Therapeutic exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis at home. Effective basic exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis Exercises for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

The main task for obtaining positive result and improving the mobility of the spinal column - regularity and systematic implementation of the complex.

For today in medical practice There are cases when osteochondrosis affects the young part of the population - less than 30 years old. The main point in the development of osteochondrosis is the deterioration of microcirculation. The spine is a trunk containing vertebrae that are connected by tendons and muscles. Blood, metabolism and other processes that occur around the spine change during the disease. The reasons are long-term static positions. This happens when a person sits at a desk and computer for a long time. The cervical spine is especially affected.

The second reason is injuries. Greater trauma is associated with problems in the lumbar spine. Osteochondrosis as a disease is a degenerative problem that develops constantly. By itself it does not cause pain. Pain syndromes appear against the background of osteochondrosis, and are associated with damage and irritation of the spinal roots emerging from the spine. The space for the spine to exit becomes very limited and it is its tightness that causes:

• rib pain;
• paresthesia of the limbs;
• numbness of arms and legs.

The gastrointestinal tract often suffers, and during an exacerbation, even the slightest movement provokes pain. When pain occurs in the arm, it is natural to want to treat the arm, but the root cause of the pain is actually higher up.

Strong back muscle fibers are the key to a healthy spine. To strengthen them, you need to use a set of exercise therapy exercises.

The goal of gymnastics is to form a strong muscle corset, and only then will you be able to forget about osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.

Such symptoms appear in people who do not exercise and eat poorly. Incorrect sleeping posture and uncomfortable bed are other causes of osteochondrosis.

Exercise therapy is an important and very effective method of therapy.

Development of exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis need to be trusted physical therapy doctor. With the help of the Internet, of course, you can choose a workout, but if you choose the wrong course, the situation with the spine will only worsen.

Exercises during an exacerbation of thoracic osteochondrosis

Are physical therapy exercises allowed during an exacerbation? During an exacerbation, training is strictly contraindicated, but cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis is a separate issue. With osteochondrosis, the remission phase is replaced by an exacerbation phase and then the acute pain becomes unbearable, so it is better for the patient to avoid active movements, minimize the load on the spine, and completely limit sexual intercourse. During an exacerbation, you can only use isometric, that is, static exercises. Exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine combined with the use medications and other physiotherapeutic procedures. What is the purpose exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis during an exacerbation:

• reduce the level of pain;
• strengthen muscle fibers;
• eliminate severe stress on the spine in vertical position.

Exercises can be done exclusively during the period between attacks of acute pain. The first classes should be performed under the close supervision of a specialist. There are three main exercises that can be used during the acute phase of the disease.

First exercise:

• Step 1. Sit on a chair. Keep your back straight. Cervical region must not perform any movements.
• Step 2. Place two hands under your chin. The task is to press your chin onto your hands, as if you want to lower your head down. Hands create resistance. Stay for a few seconds. Lower your hands and relax.
• Purpose of the exercise: the muscles of the anterior neck are tensed, but the spine is not involved.

Second exercise:

• Step 1. Place your left palm on your right cheek.
• Step 2. Press your palms on your arm, as if trying to turn your head to the right. But don’t do the movement itself. Hold for a few seconds and slowly relax. Repeat on the other side.
• Purpose: The lateral muscles of the neck are tensed. The main thing is to do the exercise in moderation and not try to achieve greater effect by making maximum efforts.

Third exercise:

• Step 1. Sit down, back straight. Place your hands back on the back of your head and make a lock.
• Step 2. Press your head on your hands, as if trying to throw your head back. Count to three. Relax and lower your hands. Repeat 3 times.
• Goal: The muscles of the back of the neck plus the shoulder girdle are tensed.

Exercises can be repeated in a circle in two passes. The purpose of exercise is to strengthen muscle fibers. As soon as the acute stage of the disease ends, we change the complex.

Gymnastics during the period of improvement

People leading a sedentary lifestyle need to understand that it is impossible to cure osteochondrosis without using physical exercise. Medicines, massages and magnetic therapy will not help if the muscle fibers cannot support the spine anatomically correct position. Exercise therapy complex for thoracic osteochondrosis must be developed by a doctor. Things to consider:

• physical training of the patient;
• stage and characteristics of the disease.

The training can be done at home, with or without the help of an instructor. Clothes should be comfortable, with elastic fabric. What available tools are used:

• chair;
• towel or scarf;
• roller

Any complex of physical therapy for cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis should include three stages:

• warm-up;
• stretching.

Yoga and swimming can complement gymnastics. Good reviews has and Bubnovsky gymnastics for osteochondrosis . Its other name is kinesitherapy. This method of therapy not only treats diseases of the musculoskeletal system, it also helps to lose excess weight and normalize blood circulation.

A set of basic exercises

The best way to start your workout is to take a hot bath or shower. When the body is relaxed, you can begin to do the most simple exercises- warm-up. There are quite a lot of complexesphysical therapy for cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis. Regular training leads to the spine regaining its original growth. Even three or two sessions a week give a lasting effect. Duration of training - 60 minutes:

• Feet wide hip joints. Bend your knees and raise your two arms up. We take breaths, exhale, bend to the right - exhale and inhale, we rise up. As you exhale, we lower ourselves to the left and rise as we inhale - our hands look at the ceiling. Repeat. The pelvis should remain in place.
• Stand up straight (this exercise can be done while sitting), take a deep breath and draw in your stomach. At the same time, raise the chest upward as much as possible. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then exhale smoothly. The exercise cannot be done at a fast pace to avoid oversaturation of the blood with oxygen.
• With a deep breath, raise your arms up. Reach into the sky for a few seconds and slowly lower down with an exhalation. Tailbone under you, lower back curled into the middle, arms crossed, hug your torso. Pull your abs completely under yourself and release the air from your lungs.
• Spread your legs a little wider, bend your knees. Tighten your abs and, as you exhale, begin to make circles with your pelvic area. The chest should remain in place. Make circles in different directions. Inhalation and exhalation are uniform. During this exercise, the deep muscles that hold the intervertebral discs work.
• Spread your legs wide, bend forward, connect your shoulder blades, and move your head back. The back should be straight. Then straighten up, press your chin to your neck and exhale and arch your back. Repeat several times.
• To warm up the shoulder girdle, you can make several circular movements with your shoulders back and forth. Try to raise your collarbones to your ears.
• Triangle pose. We get down on all fours, hands at shoulder level, fingers pointing forward, knees bent at an angle of 90. We bend in the lower back, bring the pelvis and buttocks back and up, arch our back. You need to straighten your knees, trying to reach your heels to the floor. Stay in the pose for one minute. Relax.
• We sit on the floor, stretch our legs forward. We make body turns to the right and left. We don't bend our back. You can help yourself with your hands.

At the slightest pain, we stop exercising. Exercise should bring pleasure and a feeling of comfort. It’s worth training every day, but it’s best not to start doing more complex exercises without first consulting a specialist.

Pros and cons

As recent studies show, gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis brings better results than taking medications and other physiotherapeutic procedures.

