How to do exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine at home
The content of the article:
- Physiotherapy
- Indications for choosing a gymnastic complex
- Exercises of the first group of complexity
- The second group of exercises
- The third group of exercises
- The fourth group of exercises
- What is osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region?
- Causes of occurrence
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Video
Exercise for osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine is one of the most important components of complex treatment. Their regular implementation helps to improve metabolic processes in the intervertebral discs, the formation of a muscular corset that supports the spinal column and relieves excessive stress from it.
Correctly and regularly performed exercises can significantly alleviate the condition of patients with osteochondrosis and slow down its progression
Physiotherapy
Medical gymnastics should be an integral part of the treatment of lumbosacral osteochondrosis. With its regular conduct in humans:
- the muscles of the back and abdominal muscles are strengthened;
- coordination of movements improves;
- decreases the compression of blood vessels and nerve roots of the spinal cord.
Medical gymnastics complexes are classified into several groups, depending on the level of difficulty. Classes should start with the simplest exercises and move on to more complex ones only as the body reaches the proper level of training.
Indications for choosing a gymnastic complex
It is best to start doing therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine in a polyclinic under the supervision of an exercise therapy instructor. After the patient learns how to properly perform all the exercises, he can continue to exercise on his own at home.
The complex should be selected by the attending physician, taking into account the characteristics of the disease, the age and general condition of the patient. Amateur activities can seriously harm your health.
The main indications for choosing a gymnastic complex are:
| Difficulty level | Indications |
| The first group of exercises | It is prescribed mainly to elderly people, during an exacerbation of the disease or in its severe course |
| The second group of exercises | Perform during the period of subsiding of acute manifestations of the disease, as well as with osteochondrosis of moderate severity |
| The third group of exercises | Recommended for patients with the first degree of the disease in the absence of acute pain |
| The fourth group of exercises |
It is prescribed for stable remission, as well as for the prevention of osteochondrosis |
Exercises of the first group of complexity
Starting position lying on your back:
- Grasp the headboard with your hands and stretch your entire body, stretching out your socks. Hold this position for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 5-6 times.
- Bend your legs at the knees. Wrap your hands around your left knee and slowly pull it towards your chest. Return to starting position. Repeat 10 times and then do it with the right leg.
- The legs are bent at the knees. Slowly straighten one leg and lift it. Return to starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg. You need to do the exercise 5-6 times for each leg.
- Bend your left leg at the knee and lift it up. With your left hand, press down on your knee and move it slightly to the right. Return to starting position. Repeat the exercise 10-12 times, and then do it with the left leg.
- The legs are bent at the knees, the arms are along the body. Leaning on your feet and palms, lift your pelvis and hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Return slowly to the starting position. Repeat 5-8 times.
After completing the gymnastic exercises, get out of bed and stretch with your arms above your head. Then, exhaling, bend down and swing to the sides with fully relaxed arms.
The second group of exercises
Exercises are performed standing, feet shoulder width apart.
- Raise your arms up, stretching your whole body. Exhale, bend down and swing with your arms completely relaxed.
- Hands are as relaxed as possible and down. Rotate your body right and left so that your hands go back and reach your buttocks.
- Hands at the waist. Perform 5 bends forward, backward, right, left. Then perform several rotational movements of the upper body clockwise and then counterclockwise.
- Hands at the waist. Perform rotational movements of the pelvis clockwise and counterclockwise.
- The legs are slightly bent at the knee joints, the palms are located on the front of the thighs. Resting on your palms, arch your back, straightening your shoulders and trying to bring your shoulder blades together. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
The third group of exercises
This complex includes exercises that involve not only the back muscles, but also the abdominal muscles:
- Lie on your back with your arms extended along your body. Raise your fully extended legs off the floor and hold them for 5-10 seconds. Return to starting position. Repeat 10-12 times.
- The starting position is lying on your back. Raise your straightened legs slightly above the floor and perform slow movements to the right and left.
- The starting position is lying on your back. Raise your straightened legs and take small “steps” with them in the air.
- The starting position is lying on your back with your legs raised above the floor. Perform side swings with them, imitating the movements of the scissor blades.
