Is it possible to knead the neck in a circular motion. How to get rid of muscle clamps in the neck

Before the start of each lesson, it is necessary to warm up the neck. It takes about 5 minutes, but thanks to it you can reliably protect your muscles from injury and damage.

Experts advise supplementing the neck warm-up with stretching - it is performed immediately after the first set of exercises. The duration of the stretch is 3 - 5 minutes.

Warm up

The movements that you will make, the person makes regularly. However, in the case under consideration, they are performed with a certain number of repetitions and in a complex. Warming up the neck allows you to prepare the muscles for the upcoming loads.

Be sure to use:

• Head tilts back and forth;
• Tilts to the side;
• head rotation;
• Turns (shoulders must remain motionless).

These exercises are done in one complex, 15 to 20 repetitions each. Starting position - standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms freely lowered along the body. Rounding the back, raising the shoulders is unacceptable - it is advisable to fix them straight and hold one position throughout the warm-up. Exercises for warming up the neck are done slowly and under control.

Stretching

Be sure to use:

Exercises to warm up the back of the neck. You need to slowly tilt your head, resting your chin on your chest. Stay in this position. If pain occurs, the movement is recommended to be interrupted.

Exercise for working out the lateral muscles of the neck. Raise your hand and, bending it, cover the opposite ear with your fingers. Tilt your head to your shoulder, helping with your hand. Be careful not to damage the muscles.

Repeat the movement, tilting your head to the opposite side. It is enough to warm up the muscles of the neck for 5 minutes, this is quite enough to prepare it for the upcoming load.

Exercise to work out the front surface of the neck. Many sports fans forget to pay attention to this area, but this is a serious mistake. To avoid it, proceed as follows.

Clasp your fingers in a “lock” at the back of your head and, supporting your head, tilt it back. The exercise is suitable for both men who want to strengthen their neck, and for women - this is an excellent prevention of premature skin aging.

Safety

Neck muscles unprepared for stress are very easy to damage. To prevent this from happening, follow certain rules for stretching the muscles of the neck:

• Do not stretch your neck through pain and discomfort;
• Do not rush - the duration of one movement should be at least 20 seconds;
• Try not to hold your breath - no matter what movements you make, you need to breathe deeply and calmly;
• Pay attention to your own well-being (there are days when it is advisable to refuse not only the neck warm-up, but also the workout in general).

By following all the rules, you can take care of your health and improve your athletic performance. But if they are broken, there is a real risk of injury. Therefore, both a beginner and an experienced athlete, while working on themselves, need to be very careful. Remember that neck stretching exercises should be performed without weight and strictly following the technique.

If you sit at a computer for a long time, pushing your head forward, or lower it, looking at a smartphone, the neck muscles have a hard time. Constant tension causes stiffness and pain.

Lifehacker collected exercises Yoga for chronic neck pain: a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial. , Yoga for Chronic Neck Pain: A 12-Month Follow-Up for stretching and strengthening the neck, shoulders and chest, which will relieve pain and help to avoid them in the future.

When Exercise Doesn't Help

This complex is not designed to treat specific disorders. If you have been diagnosed with osteochondrosis, herniated discs or other diseases, a doctor should prescribe gymnastics.

If the pain does not stop for several days, increases or is accompanied by headaches, nausea, fever and seek medical help as soon as possible.

What exercises to do

The complex consists of two parts: simple stretching and muscle strengthening exercises and safe yoga asanas.

Exercise at least three times a week, and even better every day.

If pain occurs, stop immediately. After the exercise, the stretched area should feel relaxed and soft.

How to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the neck and shoulders

You will need a chair. Sit on the edge, straighten your back, lower and straighten your shoulders. Do each exercise for 10-15 seconds.

1. Turns and tilts

13. Transfer of hands behind the head

Grab the ends of the towel, pull it tight and move your straight arms up. Move the upper part of the body forward and take the straight arms with the towel further behind the head.

How to do yoga exercises

Follow the rules carefully and do not hold your breath. Hold each pose for 30 seconds.

1. Half tilt forward with emphasis on the wall (simplified uttanasana)

Stand up straight at a distance of two steps from the wall facing it. Place your feet hip-width apart for comfort. From this position, bend at the hip joint and lean forward with a straight back to a 90° angle between the body and legs. Put your hands on the wall.

Try to straighten and stretch as much as possible. Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds.

2. Warrior Pose II (Virabhadrasana)

Stand straight, spread your legs wide, point your toes forward, raise your arms to the sides, connect and straighten your fingers.

Rotate your right foot 90° to the right. Bend the right leg at the knee to a right angle or close to it, move the left leg back. Distribute the weight between both legs.

Twist your pelvis, stretch your back, lower your shoulders. Try to open your pelvis and chest. Repeat the pose on both sides.

