Osteochondrosis is a dystrophic and degenerative violation of the musculoskeletal structures of the spine. This is perhaps the most common disease of the musculoskeletal system: according to statistics, every second person on the planet suffers from this ailment.
Osteochondrosis is fraught with a mass of complications, the main of which is intervertebral hernia. A similar pathology is most often found in the lumbosacral and cervical spine. The thoracic region is much less likely to suffer.
Despite the prevalence and danger, osteochondrosis responds well to therapy. One of the important components is physical therapy. What exercises can help get rid of this unpleasant companion?
What problems solves physical therapy for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Moderate exercise helps to resolve several therapeutic tasks at once:
• Improve blood circulation in affected tissues. Osteochondrosis is a dystrophic disease associated with a lack of nutrition of nerves and musculoskeletal structures of the spinal column. Therapeutic loads can improve blood circulation.
• Relieve muscle spasm. Pain in osteochondrosis is associated with muscle spasm. If you deal correctly, you can forget about this problem.
• Strengthen the muscle corset needed to maintain the spine in an anatomically correct position.
To achieve results, it is important to take only such complexes, which are suitable in a particular clinical case. Prescribe treatment should only physician exercise therapy. Below are descriptions of the most common exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine.
The simplest exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Don't be fooled by the word "simple." The indicated sets of exercises are effective with ease of execution. We are talking about universal exercises that can be done both in remission and in exacerbation.
Gymnastics complex №1
1) Take a vertical position. Relax all the muscles of the body. The legs should be at shoulder level or slightly wider. On inhalation, stretch your shoulders forward, as if shivering from the cold. As you exhale, turn your shoulders back and try to close them together.
2) Get in a comfortable position. Feet can be both closed and set to shoulder width apart. It is desirable that the room in which the lesson takes place is spacious enough, since the essence of the exercise is circular circular hand movements. First you need to wave the limbs clockwise, then counterclockwise.
3) Lie on the floor. Start performing movements similar to what they do when doing abdominal exercises. Knees should be bent, keep the heels tight on the floor. At the expense of "one" raise the torso and bend in the belt. Hands behind your head. At each lift, touch the elbow of the opposite knee. This exercise strengthens the pectoral muscles.
4) Take a lying position. Under the back, approximately at the level of the shoulder blades, place the roller. If there is no special orthopedic roller, a dense blanket will be rolled up "into a tube." Relax. Now you need to move the torso back and forth, as if massaging the entire back with a roller. This exercise helps to relax skeletal muscle.
5) Sit on a chair. The chair should be with a high back. Press your back tight against the chair. According to the account, "one" make a forced backward movement, wanting to bend over the back of the chair. Too zealous is not worth it, it is dangerous. Great risk of dislocation.
6) Get up straight. Legs approximately at shoulder level. Hands hang freely on the sides. On account of the "time" lean forward, bending in the belt. On account of the "two" to return to their original position. Then you should repeat the same exercise, bending to the sides and back. This is the main and most important exercise for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.
7) Lie on your stomach. Put your hands behind your back and lock them together. The next step is to bend your back and try to raise your body as high as possible. So you can easily strengthen the muscles of the chest.
8) Get up. Legs at shoulder level. Bend one hand, place the brush on the shoulder, the second is bent and slightly raised. The second hand should be at hip level. According to the account, "one" lean toward the extended arm, then lean towards the other side, changing hands accordingly.
These are the simplest exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. You can do everything without restrictions. It is important to follow some rules (about them below).
Therapeutic exercise complex No. 2
The complex is also ideal for everyone.
1) Sit on a chair. Press your back against the back of the chair. On account of the "one" to straighten, stretching the chest forward as far as possible. Put your shoulders back and try to close the shoulder blades.
2) Get in any comfortable position. Perform tilts back and forth. Exercise to perform 15 times in each direction.
3) Stand in a stable position, legs at shoulder level. Spread your arms and spread them apart. Lean over and start the mill exercise. First, the amplitude should be small, then it is necessary to increase it.
4) Sit on a chair. Relax all the muscles of the body. Now you need to sharply raise your shoulders, as if hiding your head and retracting your neck. Hold in this position for a few seconds. This exercise develops well the back muscles and relieves spasm due to sharp tension and subsequent relaxation.
