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Two factors underlie all problems with the spine – lack of movement and stress, says kinesiotherapist Alexander Shishonin. The key to the health of our back is the right, thoughtful, meaningful movement – towards good health.
Alas, there is practically no adult who would be unfamiliar with back problems. Such is the modern way of life: although man is an upright creature, we spend most of our time sitting or lying down. Our bodies go straight from ergonomic office chairs to car seats, and then into the comfortable embrace of a sofa… Our backs don’t have enough movement!
Widespread ideas about back problems are largely outdated. So, we are used to thinking that the weakest link in the spine is the lower back, but in fact the neck. That if you have back problems, you need to limit movement, especially training on simulators – but in reality the opposite is true. How the spine and various diseases are connected and why the upper back “accumulates” stress, explains kinesiotherapy – a system of treatment with the help of movement.
area of stress
The basic reflex of all mammals is to pull their heads into their shoulders in case of danger to protect their vulnerable throat. The reflex spasm of the neck muscles at the time of stress was inherited from our ancestors – and we react to social stress in the same way, although it does not pose a direct threat to our lives. And this stress has a cumulative effect: the deep muscles surrounding the spinal column become more and more spasmodic, stiff. Neck problems rarely make themselves felt with pain, but their consequences are very serious: it is here that the vessels that feed our brain are located. Dizziness, insomnia, headaches, deterioration of vision, memory, hearing – the cause of all these symptoms can be precisely disorders in the cervical spine. Unfortunately, in ordinary life we do not have many opportunities to eliminate the effects of stress. Certain techniques help to increase resistance to it: breathing exercises, meditation, yoga. But only a qualified specialist can eliminate the spasm of the deep muscles of the cervical region.
At chest level
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Problems with the thoracic spine, as a rule, occur in childhood, at a time when a person’s posture is being formed. Modern children spend many hours a day at their desks – insufficiently developed muscles do not allow keeping the spine in the correct position. According to the ideas of kinesiotherapy, special sets of exercises, if done regularly, could solve the problems of children’s scoliosis. Why is it so important? The fact is that the spinal column in this zone is connected by a network of nerve endings with all internal organs: the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs … The root cause of many chronic diseases is precisely the problems in this section of the spine. Kinesiotherapists are aware of cases when, when working with the thoracic spine, some problems (for example, bronchial asthma) disappeared by themselves.
Cryomassage for two
This simple and pleasant technique allows you to improve blood circulation in the tissues of the spine in just two weeks. One feature: it is impossible to do it yourself. Two ice cubes should be quickly drawn along the spine from the sacrum to the upper cervical vertebrae and back. Repeat for 30 seconds (i.e. about 15 times), then wipe the skin dry.
Read more:
- How to stretch correctly? 5 simple exercises to improve your well-being and mood
Support Zone
The lower part of the spine is the most simple. Any problem in this area, as a rule, responds with pain – the lower back immediately makes itself felt, so we tend to consider it the weakest part of the spine. Destructive for the lower back is the load difference that occurs when we get up from a sitting position. The load on the spinal column at this moment increases dramatically – and many times over. Therefore, the more time we spend sitting, the weaker the muscles that support the spine. And the more our lower back suffers from the inevitable loads at the moment when we get up, because it takes on all our weight.
The nerve endings that surround the spinal column in this zone are mainly responsible for the reproductive function. Any dysfunctions and disorders in this area are almost always associated with problems of the lower back. And vice versa: from the clinical experience of kinesiotherapy it is known that as the back is brought back to normal, for example, problems with potency disappear.
Movement treatment
Since kinesiotherapy professes a holistic, that is, holistic, approach to health, the examination of the spine here is somewhat different from the traditional one: in addition to the usual MRI and vascular ultrasound, you will have to pass a motor test, which shows how all areas of the spine function during movement. If any functional block is detected – that is, a person cannot do this or that movement – then special exercises are selected that will gradually, step by step, help eliminate this block. To get rid of the consequences of stress – a spasm in the cervical spine – there is a special method for correcting the deep muscles of the neck: by acting on certain nerve receptors, you can achieve complete relaxation of the muscles.
As a result, the blood supply to the brain is restored, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs improves. And after that, headaches and dizziness disappear, blood pressure stabilizes and the work of the heart improves. A person comes to a kinesiotherapist to help the spine – and acquires the health of the whole body.
How to help yourself
If there are chronic diseases, it is worth examining your spine, Alexander Shishonin believes. And then follow a few simple rules – preventive measures, so that not only the back, but the body as a whole is in order.
Regular physical activity. It is recommended to exercise on simulators every other day. For prevention, the simplest exercises are enough: 100 squats, 50 push-ups, 50 tilts and 50 repetitions of exercises for the press. For a healthy person, this is the norm. And for those for whom it is difficult, it is better to engage in condition, gradually increasing the load.
Massage. The usual wellness massage of the back should be done in courses every six months – with our lifestyle, this is necessary for almost everyone. However, the priority is exercise: training without massage is better than vice versa.
Thermal procedures. These include a sauna, a steam room, a contrast shower, a cryosauna – they all help to train and maintain vascular muscles in good shape. If the vessels retain their elasticity, this ensures good nutrition and the release of toxins not only from the tissues of the spine, but also from all organs.
Food. The spine needs quality amino acids. What we usually eat does not always provide them with sufficient quality and quantity. A kinesiotherapist will recommend appropriate dietary supplements and multivitamin complexes.