3. Twisting (bharavajasana)

Sit on the floor, bend your right leg at the knee, bring your lower leg out and place your heel next to your pelvis. Bend the left knee, place the left foot on the right thigh.

Distribute the weight between the two sitting bones, stretch the spine up. Place your right hand on your left knee and turn your body and head to the left, grasp your left toe with your left hand. Repeat on the other side.

4. Child's pose

Get on all fours, connect your feet, and then lower your pelvis to your heels. Lean forward, straighten your back and stretch your straight arms in front of you, touch your forehead to the floor and completely relax in this position.

Why is it important?

Problems with the neck are often observed in those who work at the computer, with papers, bend over the stove for a long time ... If our body is in a forced monotonous position for a long time, a spasm of the cervical muscles occurs. And this is fraught with dangerous consequences, because overstressed muscles put pressure on the cervical vertebrae, on the vessels that supply blood to the brain and nerves that carry signals from internal organs to it. The result can be a headache, and poor sleep, and a feeling of fatigue, weakness the next morning, memory loss, vision problems.

To avoid such consequences, the neck must be kneaded regularly. It's not that hard.

On a note

It is very important to ensure that the neck is relaxed during sleep. So that the muscles do not spasm, the cervical spine should be a continuation of the thoracic, be on the same line with it. Choose your pillow carefully so that it is not too soft, too low or, conversely, too high.

At the office during breaks

Experts recommend periodically performing isometric exercises for the cervical region during the working day. During them, the neck muscles should be tensed as much as possible, but for a short time. Since you do not make sudden movements, the exercises do not put pressure on the spine. They can be performed directly sitting at the table.

Sit straight, put the brushes one on top of the other, forming a lock. Raise the brushes to the chin and press the chin down. Neither the head nor the hands should move. Then relax and repeat the exercise several times.

Put your hands on your forehead. Try to push your head forward, and with your hands resist as hard as you can. Only the muscles above the shoulder are tensed, and the head and arms are motionless. Relax after a while.

Put your hands behind your head, put your palms on the back of your head. Try to tilt your head back, and apply back pressure with your hands, making it difficult to do this.

Place your palm on your temple, thumb behind your ear. Press your head into your palm, trying to bend your arm to the side, and at the same time resist this pressure with all your might. Change hands and repeat the exercise.

By the way

Psychological stress can lead to the appearance of clamps in the neck. Against its background, hormones are released into the bloodstream, which increase muscle tension. If the stressful situation is prolonged, it becomes chronic - a muscle spasm occurs. To remove it, sometimes you need to go not only to a massage therapist, but also to a psychologist. True, there is also a feedback here: when we perform gymnastics in order to physically relax the neck, psychological stress also decreases slightly.

Home after work

To relieve the tension accumulated during the day from the muscles of the neck, when you come home, you need to lie down a little on the floor in this position: put your legs on a nearby chair, under the lower back - a small roller, under the neck - too. This position will unload the entire spine and relieve fatigue from the cervical region.

Well, if you buy a hydromassage nozzle and, winding it on the shower, move a strong jet of warm, almost hot water along the back and sides of the neck.

For those whose neck is especially tired, you can buy a Shants collar at the pharmacy. Or make it yourself. Take a thick layer of cotton wool, roll it into a rather tight roller according to the size of your neck. Then wrap with several layers of gauze, wrap and sew up the edges. Sew two strings of ribbon and gauze on each side - and the collar is ready. You need to put it on by tying the ties at the back.

Such a collar is used in hospitals for various injuries of the cervical spine. It will come in handy when, after returning from work, you feel heaviness in your head and tension in your neck muscles. Wear a collar for at least an hour or two while doing household chores. It is important that it tightly fixes the neck - you should not be able to tilt your head. Thanks to this, the muscles from which the load has been removed will relax. And then you can already start gymnastics - it will be great if you find time for exercises at home.

One of the most common complaints is "stiff neck". We hear this phrase from all over the office, from colleagues and acquaintances. People sit at the computer in a certain position all day long. You don't even have to get up from your chair to do this.

1) with the ribs of both hands (from the side of the index finger), alternately lightly hit the chin muscle.

2) with the palm of your right hand, hug your left fist and press under the chin for 20 seconds. Do 20-30 times. The fist, as it were, crushes the muscle.

3) exercises up and down, left and right with the head, circular turns of the head. Who has never done this exercise, start with three times, gradually and for a long time increasing the number of these exercises.

4) self-massage along and across the chin and occipital muscles.

5) massage with two fingers from the tip of the ear to the middle of the collarbone. This makes it possible to tighten the lateral muscles and get rid of high blood pressure.

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Simple exercises that stretch the muscles of the neck and shoulders. It is not only useful, but also pleasant, both in the morning after a long sleep, and in the evening after a busy day.