The benefits of physical education:

• improves elasticity and mobility of the thoracic region;
• is being formed muscle corset;
• improvement respiratory function;
• posture improves;
• motor function of the vertebrae develops;
• metabolism in tissues is normalized;
• the muscle tissue of the shoulder girdle is developed;
• are strengthening respiratory muscles;
• swelling disappears;
• the natural curve of the thoracic region is restored;
• neck mobility increases;
• blood circulation and lymph flow increases.

It is thanks to these qualities that, by doing regular exercises, pain syndrome will decrease. But not all exercises are beneficial for osteochondrosis. The most effective exercises are those that stretch the spine and those that increase the distance between the vertebrae. What exercises should be discussed with your doctor:

• power;
• for stretching the spine;
• to improve breathing.

The disadvantages of such gymnastics are very minor:

• waste of personal time;
• doing the exercises incorrectly can worsen the situation;
• the result is noticeable only after time;
• classes must be regular to achieve effect;
• in the first stages, pain may appear;
• You cannot change the set of exercises on your own.

By doing the exercises daily, you can forget about osteochondrosis for a long time. If there is no improvement, the execution method may have been chosen incorrectly.

Contraindications

Classes according to the developed course of physical therapy are one of the necessary methods of treating diseases of the musculoskeletal system. But there is a group of people for whom such training can only harm:

• patients with pathologies of the vestibular apparatus;
• patients who have recently undergone surgery;
• hypertensive patients;
• people with neurological diseases.
• You should also avoid physical activity if you have such diseases,
• glaucoma
• arrhythmia;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• severe myopia;
• increased intraocular pressure;
• severe violations posture;
• tumor in the spine.

If the patient begins to feel dizzy and nauseated during exercise, it is better to refuse physical education.

In conclusion

Effect of physical exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis depends on the stage of the disease. It happens that a positive result is visible immediately after the first lesson, sometimes it takes weeks, or even months. The main thing is to do the exercises correctly and systematically. Some useful recommendations:

• It’s worth starting with minimal loads;
• with a small range of motion;
• We conduct classes slowly;
• For better effect you should alternate dynamic and static exercises, and loads with rest;
• During classes, it is important to monitor proper breathing;
• relax muscles regularly;
• You cannot exercise on an empty stomach or after a hearty lunch;
• during an exacerbation, classes can be done for those departments that are healthy.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic pathology, prone to progression and fraught with severe complications in the form of disc displacements, pinched nerves, development of protrusions and hernias. This is the most common disease of the spine: almost 80% of all back pain indicates the presence of degenerative processes in the cartilage tissue of the discs, vertebrae or ligamentous-muscular structures.

Treatment of this disease is a long and complex event, including drug therapy, physiotherapy, massage and physical therapy. Exercise therapy is a mandatory stage of treatment for any degree of osteochondrosis. Let's consider what exercises are performed for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, what are the therapeutic effects and general rules Exercise therapy for degenerative processes in the spine.

Features of thoracic osteochondrosis

In the thoracic area of ​​the spine, osteochondrosis develops much less frequently than in other parts of the back. This is explained by the low mobility of this anatomical region. The thoracic vertebrae are connected to the ribs (and through them to the sternum) and form part of a rigid bone frame that protects the internal organs. The load on the thoracic region during physical activity and at rest is minimal (in comparison with the cervical and lumbar area), and therefore disc displacement in this area develops extremely rarely.

Thoracic osteochondrosis rarely manifests itself in initial stage disease, but its consequences are no less dangerous than degenerative pathologies in other areas of the spine. Osteochondrosis in the thoracic segments can cause pinched nerve roots and, as a result, problems with the heart, respiratory system and digestive system.

The causes of thoracic osteochondrosis are numerous - trauma, damage, curvature of the spine, poor posture, anatomical abnormalities. The danger of the disease is that the destruction of the cartilage tissue of the discs cannot be reversed: if degenerative transformations have begun, they will continue, especially if adequate measures are not taken therapeutic actions. The goal of treatment for osteochondrosis of the thoracic area is to stop tissue destruction and minimize the consequences and complications.

General principles of treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis

At the first stage of treatment, doctors eliminate pain symptoms and stop inflammation (if any). This is done using medicines– analgesics, non-steroidal drugs. Less commonly used are corticosteroids, which are injected intramuscularly or epidurally (directly into the spinal structures).

At the acute stage, it is possible to prescribe strict bed rest or procedures designed to immobilize the affected segments of the spine - wearing elastic bandages, corsets. General strengthening therapy with vitamin complexes and immune modulators is also carried out.

An additional goal of drug treatment is to stimulate normal trophism of cartilage tissue. Since cartilage does not receive nutrients and oxygen directly from blood vessels, it is necessary to ensure complete diffusion of the necessary compounds from nearby tissues.

It should be understood that the disappearance of pain during the medicinal stage of treatment is not a sign of recovery, but only the result of the analgesic effect. After the patient is stabilized and acute signs of the disease are relieved, the main stage of treatment begins.

Main therapeutic methods:

• Physiotherapy;
• Massage;
• Reflexology;
• Therapeutic exercise.

Therapeutic gymnastics has long proven its effectiveness in the treatment of any degenerative diseases. Exercise therapy has the most pronounced and lasting effect when performed under the guidance of a specialist.

Exercise therapy as a treatment method

Exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are an individually selected complex aimed at eliminating the main causes of the disease and preventing severe complications of osteochondrosis (compression spinal cord, pinched blood vessels). Therapeutic gymnastics is based on natural body movements. Patients should immediately prepare for a long course of treatment - gymnastics produces a healing effect only after long practice.

Exercise therapy solves several therapeutic problems at once:

• Strengthens ligaments and muscles (weakness of the tissues surrounding the vertebrae and discs is the main reason for the development of degenerative pathologies);
• Stimulates blood flow and lymph movement in the affected area;
• Normalizes metabolic processes;
• Eliminates muscle blockages and spasms;
• Protects intervertebral discs from further destruction;
• Prevents the development of complications (protrusions and hernias).

Uneven, insufficient or excessive loads on the spine are the main influencing factor in the occurrence of thoracic osteochondrosis. Gymnastics eliminates this factor, providing the lumbar region with the necessary amount of movement. All exercise therapy exercises (if they are performed correctly and in the right quantity) are selected taking into account physiology and anatomical feasibility. This circumstance eliminates overwork or painful muscle strain.

Exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis are not practiced in isolation from other treatment methods. The therapy will be especially successful if exercise therapy is performed in combination with other methods of treatment - physiotherapy, massage treatments, diet therapy, vitamin therapy, acupuncture. The more varied the treatment, the more likely the sustainable stabilization of damaged structures.

Exercise therapy for thoracic osteochondrosis

The first sessions of exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are best performed in the presence of an instructor or doctor. The specialist will immediately point out possible errors to you and check the correct position of the entire body and the spinal area.