The complex of exercises №3
Somewhat more complicated than the previous two. When performing, it is recommended to observe your own health.
1) Get up straight. Hands to lock and raise above your head. Start tilting left and right. The technology for performing this exercise for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is reflected in the photo:
2) To part hands, having formed the letter "T". Start moving back and forth, bringing together and spreading shoulders and shoulder blades.
3) Get up straight. Hands forward, one above the other. Now you need to complete the familiar exercise "scissors".
The most effective exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
This complexes are suitable for patients in remission. During exacerbations, they are not worth doing.
Therapeutic exercise complex No. 1
1) Take a lying position (on the stomach). Arms and legs spread to the side, forming the body of a "star". Now you need to "raise" your arms, legs and head. The torso should be firmly pressed to the ground. The exercise is quite complicated, so you should not perform it more than 4-6 times. This is fraught with the development of seizures.
2) Lie on your stomach. Straighten your legs, hands under the chin. Now you need to bend your legs at the knees, and then bend as much as possible in the hips so that you try to reach your neck with your socks. Of course, without special gymnastic training this is impossible, so you don’t need to bother too much.
3) Lie on your right side. Lift your left leg up as far as the features of your anatomy allow. Now you need to fix your foot in the air for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 12 times, and then roll over to the other side.
4) Get on your knees. On inspiration, lean forward with your whole body, smoothly assuming a lying position. It is important that the back is even throughout the exercise.
5) Make 15 forward inclinations, then repeat the same in other directions.
Gymnastics complex №2
1) Sit on a stool or chair, but in the second case it is forbidden to rest your back against the back of the chair. The back is straight, arms hang freely on the sides. On account of the "time" try to bring the shoulder blades together with each other. On account of the "two" return to their original position. Only shoulders and shoulder blades should work.
2) Take an identical pose. As before, it is impossible to lean on the back of the chair, while the back should be straight and relaxed. On the count of one, take the left arm away from the body, on the count of two raise it above your head. On account of the "three" return the limb to its original position. Now repeat the same thing by moving the opposite hand. The body itself should not participate in movement.
3) Take a sitting pose. Do not lean on the back of the chair. The back is straight. Hands folded in a prayer gesture (palm to palm). Hands should form a single line. Now you need to press one palm on the opposite palm so that the hands, as it were, counteract each other. This exercise works well on the muscles of the shoulder girdle and chest. Run a few times. In addition, the "confrontation" of the hands should last 4-5 seconds, after which the muscles should be relaxed.
4) Sit upright. Put one hand on the chest, place the other on the stomach. You need to breathe properly. Inhalation should be carried out through the chest, the stomach is not involved in the breathing process. This movement has beneficial effects on the pectoral muscles. The hand on the stomach should not move anywhere.
5) Sit on a chair. Raise your shoulders as high as possible, trying to reach your ears. Now it is also necessary to bring the shoulders back as much as possible, now the semicircular movement of the shoulders moves forward. Thus, you get a full circle. Identical movements are made clockwise and counterclockwise.
6) Lie on your back. The legs are bent at the knees and stand firmly on the ground. Soles need to rest against the floor. Now you need to slightly raise the torso above the floor, almost performing the familiar exercise on the press.
7) Get on all fours. The right hand must be raised and, shifting to the opposite limb, stretch to the left with the entire thoracic region. Repeat the same with the other hand.
The effectiveness of exercises is tested in practice, therefore, the described complexes are ideally suited to combat osteochondrosis.
In order to better understand the technology for performing complex No. 2, it is recommended to watch the following exercise video for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine:
How to properly perform exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
There are some useful tips on how to do the exercises correctly:
• Do not try to make as many approaches as possible. It is enough to perform exercises 2-4 times a day to achieve a therapeutic effect.
• Regularity matters. Regular exercise is the key to the effectiveness of gymnastics.
• Pain is an indicative signal. If pain is observed during the training process, it is recommended that you complete the exercises and seek the advice of a specialist in exercise therapy.
• No need to perform exercises at a fast pace. All movements should be smooth, light. Otherwise, there is a high probability of injury.
• Cramps are normal. After the first classes, they may arise, you should not be scared. You need to diligently continue to engage.
Exercise therapy can be an excellent tool in the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis. It is important to perform the exercises correctly and then the effect will not take long.
