Exercises for osteonecrosis

Exercise is an effective treatment for degenerative bone disease: it helps to make muscles firm, improves the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and joints. Should be used in parallel with other methods such as massage, manual therapy.

Osteochondrosis is a disease of the spine, characterized by degenerative changes in the discs, which lead to a loss of their density and integrity (the appearance of cracks). Loads on the spine can cause the disc to move toward the spinal canal (disc protrusion) or protrude the nucleus pulposus from the surrounding fibrous ring (herniated disc).

As a rule, the development of the disease is promoted by a sedentary lifestyle, with little physical activity (the sound of the musculoskeletal apparatus of the spine decreases). Special exercises can slow the process of bone necrosis.

Regular exercise therapy aimed at stretching the vertebrae has a positive effect on the condition of the spine and the whole body:

• back muscles are strengthened;
• the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the cartilage and bone tissues of the spine is improved;
• normalizes blood circulation, metabolism in cartilage;
• the process of eliminating toxins and toxins is accelerated.

A set of therapeutic exercises is used to alleviate osteonecrosis and prevent the onset of the disease.

The figure below shows part of the spine, the area containing the discs (between the vertebrae) is outlined in black. The disc acts as a shock absorber - protecting the vertebrae from rubbing against each other when walking, sitting and exercising vigorously. With a sedentary lifestyle, in the human body, the metabolism is disturbed, so the discs do not receive the necessary amount of nutrients - this is how the degenerative changes begin, multiplyThe pulp loses the moisture and elasticity of the discs. This results in an increased load on the vertebrae and indeed on the entire spine and back muscles.

Effects of exercise

In the acute stage of osteonecrosis, therapeutic exercises are not used. To improve the patient's well-being, lengthening of the spine along its axis is prescribed. The increased distance between the vertebrae leads to muscle relaxation, reduced nerve root excitability (pain relief). With an exacerbation of the disease, a soft bed should be changed to a hard one.

Therapeutic exercise has a positive effect in the early stages of the development of osteonecrosis. It stimulates biological and physiological processes inside the body: blood circulation improves, muscle tone improves, spinal motor functions are restored.

In general, regular use of therapeutic exercises helps:

• strengthens the muscles of the hands and the musculoskeletal apparatus;
• improve blood flow and lymphatic circulation;
• enhances metabolism in the affected tissues of the spine;
• correct posture;
• restore the supporting and movement functions of the spine.

In the early stages of osteonecrosis, physical therapy is aimed at reducing irritation of the nerve roots that come into contact with the affected discs. Although there are positive results from using exercise equipment, simply doing exercises that do not increase pain.

Indications for exercise therapy

The main goal of exercise is to strengthen the muscles, the cartilage tissue that supports the vertebrae. Exercises must be done slowly, without sudden movements, completely relaxed.

It is not worth working too hard during school hours: only moderate loads contribute to recovery (improvement of metabolism, improvement of muscle condition, return of spinal activity, shock-absorbing function of the discs).

Do not perform exercises with acute pain and do not consult your doctor first. It is better to engage in physical education activity under the supervision of a qualified professional (physical therapist), but you can do it yourself.

To achieve a positive result, training must be done every day. First, all exercises are repeated no more than 5 times, then the number of approaches is increased to 10-12 times (as the muscles get stronger).

Frequency of performing physical therapy exercises

All exercises prescribed by a doctor to treat osteonecrosis should be performed regularly. In addition, patients with sedentary work-related activities are advised to warm up directly at work (when possible, but preferably hourly).

Muscle strengthening is necessary whenever the opportunity arises. Even gentle exercise with regular practice will help avoid recurrence of the acute phase of osteonecrosis, reducing pain intensity.

The effect of using physiotherapeutic exercises on spinal pathologies is felt immediately after school (with properly selected gymnastics). The choice of a set of exercises should be made by the doctor from the general picture of the disease (stage of development of osteonecrosis, type of damaged structures, form of the disease).

You don't have to stop exercising. If you feel unwell, do not improve, you should contact your doctor: he will prescribe you a new set of exercises.

When is exercise contraindicated?

Performing exercises for bone resorption improves health, prevents fusion of vertebrae during the destruction of spinal discs. Basically, its use is recommended for all patients, but there may be exceptions.