The most accessible complex of therapeutic exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis includes the following exercises:

Exercise 1. Stand up straight with your legs slightly apart. Begin to gently bend your torso, bringing your chin closer to your chest and bringing your shoulders inward. At the maximum point of the bend, you should remain motionless for 5-10 seconds, after which you need to smoothly arch your back, throw back the back of your head and bring your shoulder blades together. We also fix this position for 10 seconds. We repeat the movements 5-10 times.

Exercise 2. Standing straight, lift each shoulder in turn. Perform 10 times, then repeat the exercise, lifting both shoulders at once.

Exercise 3. Do circular movements shoulders - first one, then the other, and then both at the same time.

Exercise 4. Standing straight, place your feet together. Bend your torso to the left side, trying to reach your knee with your hand. Make a similar tilt to the right. Repeat 10-15 times.

Exercise 5. While standing, press your fists into your back below your shoulder blades. Gently pressing on your back, bend forward. I’ll bend my back as far as possible, stay in this position for 5-10 seconds. Change position - arch your back and fix your body in this state for another 10 seconds.

Exercise 6. Sitting on a chair, press your shoulder blades to the back, remaining in this position for 10-30 seconds.

As the muscles and ligaments become stronger, the duration of the complex and the number of repetitions can be increased. Perhaps your doctor (or instructor) will suggest you other exercises: for osteochondrosis, you should strengthen not only the chest, but also all other areas of the back.

General rules for performing exercises

The first rule of exercise therapy: you cannot perform exercises during the acute period of the disease. If you feel pain during gymnastics, you should stop exercising. Mild physiological discomfort is inevitable (especially at the beginning of a course of therapeutic exercise), but acute pain should be differentiated from healthy tension in the muscles and ligaments.

• You should not overload your back - periods of tension should be alternated with rest;
• Avoid sudden movements, jumping, excessive stretching, twisting of the body;
• Remember that the main goal of training is not sports records, but restoration of the functional status of the spine;
• All movements are performed smoothly;
• Try to maintain correct posture;
• Increase the load consistently - as the muscular and ligamentous apparatus strengthens;
• Support normal rhythm breathing, breathe through your nose;
• Exercises should be performed regularly (usually a doctor prescribes a daily exercise regimen);
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes made of natural fabric during classes;
• Keep the indoor air clean.

Gymnastics can be done at a specially designated time or in breaks between main classes. The optimal duration of the complex is selected by a specialist. Last word It always remains with the doctor - he decides when to start classes and when to stop. Forcing events on your own, increasing the duration of the complex and the load is impractical and dangerous.

Physical education is contraindicated in cases of severe hypertension, acute heart failure, fever, any infectious or inflammatory processes in the acute stage. Any injuries to the musculoskeletal system are also contraindicated.

Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine - important element complex treatment. The sternum area is less mobile and more durable than other vertebral regions, the cervical and lumbar. That's why pathological changes articular cartilages are found in it much less frequently. The causes of unpleasant and painful sensations are injuries and diseases of the spine. It is impossible to completely eliminate their manifestations with medications alone. Specially selected sets of gymnastic exercises stimulate nutrition and blood supply to the spinal discs and joint mobility.

It is necessary to use exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine correctly. Unprepared muscles and ligaments will “inadequately” respond to the load, causing discomfort and pain. It is especially important to observe “safety precautions” when preparing for classes for beginners who are starting such physical activity for the first time.

Prepare for classes like this:

• Take a shower using warm water;
• Gently rub the sternum area with massage movements;

Exercises always begin with a warm-up: rotation of the neck and pelvis, slow turns, swings.

Any complexes of therapeutic exercises associated with physical activity are performed slowly. If there is discomfort or pain, stop exercising and report any unpleasant sensations to a doctor or instructor.

In order for your training to bring maximum benefit, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Classes are conducted in a well-ventilated area;
• Sportswear is chosen that is loose, breathable, and does not interfere with movement;
• When doing exercises, watch for smoothness and “softness” of movements;
• At each lesson, the intensity and amplitude of movements increases;
• At the beginning of training and after it, indicators are measured blood pressure and pulse;
• If blood pressure and pulse are unstable, the load is immediately reduced;
• While performing gymnastics, monitor your breathing: inhale and exhale;
• Classes must be conducted regularly, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve a positive result;
• Training is carried out only after agreement with the doctor and the determination of an individual set of exercises.

Main goals of gymnastics

Therapeutic exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis is part of a comprehensive treatment. Therefore, its use pursues specific therapeutic goals:

• Optimize the capabilities of the chest: breathing and ventilation;
• Work through muscle mass shoulder girdle;
• Prevent new attacks of the disease;
• Form good posture;
• Restore the correct curves of the spine;
• Create a strong corset of muscles;
• Optimize general blood circulation and lymph outflow;
• Improve the “supply” of nutrition to the cartilage tissue of the spine.

Physical therapy exercises increase overall tone and significantly improve the patient’s well-being.

Gymnastics during the acute period of thoracic osteochondrosis

Most doctors strongly do not recommend performing gymnastics for the thoracic spine during an exacerbation. Severe pain is eliminated with the help of medications prescribed by a doctor. During this period, the cartilage tissue is inflamed, so sudden movements can cause injury.

However, in some situations, the doctor may consider using gentle exercise. In this case, training must be carried out in the presence of an instructor and under his constant supervision. Selected for the patient special complex, in which basic exercises are performed in a “light” mode.

The only exercise on which exercise therapy is based in the acute period is as follows:

• Starting position – lying on your back (use a hard, flat surface with an inclination);
• The head is located higher than the level of the legs;
• The legs are slowly placed on a small cushion, under the knees;
• Begin to breathe deeply using the diaphragm.

The key to this exercise is breathing and body position: the angle of inclination affects the stretch of the spine. Due to rapid oxygen saturation of muscle fibers, it decreases muscle spasm, so the pain is reduced.

When the patient’s condition stabilizes and pain decreases, physical activity increases. This is done only after permission from the attending physician.

• Starting position – lying on your stomach;
• Spread your arms to the sides;
• At the same time, slowly raise your arms up and tilt your head back;
• Stay in this position for 5-6 seconds.

• Starting position – lying on your back with your arms extended forward;
• At the same time, raise your arms and legs towards each other.

• Starting position – on all fours;
• Slowly raise your head, smoothly arching (lowering down) your back;
• Take a deep breath;
• After all the muscles are tense, we slowly lower our head and arch our back;
• Exhale.

• Starting position – kneeling;
• The arms hang relaxed along the body;
• Inhale and slowly raise your arms as high as possible, tilting your body forward;
• Fix the pose for 2-3 seconds;
• Relax, lower your arms down and return to the starting position.

• Starting position – lying on your stomach;
• Arms extended forward;
• Slowly raise your right arm and left leg;
• We return to the starting position;
• Slowly raise left hand and right leg;
• We return to the starting position.

Each exercise is done 5-6 times. If movements are accompanied by unpleasant sensations, the number of approaches is reduced.

Gymnastics during remission of thoracic osteochondrosis

The main load on muscle and joint tissue is provided by exercises carried out during the period of remission. This is the time when the pain syndrome has been relieved with the help of medications, and the patient feels satisfactory.

