innovation - just a few decades ago, medical experts unanimously spoke of its benefits. It is also important to understand that sometimes this sport remains the only one that patients with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system can afford. But if left without physical activity at all, a person will feel much worse, and the disease itself will begin to progress.
How to swim?
Only your surgeon
,
orthopedist
or exercise therapy specialist. But general advice will be useful for all patients who have been diagnosed with a herniated disc. The most important thing is no sudden movements! Exercise for your own pleasure.
Backstroke
Swimming on your back with a lumbar intervertebral hernia is recommended for those who are just starting to engage in physical therapy and are still afraid of aggravating the situation, or simply cannot perform other exercises due to pain or due to weakness of the musculoskeletal skeleton.
Breaststroke
A more “advanced” type of swimming, which, unlike the previous one, uses several muscle groups at once. During strokes, both arms and legs work, in addition, the swimmer must maintain posture: this helps prevent other diseases of the spinal column.
Crawl
Crawl swimming is recommended only for those patients who already have experience in performing aquatic exercises. Such methods are contraindicated for beginners; this is due to ignorance of the technique and, as a result, the risk of aggravating the course of the disease rather than coping with it. When swimming crawl, you should keep in mind that the load that back exercises carry with a hernia should alternate with periods of rest when you simply lie in the water of the pool and relax all the muscles of the body.
Why is osteochondrosis dangerous?
The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the absence of symptoms at an early stage of the disease and their similarity with other pathologies at later stages. A person seeks medical help when functional disorders of other organs occur and severe pain occurs. Symptoms directly depend on the location of osteochondrosis. The disease can occur in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.
Dystrophic changes in the intervertebral space lead to a decrease in the distance between adjacent bone segments. The vertebrae come into contact with each other (friction occurs), and bone growths form. Osteophytes compress nerve endings and blood vessels, disrupting blood circulation and the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain.
Complications of osteochondrosis (depending on the location of the pathology):
- paresis;
- amyotrophy;
- formation of intervertebral hernias;
- urinary disturbance;
- myocardial infarction;
- lack of sensitivity in the limbs;
- movement disorder;
- trophic disorders.
Therapy for osteochondrosis is always accompanied by physical exercise. When performing gymnastics, a person may experience additional stress and pain. Are water activities beneficial for pathologies of the spinal column? Water aerobics allows you to effectively strengthen and stretch your muscles without straining your spine.