Performing exercise therapy is contraindicated in the following cases:

• acute stage of bone necrosis;
• postoperative period (at the beginning of spinal rehabilitation);
• neurological diseases accompanied by impaired motor coordination;
• High Blood Pressure;
• disorders of the vestibular apparatus;
• blurred vision (severe nearsightedness), high eye pressure;
• dysfunction of the cardiovascular system (for example, arrhythmia);
• The patient's condition deteriorated due to complications of a chronic, serious illness.

Physical education is not carried out: on an empty stomach, after eating or overwork.

There can be a positive outcome from using physical education with an integrated approach to performing therapeutic exercises. In this case, it is recommended to do only those exercises, after which the condition of the muscles is significantly improved (working power increases, tension decreases).

If you feel worse during or after exercise, it's better to stop them and remember to see a doctor.

Cervical fibroids: which exercises are effective?

The disease manifests itself in different segments of the spine, but often degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cartilage and bone structure of the neck region are observed. The main cause is often being in an uncomfortable stressful position. The people most susceptible to the disease are people over the age of 25.

To perform physiotherapeutic exercises with cervical osteochondrosis, no special physical training is required. Each patient can easily do the following exercises:

1. We sit on chairs, straighten our backs, stretch our necks. Then we do 5-10 slow turns: to the left and to the right (try to turn the neck as much as possible). The result of physical education is an improvement in the motor functions of the cervical vertebrae.
2. In a standing position, tilt your head down, trying to touch your chin to your chest. Repeat the slope 10 times. (If reaching the chest is not possible, try to bring the head as close as possible. )
3. We sat down at the table, leaning on it with our elbows. Place your palms on your temples, tilt your head to the side, and at the same time create resistance with your hands (hold this position for about 10 seconds). We do the exercise no more than 10 times with a rest of 8-10 seconds. The effect of performing such gymnastics is to strengthen the lateral muscles of the neck.
4. We lie on our stomachs to make sure the muscles are fully relaxed. We place our hands along the body (palms down). Then, with a slow movement, we turn our head to the left, then to the right (up to 10 rounds each way), repeatedly returning to the starting position: bowing.
5. We sit down, lean forward, inhale deeply (head reaches chest level). On the exhale, we return to the starting position, throwing back to the head. We repeat the exercise 10-15 times.

All exercises are recommended to be performed in conjunction with other types of therapeutic exercises. The systematic conduct of physical education with cervical osteotomy strengthens muscles, helps to relieve pain.

Exercises for the shoulder and neck muscles

The shoulder joint connects the collarbone, shoulder blade, humerus, thus providing better upper limb mobility. Poor posture formed over many years leads to a decline in functions: stooped and stiff shoulders appear. With chronic shoulder tension, the mobility of the ribs is poor, breathing becomes difficult.

Exercises aimed at developing the muscles of the shoulder and neck are used to prevent the onset of diseases of the spine: osteochondrosis and herniated discs.

Do not start exercising after an injury or damage to the shoulder joint without first consulting your doctor.

During the exercise, it is necessary to monitor the posture, the correct position of the legs (they should be shoulder width) and the body (you cannot bend forward). Then the load on the back, arms, and muscles of the neck and shoulders will be evenly distributed.

The exercises are done slowly at first, then gradually increase the speed of the movement. This technique of performing gymnastics prevents the occurrence of muscle aches after training.

Exercises to develop the shoulder muscles include the following exercises:

1. We put our feet shoulder width apart, put our hands on the waist. We perform turns with the shoulders forward, then in the opposite direction.
2. I put my injured hand on my good shoulder. I place the second hand on the elbow of the non-healing limb, carefully pulling the injured arm upwards.
3. I put my hands behind my back, I connected it to a lock so that the affected limb was on top. Gently pull down the affected arm with the healthy limb.

This type of exercise improves blood circulation, accelerates metabolism in damaged tissues. Gymnastics lessons from the school's physical education program have a similar effect.

With osteonecrosis, electrical loads are undesirable, as they can increase pain. Regular light warm-up will give a positive effect: a feeling of euphoria appears, the pain is relieved.

In case of neck and shoulder diseases, in addition to exercises, it is allowed to use compresses with the composition Dimexide and Bishofit.