A well-chosen set of exercises allows a person to perform them independently at home. To do this, it is enough to take 1-2 trial classes with an instructor, who will evaluate the correctness of the complex.

Like any exercises, the exercise therapy complex for osteochondrosis for the thoracic spine begins with a warm-up.

Exercises that “warm up” muscles and ligaments can be performed in any position convenient for the patient: sitting or standing.

• Slowly bend your neck from side to side;
• Rotate your body, making circular movements;
• With your arms extended to the sides, begin rotational movements first one way, then the other.

All warm-up exercises are done 5-10 times.

The complex is performed with objects from different starting positions.

You will need a chair with a firm and straight back.

• Sit on a chair;
• Clasp your hands and “throw” them behind the back of your head;
• Slowly arch your back until it touches the top edge of the chair.

We do 4-5 approaches.

You will need a roller. To make it, take a rolling pin and a large towel. Wrap the towel around the rolling pin so that you have a roll about 10 cm in diameter.

• Place the roller on the floor;
• Lie on it with your back so that it is at the level of your sternum;
• Throw your hands behind your head;
• Slowly bend your back;

The exercise will strengthen the muscle tissue of the chest and back. You need to do it at least 5 times.

Get on all fours and go “travel” around the apartment. This “walking” allows you to solve problems with all parts of the spine. A week after the start of classes, the exercise can be complicated. During one step, slowly arch your back, during the second, arch your back.

As you perform the movements, pay attention to the position of your body: your arms should be straight and your pelvis should be raised high.

• Starting position – lying on your back.
• Bend your legs and bring them to your chest;
• At the same time, slightly lift your lower back off the floor;
• Keep your abdominal muscles tense;
• Fix your body position for 5 seconds;
• Take your starting position.

• Starting position: lying on your stomach.
• Clasp your hands and throw them behind your head;
• Spread your elbows to the side;
• Slowly lift your upper body along with your shoulders;
• Return to starting position;
• Alternate raising each elbow in turn;
• Return to the starting position.

• Starting position – standing.
• Hands are placed on shoulders;
• Lift up left shoulder, lowering the right one;
• Simultaneously with the movement, turn your head to the right;
• Return to the starting position;
• Raise your right shoulder while lowering your left;
• Simultaneously with the movement, turn your head to the left;
• Return to the starting position.

Each exercise is performed 4 to 6 times, depending on how you feel.

Stretching completes the set of exercises. They do it as follows:

• Spread your arms wide to the sides;
• “Hug” yourself;
• Feel how all the muscles stretch;
• Return to the starting position.

Contraindications

Despite the obvious benefits of therapeutic exercises, not everyone can do it:

• Recovery period after spinal surgery;
• Pathologies nervous system with impaired coordination;
• Diseases of the vestibular apparatus;
• Chronic pathologies in the acute stage;
• Increased blood and intraocular pressure.

Exercise therapy is a treatment method, so you should not start it on your own. The exercise therapy instructor will select exercises that will take into account the individual characteristics of the patient. Medical control and systematic training are a guarantee full life without pain after osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine: treatment at home

Osteochondrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the spine. It can develop in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine. The localization of the pathology depends on which part of the spine was most affected by pathological factors. Treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis at home is not only possible, but also very effective. Only it must be comprehensive - it is important to use different approaches to therapy - from normalizing lifestyle to taking medications prescribed by a doctor.

Normalization of physical activity, lifestyle and diet

Osteochondrosis usually occurs for several reasons. This includes poor nutrition, heavy loads on the back, age factor, and insufficient motor activity. Therefore, the approach to treating the disease must be comprehensive. The main measures that need to be taken to cure osteochondrosis quickly and effectively:

1. Lifestyle – moderate activity, constant walks, swimming, fitness, gymnastics, a good night’s sleep. Quitting smoking and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea - this will help dilate blood vessels and improve blood circulation, including in the thoracic spine.
2. Diet - consumption healthy products, rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, proteins. Protein is a building material for the formation of muscles and spinal structures. You can buy special dietary supplements based on proteins - such cocktails can replace 1 meal or be used as a snack. Need to give up fried foods fatty foods and fast food food. If you are obese or overweight, it is advisable to normalize your body weight.
3. Stabilization metabolic processes and the functioning of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract - if there are disturbances in this regard, they need to be eliminated.
4. Organization of the work process - if main reason development of osteochondrosis has become hard work (lifting weights, working with vibration mechanisms), it is advisable to change the type of activity. Heavy objects need to be lifted from a squatting position, weights must be carried by straining the muscles of the arms and legs, removing the load from the back. During the day, it is important to alternate periods of work and rest, to give your back a full rest several times a day. If a person constantly sits while performing professional work duties, he needs to buy an orthopedic chair or an orthopedic pillow for the back, and monitor his posture. During the working day, move more and stretch your back. You can do 3-minute exercises for the thoracic back.
5. Organization of a sleeping place - you need to consult with an orthopedist or vertebrologist regarding what kind of orthopedic mattress you need to buy. The main thing is that the sleeping place is not very hard or very soft - when lying on your side, the spine should look like a straight line. The bed also needs to have an orthopedic frame with slats. The pillow should not raise the head of a lying person by more than 10 cm. Orthopedic pillows for sleeping can also be found on sale.
6. Shoes – during treatment and recovery from osteochondrosis, you should stop wearing shoes with heels or platforms. A heel higher than 5 cm is an extra load on spinal column.

Osteochondrosis can develop even due to pregnancy, especially when a woman is carrying two or more children. In this case, treatment of osteochondrosis will have to wait until childbirth. However, the recommendations presented above can greatly alleviate the patient’s condition.

Exercises for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis

A set of physiotherapy procedures that can be used to treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine:

1. Massage.
2. Cupping treatment.
3. Spine stretching.
4. Water therapy (physical therapy in the pool, underwater massage, baths, sauna, cold water dousing).
5. Manual therapy and acupuncture.
6. Hirudotherapy and treatment with bee venom.

At home, you can use massage and do back exercises. Moreover, you can even do a massage yourself if it is not possible to invite a specialist to your home. All other treatment methods, except procedures in the pool, can also be organized at the patient’s home.

Popular self-massage methods:

1. Self-massage while sitting on a chair - first with one and then with the other hand, stroking and kneading movements are made in the area of ​​the thoracic region where you can reach. It wouldn’t hurt to touch on the neck area as well.
2. Self-massage using a towel - you need to throw it over your left shoulder, and take the lower tip with your right hand and perform massage movements from top to bottom, similar to rubbing after water procedures.
3. Self-massage using special devices, for example a trigger point massager on the back, or a Lyapko massager.
4. Self-massage using a warm and not powerful stream of water from the shower. This item can be combined with the second from this list - rubbing with a towel. After a bath or shower, it is useful to do back exercises for 10-15 minutes.