- The starting position is lying on your stomach, arms along the body. Lift your upper body and use it to swing lightly from side to side.
- Starting position lying on the stomach, palms on the back of the head. Slowly raise and lower your upper body. Repeat the exercise 8-12 times.
- The starting position is standing on all fours. Raise your left arm and right leg, fully straightening them. Return to starting position. Then do the exercise with your right arm and left leg.
- The starting position is sitting on the floor, legs straightened and spread apart. Perform alternately inclinations to the right and then to the left leg, trying to reach with your fingers to the tips of the fingers.
- Starting position standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward, trying to reach the toe of the opposite leg with your fingers.
- Starting position standing, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the belt. Perform bends to the right and left.
The fourth group of exercises
Includes the usual morning gymnastics complex. With good training, the exercises can be performed with weights, using weights weighing 1-2 kg. In addition, patients are recommended to engage in sports that exclude significant stress on the spine. Most useful:
- swimming;
- water aerobics;
- Pilates;
- yoga.
Naturally, the division of physical exercises into different categories of complexity is rather arbitrary. For one person, they may be too difficult, but for another, on the contrary, too easy. It depends both on the initial general level of physical fitness of the patient and on the stage of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine. Therefore, it is very important that the set of exercises is selected by the attending physician who knows the features of the course of the disease and the general state of human health.
Aqua aerobics is a useful type of physical activity for the lumbosacral spine
What is osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region?
Intervertebral discs formed by cartilage tissue are located between the vertebral bodies. They play a cushioning role. Under the influence of prolonged static-dynamic loads, the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs begins to lose moisture and is sequestered. As a result, there is an increased load on the vertebral bodies, irritation of the nerve roots occurs, which leads to the appearance of aching pain in the lumbar region.
Periodically, the pain intensifies, begins to radiate to the lower extremities. The following factors can provoke the onset of an acute attack:
- hypothermia;
- significant physical stress;
- serious stress.
Causes of occurrence
The factors that can cause the development of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine are:
- back injuries;
- hereditary predisposition;
- lack of physical activity or, conversely, excessive physical activity;
- age over 30;
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system (scoliosis, flat feet, cocarthrosis);
- obesity.
Symptoms
The clinical picture develops slowly. Initially, pain in the lower back occurs during movement (when turning or tilting the body). The pain is usually aching and can sometimes radiate to the leg. With damage to the nerve roots in the area of their innervation, various disorders of skin sensitivity (paresthesias) are observed. Over time, tendon reflexes decrease and muscle atrophy develops.
In the clinical picture of the disease, several stages are distinguished:
| Stage | Description |
| It is characterized by a feeling of discomfort in the lumbar region. During physical exertion, a slight dull pain occurs in the lumbar region, which can radiate to the buttocks. | |
| Due to the destruction of the annulus fibrosus, the distance between the vertebral bodies decreases. This increases the risk of pinching the spinal nerve roots. With awkward movement, the patient has a sharp pain in the lower back, radiating to the leg. Exercise tolerance worsens. | |
| The annulus fibrosus is destroyed and fragments of the nucleus pulposus fall out, that is, an intervertebral hernia is formed. The pains become pronounced. The periods of remission are shortened. | |
| Bony growths cause serious deformity of the spine. The pains are permanent. Atrophy of the muscles of the limbs develops. Dysfunctions of the pelvic organs are possible. |
Treatment
Therapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine should be comprehensive and aimed at the following goals:
- achieving muscle relaxation;
- relief of pain syndrome;
- elimination of inflammation of the affected spinal roots;
- restoration of normal mobility in the affected segment of the spinal column;
- the formation of a muscle corset;
- formation of correct posture.
To achieve these goals, the following treatment methods are used:
- manual therapy;
- back massage;
- drug therapy (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, B vitamins);
- physiotherapy exercises (exercise therapy);
- physiotherapy (electrophoresis, UHF, reflexology, mud therapy);
- apitherapy;
- phytotherapy.
If long-term conservative treatment is ineffective, surgery is indicated.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
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