Swimming with cervical osteochondrosis: exercises for a healthy spine

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

In the modern world, many people are faced with the problem of osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease are manifested not only in older people, but also in the younger generation.

general description

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a common disease of the spine. This section is very mobile, and it is constantly under load. It supports the head and allows it to move. Excessive stress on the intervertebral discs and cartilage tissue leads to the development of the disease.

Even in the last century, it was believed that such diseases are often found in older people. Technological advances have changed the way young people live.

Sedentary work in offices, a passive lifestyle, excess weight, unhealthy diet - all this becomes the cause of the development of diseases of the spine.

Various methods of treatment are used for the disease. Swimming is one of the leading places. This is the most effective treatment for cervical osteochondrosis.

Swimming for medicinal purposes

Active movements in the water help to lose weight - this has a healing property on the spine. The small weight allows you to do various elements of physical exercise, while overloading must be excluded.

Swimming uses different muscle groups in the human body, resulting in:

• The dorsal and muscular corset is strengthened;
• The spine straightens and the discs fall into place;
• The metabolism in the body improves;
• The spaces of the spine expand, and pinched nerves are freed;
• The respiratory, vascular and cardiac systems are stimulated.

Swimming is recommended if any part of the spine is affected. To achieve a more effective result, you need to consult with your doctor and get recommendations for specific exercises.

Swimming rules

In order for swimming to give a positive result with cervical osteochondrosis, you need to follow some recommendations. When choosing any style, you need to breathe correctly.

Inhale should be slow and deep, and exhale sharp. This rate improves ventilation and increases chest amplitude.

Swimming on the back is recommended for patients with cervical osteochondrosis. In this position, the muscles of the spine are maximally relaxed in a person. If all the recommendations in the pool are followed correctly, the health condition will be relieved after several procedures.

General rules

Doctors recommend that therapeutic sessions be carried out in the pools. In natural bodies of water, there is a current that increases the load on the patient when swimming. Consequently, the load on the spine increases, which is not always acceptable in osteochondrosis.

The temperature of the water must be taken into account. It is not always warmed up enough by the sun's rays and hypothermia can increase the inflammatory process. Patients with osteochondrosis, carrying out therapeutic swimming in pools, need to follow some rules.

The water temperature during the first lessons should be at least 27 degrees.

The best option is 30 degrees. After spending several sessions in warm water, you can gradually lower the temperature - up to 23 degrees.

Before starting classes, you need to warm up your muscles. For this, rubbing of the neck and rotating head movements are carried out. The warm-up lasts a few minutes. Moderate exercise improves blood flow to the spinal column. After preliminary preparation, you can start swimming.

The style is chosen by the instructor. This takes into account in which part of the spine the inflammation is localized. If the cervical discs are affected, the patient is advised to swim on the back. This position will allow the altered vertebrae to experience the healing properties of water as much as possible.

With osteochondrosis, patients should not make sudden movements. Therefore, when in the water, it is recommended to wear swimming pool goggles and caps. This prevents water ingress and involuntary sudden head movements.

To achieve a positive result, it is recommended to visit the pool every 3-4 days. The duration of the session lasts from 40 minutes to an hour.

The therapeutic gymnastics specialist selects a set of physical exercises that are recommended for the patient to perform in the pool. Initial procedures should be kept to a minimum.

Swimming can relieve pain, boost immunity and prevent further development of the disease.

Pool Exercises

The recommended exercises for osteochondrosis must be learned to perform correctly. The final result of therapy depends on this.

Water aerobics for osteochondrosis is useful for people of different ages. The load on the body in water is much less than in everyday conditions. Therefore, being in the pool, it is much easier to perform any set of exercises.

Experts offer a set of exercises for osteochondrosis, which is effective and safe:

Stretching the spine on land is not easy to accomplish. Not every person is able to perform exercises on the horizontal bar.

In a pool, given the reduction in gravity, this can be easily done. Holding on to special devices or the side, you can easily hang in the water.

For diseases of any part of the spinal column, swinging the upper and lower extremities in different directions, tilting and turning the body are useful. They need to be done carefully, without sudden movements.

Exercise is done with an inflatable pillow. They hold on to it with their hands or clamp it with their feet, swim with the help of a free pair of limbs. Rest is required before each swim.

In case of cervical inflammation, lifting the feet to the side of the pool allows you to relieve the load. In this case, the back should be in the water, and the hands should be behind the head.

By touching the bottom of the pool with your feet, certain exercises are performed. These are turns of the body to the sides, running and walking in place, swinging your arms.

With osteochondrosis, it is useful to perform exercises in which the back is in a horizontal position.

Swimming in the pool should be done regularly. The set of exercises must be gradually expanded. A sharp increase in load can lead to severe pain and stiffness of the body.

Contraindications

Some patients mistrust this type of treatment for osteochondrosis. Swimming always has a positive effect on the body, only some contraindications are a limitation.

Any disease should not be started with an exacerbation. Initially, with osteochondrosis, it is necessary to eliminate sharp pain with medication. For these purposes, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs are used. After stabilizing the patient's state of health, you can start water procedures.

The prohibition of their conduct may be:

• Colds;
• Inflammatory processes of the skin;
• Respiratory system dysfunctions;
• Heart diseases;
• Problems associated with motor activity.

Lack of skills or inability to swim are not contraindications. Such patients are given a special inflatable pillow, with which they perform exercises in the water.

With osteochondrosis, you should not self-medicate, but you should seek the advice of a doctor. Only a specialist will determine the diagnosis and prescribe a course of therapy.