Several effective physical exercises:

1. Place your arms bent at the elbows forward, palms facing away from you. Spread your arms to the sides so that your palms “look” one to the right and the other to the left.
2. Place your clasped hands behind the back of your head and slowly spread your elbows to the sides.
3. Sitting on the floor, bend over so that your stomach and rib cage touched the outer thigh. Extend your arms forward parallel to your legs, stretch.
4. Lie on your stomach, spread your arms to the sides, palms down, and raise yourself up.

Any exercises that develop the muscles of the thoracic back and spine will be useful. The main thing is to make movements smoothly, not abruptly, without causing yourself pain.

Wearing orthopedic structures and taping

Wearing a corset for the thoracic spine is very effective method therapy for osteochondrosis, as well as taping.

Taping is the use of kinesiology patches. This elastic band is firmly attached to the skin in the affected area and takes on part of the muscle load. As a result, muscles relax, recover faster, spasms and pain are relieved.

The benefits of wearing a bandage are as follows:

1. Reducing stress on the back.
2. Alignment of the spinal column.
3. Reducing pressure on intervertebral discs.
4. Improving blood supply to back tissues.
5. Relieving pain by eliminating pinched nerve fibers.

The main thing is to choose the right corset and wear it not all the time, but according to a schedule drawn up together with a specialist.

Taking medications

Treatment of osteochondrosis at home must necessarily include taking medications prescribed by the doctor. Even if the patient feels an improvement in his health, it is impossible to stop taking the medications; he must complete the course completely and follow the therapy plan.

The doctor may prescribe the following medications:

1. Vitamin and mineral complex.
2. Chondroprotectors, including natural ones.
3. Medicines to relieve muscle spasms - antispasmodics or muscle relaxants.
4. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
5. Painkillers (if necessary, they are not taken in courses).

Drugs that belong to the listed pharmacological groups contribute to both etiotropic and symptomatic treatment osteochondrosis. If the patient begins a period of exacerbation, the doctor can do novocaine blockade. To do this, it is not necessary to go to the clinic; if the pain is severe, you can call a specialist at home.

Traditional methods of treatment

Folk remedies can be roughly classified into:

1. Decoctions medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
2. Warming compresses.
3. Lotions, compositions for rubbing and massage, ointments based on natural healing ingredients.

The advantages of treatment using “grandmother’s” methods are that they are safe, quite effective in the complex treatment of osteochondrosis, and can be used in parallel with the main methods of treatment.

Several recipes for preparing medicines:

1. 200 g of lilac flowers or 50 g of calendula flowers are poured with 100-150 g of alcohol. Leave in a shaded place for 14 days. The drug is used for rubbing the back.
2. Mint, dandelion root, birch buds - in equal quantities of 50 g - add water, cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the same amount of sunflower (or any vegetable) and butter, 50 g each, to the broth, cook for another 20-30 minutes until the mixture thickens a little. Next, you need to rub the product into the sore area several times a day.

For the manufacture of tinctures, decoctions, lotions, rubs, you can use other medicinal plants or bee products. These are radish, honey, propolis, mustard, calendula, aloe, chamomile, hop cones. It is only important to first make sure that you are not allergic to natural substances.

Disease prevention

If the disease has been cured, this does not mean that it will not occur again, or will not affect other parts of the spine. To prevent the disease from recurring, you must continue to adhere to recommendations regarding lifestyle, work and rest, nutrition and sleep.

Bandages and tapes also do not need to be thrown away after treatment - they will come to the rescue in difficult situations when more is required from a person physical activity with a load on the back.

Osteochondrosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system of moderate severity. But if treatment is refused, osteochondrosis may become more complicated - severe pain, protrusions and hernias will appear. intervertebral discs, disruptions in work internal organs. Therefore, the disease must be combated systematically, using integrated approach. Some procedures, such as spinal traction and massage, are recommended to be performed in a clinic setting. But all other methods of therapy - diet, exercise - can be used directly at the patient’s home.

Effective exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is not as common as disease of the cervical or lumbar region. Changes in the vertebrae in this part mainly occur as a result of some kind of injury. Often the patient cannot independently determine the disease, because complicated signs of osteochondrosis are similar to diseases of internal organs.

Osteopaths are confident that gymnastic exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis have a powerful effect on the disease. In addition, doing exercises at home helps preventive effect on the likelihood of relapses. However, if the disease has progressed and is in a severe stage, it must be treated immediately, and other things are added to exercise therapy, which is prescribed for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine drug treatment in the complex.

Distinctive features of exercise therapy for spinal osteochondrosis compared to other treatment methods

The main purpose of exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is to eliminate spasms of intervertebral joints and muscles and increase the patient’s range of motion. The difference between exercise therapy and other methods therapeutic therapy consists of the following provisions:

• Performing exercises allows you to relieve tightness in muscle tissue, eliminates vertebral syndrome of tense muscles;
• Exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis help relieve pain and get rid of it altogether;
• Exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis is aimed at reducing the likelihood of a complicated course of the disease as a result of getting rid of muscle myofixation;
• Exercises help improve the functioning of the respiratory organs. Indeed, often a deep breath of the patient provokes the occurrence of a spasm and therefore the person breathes shallowly;
• At the same time, gymnastics for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is aimed at strengthening the spinal muscles. The patient is recommended to wear a special corset, which helps to hold the muscles and thereby relieves some of the stress on the intervertebral discs;
• A set of exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis is aimed at correcting and restoring a straight back. The corrected vertebral curve reduces pressure on the vertebral column, as a result of which pain decreases and the disease goes into remission;
• Sometimes chest shape osteochondrosis progresses to cervicothoracic. This occurs due to the fact that the thoracic region is the most mobile, the inflammation spreads higher to the neck. In this case, the exercises are aimed at restoring blood circulation and blood pressure.

In order to consolidate the results obtained, it is necessary to perform exercise therapy yourself at home. To do this you need to know general provisions so that doing gymnastics does not become harmful:

• Exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are carried out at least in the morning and evening;
• Doing gymnastic exercises at home is possible only in the remission phase;
• Each exercise must be performed smoothly, with slow movements, so as not to damage the sore area;
• Therapeutic exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis are performed with maximum stretching, but if discomfort occurs, you need to stop doing it and repeat it later;
• The speed and rhythm of execution should increase little by little, increasing the number of approaches every day;
• When performing the exercise, you need to feel every vertebra, every muscle stretch, otherwise the exercises will not be so useful;
• All recommended exercises different groups There is no need to do muscles right away. With the first approach, you need to pay attention to one muscle group, with the second session, another group.

Preparatory stage

In order to assign the most effective exercises To treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, you need to consult a doctor. Doctor taking into account the complications of the disease, taking into account physical training the patient will select appropriate exercises. Exercise therapy in the acute phase of the disease is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor.

Before starting in mandatory you need to stretch your muscles. Preparation will help minimize the pain of a muscle strain. Preparatory stage includes:

• Taking a warm shower to relax muscle tissue;
• Carrying out a soft stroking massage of the back to relieve muscle blockade;
• Carrying out a warm-up to warm up the muscles, which includes walking and swinging your arms.

