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Today is the 14th National Fitness Day, you can often see it in the park To the thrilling and exciting “neck hanging exercise” of the uncles, however, can this kind of exercise really treat cervical spondylosis?
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01
Severe cervical spondylosis can lead to paralysis
Don’t delay if surgery is necessary
Cervical spondylosis is actually a general term for a type of disease, not just neck pain or arm numbness. In medicine, cervical spondylosis has various types according to the location of the lesion, such as cervical spondylosis myelopathy or cervical radiculopathy. Symptoms include pain and discomfort in the head, neck, shoulders or arms. Some people have constant pain, while others People will feel very obvious discomfort after working with their heads down for a long time, and it will take a long time to relieve. Often at this time, most people begin to consciously give some extra attention to the neck in the hope that the discomfort or pain will be relieved.
The cervical spine is an important part of the spine. It protects the spinal cord in the neck. The spinal cord is responsible for transmitting the commands of the brain to all parts of the body, and collects information from all parts of the body. to the brain. If the neural network in various parts of the body is compared to the water pipes of each household in a building, the spinal cord is the main pipe that gathers all the water pipes. If the main pipe is cut off at a certain floor, the floors below the cut-off point will stop. water supply.
Similarly, if the spinal cord is stuck in a certain segment, the nerve impulses cannot be uploaded, the physical sensations cannot be uploaded to the brain, and the activity instructions cannot be sent to the brain. In the hands and feet, the muscles cannot contract, and the person will experience loss of sensation or paralysis in the corresponding parts.
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What causes the spinal cord to get stuck at a certain level? The spine is made up of pieces of bone that are connected and protected by intervertebral discs. When the head is in the neutral position, the pressure on the cervical intervertebral disc is only the weight of one head. When the head is not in the neutral position, the pressure on one side of the intervertebral disc will become very large, and the ligaments that fix the intervertebral disc will age over time. The intervertebral disc can no longer be fixed as well as before, causing a part of the intervertebral disc to fall out of its original position, which is called a herniated disc. When the herniated disc becomes severe, it is bound to squeeze the surrounding tissues. If the herniated disc presses on the nerves or large blood vessels, serious consequences will occur.
So when your doctor recommends surgery, don’t be too afraid or take chances, thinking you can recover on your own. Because for cervical spondylosis, surgery is the best way to relieve disc herniation. The sooner the surgery is implemented, the better the recovery. If the nerve is compressed for a long time, it can be difficult to recover. Just like walking with a heavy plastic bag for four or five hours, the bruises and pain on your hands may take several hours to heal, and even leave permanent scars. However, if you put down the heavy object immediately after just lifting it, the discomfort in your hand will disappear quickly.
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p>Nerve recovery itself is not so fast. For some people, the operation time is delayed for several years. This kind of nerve compression may have existed for a long time before seeking medical treatment. Therefore, releasing the compression as soon as possible can maximize the recovery of nerve function.
02
Informal massage can be fatal
Check before doing cervical exercises
For some patients,The doctor made a diagnosis of cervical spondylosis and recommended surgery, but surgery is a challenge for everyone. Then these cervical spondylosis patients have an idea: through massage therapy, can the dislocated cervical vertebra be corrected, and then slowly recover without surgery?
Clinically such cases are not uncommon: the patient has some cervical spine problems, some symptoms are not serious, and their daily life is not very affected. Some patients accidentally did some large-scale health exercises or received massages, and their limbs were suddenly out of control, and they were directly pulled to the hospital by ambulance. Isn’t it all said on the Internet that doing more cervical exercises and massage can treat cervical spondylosis? Why is it paralyzed?
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For cervical spine patients, informal bone-setting massage can be fatal. Because when suffering from cervical spondylosis, the spinal cord of some patients is already in a state of slight compression. When the masseuse presses the spinal bone very hard, the spine will receive a short and violent impact, and the spinal cord will be compressed instantly. If it increases, it may cause instantaneous deterioration of nerve function, causing some people to be pulled directly from the massage table to the hospital by ambulance. In the most severe cases, permanent high paraplegia may result.
Cervical spine aerobics are generally mild and suitable for some patients with mild cervical spondylosis. How to do cervical spine exercises? For patients with symptoms of cervical spondylosis, it is recommended to go to the hospital to complete relevant examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Do some cervical spine exercises, but remember to treat them “gently” and not to move too much or too hard.
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p>03
Excessive bowing and excessive tilting are both harmful
Maintaining a correct sitting posture can effectively prevent cervical spondylosis
There is still a misunderstanding that needs to be corrected: some people have heard that bowing the head for a long time is not good for the cervical vertebrae, so when they are fine, they turn their heads up, lying on the bed and playing with their head up, thinking that this can relieve the pressure on the cervical vertebrae. In fact, the compression of the cervical vertebra is similar when the head is raised and the head is lowered for a long time, but the direction is different.
What is the scientific approach to cervical spondylosis? First of all, you can properly exercise the neck, exercise the strength of the neck muscles, try to maintain a good sitting posture when working, keep your cervical spine in a neutral position, and do not overuse it. If symptoms of cervical spondylosis appear, seek medical attention in time. If the symptoms cannot be relieved by non-surgical treatment within three months, surgical treatment should be considered. Although there are certain risks in surgery, cervical spondylosis surgery is minimally invasive and the medical technology in this area is relatively mature, which can directly relieve nerve compression and fundamentally solve the problem. Moreover, if it has reached the point where surgery is required, the sooner the surgery is performed, the better the recovery will be.
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< p>Author| Wu Hao Director of Neurosurgery Outpatient and Emergency Department of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Review | Director
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