A set of exercises for thoracic osteonecrosis

Deformity of the thoracic spine is the result of improper posture, the muscles of the spine weaken due to not being exercised regularly. Degenerative changes in this part of the spine often lead to disruption of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems: the appearance of angina attacks, arrhythmias, pulmonary and cardiac failure.

That's why physical therapy is so important. Performing properly selected exercises will allow you to restore the motor functions of the spinal segments, release blocked vertebrae and relieve pain.

The elimination of the main symptoms of osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine contributes to physical education, which includes the following exercises:

1. To perform the exercise, you need to take a roller with a diameter of up to 10 cm (a rolled towel will do). We lie on our back, place a roller under the thoracic area (its lower part). With your hands behind your head, slowly raise your back (repeat a few times). Next, we move the roller along the spine (upward), perform the exercise again. Equally studying different parts of the thoracic region lengthens the spine, tones the muscles.
2. Walking on all fours: bend your back as much as you can, linger in this position for a few seconds (while keeping your head straight). Then we return to the starting position, and then repeat the exercise.
3. Lie on your side, knees bent. We pull the right leg up (stretching, move the thigh to the side as much as possible), fix the position of the leg for 5-10 seconds and lower it. We repeat the same with the second leg.
4. We lie face down on a flat surface, with our hands down on our heads. While inhaling, we raise our shoulders and body, while exhaling we return to the starting position. We do the exercise at least 3-4 times. As the muscles strengthen, we increase the number of hits.
5. We sit on a chair (with a backrest), leaning against it. We bend backwards to feel how the muscles of the ribcage stretch. Then we make smooth forward bends. It is necessary to make 4-5 such approaches.

Doctors do not recommend overloading the muscles in exercise therapy. Only moderate exercise can bring benefits and pleasure, helping to restore the spine after an illness.

Exercises for lumbar osteonecrosis

There is an opinion that back pain is the human cost of walking. After all, it is this part of the spine that bears the entire load when walking, acting as a shock absorber.

As practice shows, people who neglect an active lifestyle are much more likely to suffer from low back pain. Daily exercise not only helps you get rid of unpleasant pain, but also prevents the development of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the bone and cartilage tissues of the musculoskeletal system.

Therapeutic exercises for osteoporosis combine strengthening and stretching back and abdominal muscles. In the first lessons, the exercise is performed in a lying position: in this position the load on the back is small, there is no risk of increased pain.

The positive effects of using sports equipment are shown in the following points:

• improves blood and lymph circulation;
• normalization of metabolic processes in the bones, cartilage tissue of the spine;
• eliminate blockages in the pelvic organs;
• muscle strengthening;
• traction of the nerve roots of the spinal cord;
• Restore the functions of the musculoskeletal system.

Exercise helps promote protein production in muscle tissues. Entering the body, they stimulate the activity of major systems.

The following exercises may alleviate the condition with lumbar osteonecrosis:

1. We lie on our back, press our lower back firmly on the floor, bend our knees. We stretch our arms toward our legs, trying to hug them (while we don't tear our lower backs off the floor! ). We linger in this position for 5 seconds, lowering, relaxing the muscles. Repeat the exercise 40 times (for two sets).
2. We bring the legs together, pull them towards the abdomen, bend at the knees. We use our hands to clasp the legs, fix the position, then slowly stretch the knees. We sink to the floor (slowly), return to the starting position.
3. Walk on all fours, keeping your back straight. We cross our arms to the left, bend the torso in the same direction, then to the right (when turning, we keep the body bent for a few seconds). Repeat the exercise (at least 10 times).
4. Starting position - on four legs. Raise your head while arching your back. Then we do everything in the reverse order: we lower our heads, smoothly flexing the spine.
5. We stand up straight: we keep our legs straight, put our hands on the belt. We lean forward and backward as much as we can. You need to do 10 deep inclines in each direction.
6. We sit on the floor: we raise our arms (palms "look" forward), bend down to our feet, trying to touch the toes with our hands. This exercise helps strengthen the spine and abdominal muscles: when leaning forward, the back works, when backward, press.

Treatment of lumbar spondylosis should aim to restore the functions of the spine, eliminate pain and be carried out in a complex way. In addition to drug treatment, massage procedures, pulling, physiotherapeutic exercises have a positive effect. It strengthens the muscular corset, which helps to reduce the load on the discs of the spine.