A set of exercises for the acute phase of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region

Physical education for this form of thoracic osteochondrosis is aimed at relieving an attack of acute pain. Exercises to unload the vertebrae should be lightweight.

1. Lie on your stomach, arms extended to your sides. Raise your arms and head slightly. You should try to hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Then return to the starting position (NP), rest. Repeat the lesson 5-8 times;
2. Turn over with your back, stretch your arms behind your head. Pull your shoulders back and stretch as hard as possible until you feel tension in all your muscles;
3. Take a position “lying on your left side” and press your legs to your stomach. Slowly straighten your right leg and lift it until the muscles are fully tense. Fix it in this position for half a minute. Return to the NP, rest, turn over on the other side and repeat the exercise by analogy. Number of repetitions 3-5 times;
4. Get on your knees and place your hands along your legs. When inhaling, you need to spread your arms to the sides and move them to your back, trying to close your shoulder blades. At the same time, you need to tilt your torso down. When exhaling, return to the NP;
5. Take a “lying on your back” position. Place a small cushion under your lower back. When inhaling, you need to tense your abdominal muscles for 7-10 seconds, then exhale. When performed, heat spreads through the muscles, this means that the exercise technique is performed correctly;
6. Take a “lying on your back” position. Then you need to raise both legs above your head at the same time and try to touch the floor with your toes. The knees should remain straight;
7. Take a kneeling position. You need to bend your back upward as you exhale, and keep your head raised. You should bend your spine until you feel tension in your muscles. Repeat 5 times with a break;
8. Take a kneeling position. Put your hands down. With an inhalation, raise your arms up and bend your torso forward. As you exhale, lean on your heels. Repeat 3 times.

When performing exercises on a sloped surface, the spine is stretched and the pinching of the nerve roots goes away. Next, a set of exercises is prescribed, which is aimed at stretching and relaxing the chest muscles.

Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region in remission

When you feel better, physical therapy for thoracic osteochondrosis becomes more active and energetic.

1. Take a “standing T-position” position. Slightly bringing your shoulder blades together, you need to turn your torso left and right. The pelvis and legs are in a fixed position. Each position takes 20-30 seconds;
2. When in a “standing” position, as you exhale, gently lower your head down without touching your chin to your chest. You need to grab your calves with your hands. As you inhale, pull in your abdominal muscles, trying to lower your torso as low as possible. Hold this position for 10 seconds and gradually straighten up;
3. Take the “lying on your stomach” position. Move your arms left and right, then, while inhaling, lift them and place them behind your back, connecting your shoulder blades. At the same time, bend your legs and move them closer to your wrists. Hold the position for 10 seconds, then smoothly return to the NP;
4. Take the “standing on all fours” position. As you exhale, bend your back upward, and as you inhale, return to the lateral position. Stay in each pose for 10-15 seconds;
5. When in a “standing” position, hold the stick behind your back with your hands. Then turn your body and neck left and right, springing back a little;
6. Take a “sitting” position on a chair and maintain an even posture. Wrap your chest with a towel or long cloth. While pulling the ends of the towel, take a deep breath, then hold your breath for a couple of seconds. Repeat 7-10 times;
7. Lock your fingers or hook your wrist with your other hand, stretching your arms up. As you inhale deeply, tighten your chest muscles. As you exhale, turn left and right. When you inhale again, take the starting position.

Conditions under which exercise therapy is not permitted

• Acute manifestation of symptoms of osteochondrosis;
• Heart diseases, for example, arrhythmia, hypertension;
• Diseases of the nervous system in which motor coordination is impaired;
• Relapses of chronic diseases;
• Increased body temperature;
• Increased intraocular pressure;
• Severe fatigue;
• Recovery after surgery.

To prevent thoracic osteochondrosis, you should follow simple recommendations:

1. When working on your feet for a long time, do not shift. You should stand evenly on both legs at the same time, then the weight will be distributed evenly throughout the spine;
2. You need to try to stop slouching. In a hunched person, muscle and spinal blood supply. Subsequently, this habit leads to curvature of the spine;
3. When working for a long time in a sitting position, you do not need to lift your feet off the floor. Your feet should touch the floor completely. Meanwhile, the spine must be kept parallel to the back of the chair, and the shoulders must be relaxed.

Exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine help improve the mobility of the spinal corset and deep breathing. In addition, exercise therapy for thoracic osteochondrosis is aimed at developing the muscles of the thoracic spine.

Basic exercises for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is the rarest type of osteochondrosis in general. But progress does not stand still, and the flip side of the coin is this: people spend more and more time at the computer and in many hours of uncomfortable positions, and the disease grows, taking a confident position in the lists of the most common diseases! Perhaps you have already encountered this illness, or maybe someone you know suffers from pain and limitations of such a simple natural joy as movement.

Or maybe you are already thinking about having surgery?

Don't rush! Going under the knife is the most extreme measure that exists. There is a natural method, tested by many cured people, gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis. At first glance, such treatment may seem ineffective. It just so happened that modern people tend to trust more expensive medications and a surgeon’s scalpel than their own body, which is quite capable of self-healing if it is helped. For people who are ready to take responsibility for healthy body and those looking for an answer to the question - how to independently heal yourself from pain and become a full-fledged person again, this article was written.

How does the disease arise and what can it be easily confused with?

The disease occurs from a sedentary lifestyle or sports injuries. In the first case, the muscles of the thoracic spine are simply not able to hold the vertebrae straight, as nature intended, and as a result, degenerative changes, as doctors themselves call them, begin to occur in them. The cartilage tissue in the spinal discs becomes thinner, and in some cases it bursts and a hernia occurs in this place. A small, terribly painful “grain” that puts pressure on the nerves in the thoracic region, making the process of natural movement almost impossible.

And when we cannot move, all our affairs come to a complete standstill!

It all starts harmlessly:

• pain in the area of ​​the shoulder blades and solar plexus
• shoots in the chest
• pressure rises
• sleep is disturbed
• spoils the mood
• performance is lost

During this period, many decide that their heart hurts, they come to the doctors and the doctors begin to treat their heart! Some people are lucky - they are immediately sent straight to a doctor with a physical education background. In principle, this is the only doctor who can really help in such a situation.

What will a good specialist say?

A good doctor and physical therapy specialist will prescribe a whole range of measures to combat this annoying disease:

• pain relief (for severe pain during exacerbation)
• massage
• gymnastics complex
• swimming
• proper nutrition (rich in vegetables, fruits and fish)

Some people try acupuncture and leech treatments. Such techniques are good as additional ones. But a truly strong healing effect is achieved only with the help of proper physical education!

Alas and ah!
All those who like to lie endlessly on the sofa will have to get up and move a little!

But I hasten to please you, gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis is so simple that absolutely anyone can do it, regardless of age and level of fitness.

Exercises for your recovery with Spine Line

Spine Line is an orthopedic device that needs to be placed under the most painful areas of the back, in this case under the thoracic region. This device can significantly reduce discomfort and pain in acute period when all you can do is stand or sit.

