Friday, October 30, 2015

Physical Therapy for Cervical Spondylosis


Physical Therapy for Cervical Spondylosis

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Physical Therapy for Cervical Spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis can lead to chronic neck pain that can be debilitating and long-lasting. Photo Credit Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images

Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative condition that affects the cervical vertebrae in your neck. Spondylosis is a general term that is used to describe age-related deterioration in your vertebral discs and can eventually lead to osteoarthritis, which is a painful condition that affects mobility and function around a joint. In the early stages of cervical spondylosis, physical therapy may be used to slow the progression of the condition, allowing you to continue with normal activity with minimal pain, stiffness, and discomfort. Consult your physician to determine what treatment for cervical spondylosis is right for you.

Range of Motion Therapy

Range of motion therapy involves gentle movement of your cervical vertebrae through their normal range of motion. This typically involves both active and passive stretching of your vertebrae. Active vertebrae stretching involves you moving your head and neck under your own muscle power to stretch your vertebrae. Passive stretching requires a physical therapist, who physically manipulates your neck into various positions to stretch your cervical vertebrae. The goal of this type of therapy is to return your cervical vertebrae to its normal range of motion, which can help relieve stiffness, improve joint movement, and increase flexibility.


Strength Training Therapy

Strength training therapy, or resistance training therapy, helps preserve or increase strength in the muscles that surround and support your cervical vertebrae. There are two main types of vertebral strength training: isometric and isotonic. Isometric strength training exercises for your cervical vertebrae tighten and strengthen your upper back muscles without changing joint position and are most useful when your joints are in pain. Isotonic cervical vertebrae strength training exercises tighten and strengthen the muscles of your upper back by using them to move a weight.

Deep Tissue Massage Therapy

When the joints in between your cervical vertebrae become stiff and loose function and mobility, scar tissue can form. Scar tissue is made up of many tiny collagen fibers that create a web of material that surrounds your cervical vertebrae. The presence of scar tissue can cause deformity, pain, and loss of function and mobility. Deep tissue massage is designed to break up the collagen fibers on your cervical vertebrae so you can regain normal function in your joints.

Water Exercise

Warm water helps relieve pain and relax the muscles that support your cervical vertebrae. You do not need to swim to perform water exercises. Instead, water exercises for your cervical vertebrae may be done while sitting in a shallow pool or standing in shoulder-high water. The support of the water decreases the stress placed on your vertebrae by your body weight and can help move your joints through range of motion exercises more easily.



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