Exercise No. 1

Lie down on a hard, flat surface (use a yoga mat or any mat). Place the Spine Line under the chest from the back. Take a good breath in and raise both arms as shown in the diagram. As you exhale, place your hands behind your head and do this movement along with your breathing 7 more times.

Exercise No. 2

Place the Spine Line under the left side. As you inhale, raise your arm vertically toward the floor. Exhaling, put left palm on right ear as shown in the diagram. Do the breathing exercise 5 more times, then turn over and repeat for the left hand

Exercise #3

Sit on a chair with a backrest and position the Spine Line so that one end rests against your tailbone and the other against the back of the chair. This situation is clearly visible in the figure. The starting position of the hands is along the body. With an inhalation, lift them to chest level, and with an exhalation higher, try to bring them behind your head, while leaning your back on the Spine Line.

Such lazy exercises will help you take the first confident steps towards healing.

What to do if you don’t have any orthopedic devices on hand?

If it turns out that there is absolutely nothing to put under your back, it doesn’t matter! There are a number of sets of exercises that do not require anything other than your diligence and a systematic approach. Today you will learn about the seven most important of them - those that have an amazing effect and were developed by an experienced physical therapy specialist. But it’s better to visually watch this video once than to read it a hundred times!

Thus, I would like to summarize. Osteochondrosis is not a death sentence! He is cured by the right approach disappears completely! Of course, it is better to do health-improving gymnastics under the careful supervision of a good exercise therapy master. At more advanced levels of recovery, he will advise you on a system of exercises that will definitely not harm you. And you can start doing the safe complexes from this article today!

Be happy and healthy!

To combat the disease, the doctor prescribes medicines, massage, physiotherapeutic procedures and exercise therapy. Exercises for the spine for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are the basis of therapy. Therapeutic gymnastics gives the greatest positive dynamics in the treatment of osteochondrosis and other back diseases.

Medicines relieve inflammation and pain. Massage relaxes muscle tissue and eliminates spasms. Physical education restores blood circulation, improves tissue nutrition, restores mobility to the spine, increases range of motion, and strengthens muscles.

With osteochondrosis of the spine, cartilaginous and bone structures undergo destructive changes. Intervertebral discs are destroyed as a result of transformation of bones and cartilage. The elastic joints that connect one vertebra to another are subject to deformation in the early stages of the disease and then destroyed. In advanced conditions, an intervertebral hernia develops.

If thoracic osteochondrosis occurs, severe pain neurological signs are added. The deformed intervertebral disc compresses blood vessels and nerve roots arising from the openings in the joints of the spinal column. Severe forms diseases lead to disability.

Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine – best method prevention and treatment of the disease. A doctor should develop a set of therapeutic exercises for a patient.

The benefits of physical therapy

With this disease bone tissue grows between the vertebrae. The vertebral bodies merge, turning into one motionless element. For this reason, a person loses ease of movement.

The main advantage of exercises for the spine for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is an increase in the mobility of the spinal column. Physical education relaxes the muscles of the back, forms a strong muscle corset, which prevents the development of osteochondrosis and the occurrence of severe complications.

Exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine increase ventilation of the lungs. Pain in the spine prevents you from taking a deep breath. Difficulty breathing leads to insufficient ventilation of the lower segments of the lungs, which provokes the occurrence of pneumonia.

The main tasks of performing physical exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis also include:

• increasing range of motion;
• relieving muscle stiffness;
• decreased myofixation of the spine;
• prevention of complications.

Rules for therapeutic exercises

• If you have thoracic osteochondrosis, do not do exercises that cause pain. If recommended by a doctor, they are introduced gradually as the disease subsides and mobility returns.
• At the beginning of the lesson they do a warm-up, at the end - stretching exercises. Warming up helps relax muscles, eliminate stiffness, and relieve pain. Stretching allows the muscles to slowly complete their work and remain relaxed for a long time.
• Control breathing. Continuous deep breaths saturate tissues and organs with oxygen.
• Exercise therapy for thoracic osteochondrosis must be performed constantly, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve positive dynamics.

Patients who adhere to simple rules get rid of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region in short time. It is better to do physical exercise under the guidance of a trainer. After assimilating the treatment complex, you can do exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis at home.

Warm-up

Before performing the main complex, it is necessary to warm up the muscles. Warming up with light exercise can help prevent injury. After it, performing complex movements does not cause pain.

Warm-up exercises for the thoracic region:

• Stand against the wall, press your heels, buttocks, shoulder blades and the back of your head to its surface. Maintaining your posture, take 2 steps forward. Retract your shoulder blades and hold for 5 seconds. Bring your shoulders forward, take the highest possible position, and stay in it for 5 seconds.
• Place your palms on your shoulders. Perform circular rotations alternately with shoulders and elbows.
• Perform shoulder lifts. Lift up the right, left, and both together alternately.

While warming up, watch your breathing. Each exercise is performed 10 times. Having completed the warm-up, they begin to perform the main set of exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis.

Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis

You cannot independently select a gymnastic complex for the treatment of osteochondrosis. It is compiled by a doctor, taking into account the patient’s condition, his physical abilities, as well as the degree of damage and severity of the disease.

For osteochondrosis, exercises are performed from various starting positions: standing, sitting, lying down.

Complex from a standing position

• Feet - shoulder-width apart, hands - on the belt. Having taken this position, do incomplete circular bends. The exercise puts stress on the thoracic region and trains the lower back muscles.
• The hands are bent at the elbows and close. Turning the body, they stretch their arms back.
• Take a long towel. Wrap it around the chest, taking the ends in your hands. Take a deep breath. Then exhale deeply and tighten the towel.
• Place your hands behind your head. Lean left and right.
• When bending back and forth, try to touch the floor with your palm.
• After bending over, stand on your toes and stretch your arms up.

Tilts are done smoothly, without jerking. Low amplitude avoids injury.

Complex from a lying position

• Pose: lying on the floor. A cushion is placed under the back. Raise the body.
• Lying on the floor, they try to bring their shoulder blades together, while the thoracic region rises up.
• Pose: lying on your stomach. Stretch your arms and lift your body. Keep your body suspended as long as you have the strength.
• Pressing your hands to the body, lift it with your legs.

Each exercise is repeated 10 times.

Complex from a sitting position

• Sit on a chair, lean against its back. Bend back until you feel a stretch in your chest. Bend forward with your chin straight.
• Holding the back of a chair with your left hand right side, turn the body. Change hands and repeat the exercise.

Stretching

Having completed the basic exercises to treat the disease, relax the muscles. If you don't stretch, muscle tissue will become numb, which will cause a feeling of stiffness.

Stretching exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine:

• Open your arms to the sides. Take them back. Wrap yourself in a tight hug. Feel the stretch in all muscles.
• Stretch upward. Rise up on your toes without throwing your head back. Get on all fours, bend your spine down, bend it up, bending your arms, pull your body towards you.

Watching a video helps to avoid doing gymnastics incorrectly. The videos contain treatment complexes for eliminating osteochondrosis at home. After finishing the workout, they go to the shower. Warm water helps relax muscles.

Exercise therapy during exacerbation

Doctors do not have a consensus on whether it is possible to do exercises during exacerbation of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region. Usually the doctor advises you to postpone classes until the pain goes away. Pain when acute course diseases are treated with medications.

In the acute period, when performing gymnastics for osteochondrosis, it is easy to get serious injury and aggravate the situation. Sometimes a doctor may see the advisability of performing exercise therapy despite an exacerbation.

But then physical therapy for thoracic osteochondrosis is performed in a special institution, under the supervision of a trainer. The patient is recommended to do a lightweight complex until the pain disappears. And only after leaving pain increase the intensity of your training.

Self-organization and patience of the patient are a guarantee of recovery. Regular hard training completely relieves a person from osteochondrosis that has arisen in the thoracic spine.

Osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic region leads to pain in the upper half of the body - arms, neck, head, back. To get rid of pain, you need to strengthen the muscles that support the vertebrae in the correct position. This will help you do special exercises for the thoracic spine. Their implementation allows you to reduce pressure on the spinal column, because the muscles play a major role in this.

Treatment of osteochondrosis with exercises

Since the muscles support the spine, by strengthening them we can reduce the manifestations of the disease. The pain will go away, joint mobility will be restored, and blood supply to surrounding tissues will improve.

Exercises for the cervicothoracic spine are also very beneficial for the internal organs. They promote better blood supply to the heart and stomach, relieve fatigue and stimulate the tone of the intercostal muscles, back and chest.

Why do we always talk about the cervicothoracic region? Each exercise involves not only upper part back, but also the neck, so the healing effect extends to it as well.

Set of exercises

Below are exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region that will allow you to restore health and get rid of pain.

Raising and abducting the shoulders while standing

The first exercise consists of several stages, in each of which your hands will be positioned in a certain way.

Stage 1

Starting position – standing on straight legs. We place our feet shoulder-width apart, spread our arms to the side, palms facing the floor.

1. Hands parallel to the floor. We begin to move them so that the thumbs of each hand touch each other in front of you. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows.
2. When the hands touch, we continue the movement by rounding the back and spreading the shoulder blades. You are trying to bring your shoulders together.
3. Then we return to the original state, bringing the shoulder blades together as much as possible, straightening the shoulders and arching the chest.

We do these movements 10 times slowly and thoughtfully.

Your torso and arms are relaxed, with just enough tension in your legs to keep you upright. We breathe in such a way that as you inhale, your hands go back, and as you exhale, they touch in front of you.

Why you need to breathe this way: When you round your back, your lung capacity decreases dramatically. If you do this while inhaling, the air entering the lungs will prevent compression of the chest. You will not be able to bend as much as possible. Just like when you exhale, when there is nothing left in the lungs, the chest will decrease in size. And at this time you straighten your shoulders. To ensure that breathing helps and does not hinder you, breathe in exactly the indicated way.

Stage 2

We turn our palms up. The rest of the pose repeats the previous version.

We bring our hands together and spread them to the sides. We do everything smoothly, as if you were practicing wushu. From the outside, this really resembles the practice of ancient Chinese martial arts.

When bringing your hands together, you should lower your head slightly down, with your chin to your chest. This helps to bend the thoracic region back. At this stage of the exercise, the hands touch each other with the little fingers.

Reduction of shoulder blades while sitting

All exercises, starting with this one, are suitable for treating the entire cervicothoracic region.

The starting position will be sitting on a bench, bench, hard sofa. Soft chairs in which the body sinks are not suitable. An elastic surface is needed. You should squeeze your shoulder blades together and stay in this state.

The arms are lowered down, the angle between the body and elbows is about 15–20 degrees.

1. By moving the elbows back, we move the shoulder blades towards each other. We make an effort to bring them together as much as possible.
2. Additionally, turning your arms with your palms up to the side from bottom to top helps to bring your shoulder blades together.
3. We hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax and return to the original state. We repeat this element 3 times.

With prolonged static tension, you may feel a burning sensation in the back muscles - if the muscles do not cramp, do not pay attention to it.

We spread our shoulders as we inhale, relax as we exhale.

Chest arch while on all fours

You get on all fours on a couch or floor (after laying down a rug), your thigh is perpendicular to the surface. Initially, there is no deflection in the lower back.

1. Your arms are bent at the elbows, where you stand. The bending angle of the knees is straight. Hands up to the elbows are parallel to the thighs. Palms on the same line.
2. We bend as we inhale, lowering our head to our chest and rounding our back. The head helps to bend even more.
3. We hold this position for 5-10 seconds and exhale, straightening up as much as possible. This is where a deflection appears in the lower back, and the head rises up. We freeze again for 5–10 seconds.
4. We repeat this healing element 3-5 times.

This exercise is interesting because you can work the entire thoracic spine due to different positions of the elbows. If you move your elbows forward, the upper vertebrae will work. If you bring your elbows closer to your knees, then the lower vertebrae. The lowest position is when the elbows are slightly closer to the knees (5 cm) than in the starting position.

To treat and strengthen the entire chest, you need to do a 5-point exercise, moving your elbows from your knees forward. The extreme forward position of the elbows is 15-20 cm from the starting position, when the elbows are perpendicular to the floor.

Chest bend while standing on all fours on straight arms

This exercise completely repeats the version on the elbows. The only difference is straight arms. Another name for this movement is.

Elbow twists

Starting position: standing on your knees and elbows. We lift one arm off the floor, bend it and place the palm on the shoulder of the same name. Now we move the elbow to the side from this position and rotate the shoulder girdle upward around the axis of the spine as much as possible. At the end of the amplitude, we make several springing movements, as if turning even further. In this case, you stand on one elbow, turning around due to the movement of the other elbow. We do 10–15 times in each direction.

Straight arm crunches

And this version of the exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis repeats twisting on the elbows. Here you also need to perform 10-15 repetitions. It differs in the position of the arms (they are extended), and we place the palm of the working hand not on the shoulder, but on the lower back.

Maximum flexion

We sit on our knees, tucking our legs together as much as possible. Place your hands near your feet, resting them on back side palms. As you move, your palms will move backwards. Bend so that your chest rests on your hips. The head should eventually rest on the knees. As you inhale, bend your thoracic spine as much as possible, and as you exhale, you need to relax. In a tense state you need to stay for a few seconds.

We repeat this exercise to strengthen the cervicothoracic region 3-5 times.

Back extensor stretch

You need to sit down and stretch your legs forward. Right hand place your palm on your left thigh, and place your left hand on the back of your head. Twist your body to the left and bend over as much as possible, feeling a stretch in the muscles in the cervicothoracic area on the right side.

As you inhale, press the back of your head into your palm for 3-5 seconds, and as you exhale, bend and turn even more. Inhale - press, exhale - relax.

We do this movement 3-5 times in one direction and the other. The entire cervicothoracic region works.

So, this is a complete set of exercises for the thoracic spine, also affecting the neck. You can do it completely or choose the ones that are most suitable for yourself. In order for the treatment process to be effective, it is advisable to exercise at least three to four times a week.