Everyone knows the discomfort in the neck after sleeping in a not very comfortable position, when it hurts to turn to one side (depending on which side you fell asleep on). This is especially true for sleep while traveling - sitting in airplanes, buses and cars is not very designed for this. Sometimes even special orthopedic pillows for travel do not save.

In stretching classes in sports clubs, stretching the back, neck and wrists is the most popular. You can immediately see who the main clients of the club work for 🙂

If you do not quickly get rid of these unpleasant sensations and do not put everything in its place, neck pain easily turns into a headache and then problems are added. Sometimes a hot shower is enough. But it's better to try a couple of exercises from those presented below.

This exercise can be performed both sitting in Turkish and standing.

Place the palm of your right hand on the left side of your head and apply gentle pressure, tilting your head to the right. With your left hand, you can reach down and slightly to the side. During this exercise, the shoulders should be lowered, the back fixed in a straight position. Hold on one side for 30 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Exercise #2

Sit on your knees in front of a wall. If you have problems with your knees, put a blanket or towel under them. The knees should be slightly wider than the hips. Stretch your arms above your head, rest your forearms against the wall, and let gravity do the work for you.

You can add a slight effort and bend even lower. The head should be down. If you don't feel any tension, sit back a little further from the wall.

Exercise #3

Sit comfortably on the floor or in a chair with your back straight and your spine extended. Grab your head with your hands, placing your palms on the back of your head. The hips are brought together, the elbows are directed down to the hips.

Begin to slowly tilt your head down, hiding your chin in the notch of the collarbone. Sit in this position for 30 seconds, then remove your hands and slowly raise your head.

Exercise #4

This exercise will help relax your neck and shoulders, as well as get rid of headaches and drowsiness.

Sit in a child's position (feet under you and tilt forward), resting your forehead on the floor and sit in this position for several breaths. Then lock your hands behind your back (if the lock fails, bring your palms together) and raise your arms as high as you can. Inhale, lift your hips off your heels and shift your weight forward. Rest the crown of your head on the floor and try to bring your hands back in the lock as far as possible, trying to reach the floor with them. Hold this position for 10 seconds and return to the starting position.

Complete at least 5 sets and then rest a little in child's pose, relaxing your arms and leaving them to lie at your sides.

Exercise #5

This exercise can be done anytime, anywhere. It helps to stretch the lateral muscles of the neck well.

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Bring your hands behind your back at the level of the pelvis and grab your left wrist with your right hand. Then slowly move your hands back a little and focusing on your left hand. To increase the tension, tilt your head towards your right shoulder.

Stay in this position for 30 seconds and do the same on the other side.

Exercise #6

And this exercise is great for stretching the back of the neck and the tension you can control the height of the hips.

Lie on the floor, arms along the body, palms down. Bend your knees, feet on the floor. Try to place your heels as close to your pelvis as possible. Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart and parallel to each other. Rest your hands on the floor and lift your pelvis up. It turns out a kind of half-bridge. The emphasis should be on the legs and shoulder blades. Then bring your hands to the castle behind your back.

The higher you bend, the more tension you will feel in your neck and back.

Exercise number 7

This exercise relaxes and stretches the front of the neck, shoulders and chest muscles.

Sit on the floor, legs together under you, heels under the pelvis. Lean back and place your hands on the floor with your fingertips away from you a short distance from your pelvis. Arch up and try to lift your chest as high as possible, arching your back and pressing your heels as close to your hips as possible. Tilt your head back to increase tension.

Stay in this position for 30 seconds and slowly return to the starting position again.

While I was preparing this article, I had a great desire to stretch at least a little, since my back and neck were already tired. What am I going to do now. Do not forget about your health and at least occasionally perform the simplest exercises to relax your back and neck. Remember that the general condition of your body depends on the health of your spine.

Massage of the collar zone can relieve or completely eliminate pain in the neck. Everyone is capable of learning how to properly massage the neck. Massage is one of the types of home treatment. It is not necessary to ask someone to massage your neck, there is a self-massage technique that is very easy to master.

There are many different methods of influencing the muscles of the neck:

• Standard massage (classic). Such a massage of the cervical spine is carried out according to all the canons, including various stroking, rubbing, light blows and vibration movements.
• Acupressure. This technique of neck massage involves an impact on certain points of the body. Thanks to the effect, pain relief and relaxation are achieved.
• Cosmetic massage. The purpose of this technique is to achieve a visual effect, smoothing sagging skin.
• Massage for relaxation. The main goal is to remove the stiffness of hardened muscles.
• Massotherapy. It is used in manual therapy as an additional tool to the main treatment. Therapeutic neck massage is done with the help of special massagers.

When is a massage needed?

Neck massage can be used in many situations. You can perform a neck massage for hygiene purposes, to relieve tension, or simply to maintain muscle tone.

The cervical region is the most mobile and the least stable. The vertebrae here are the weakest and any sudden movement of the head can lead to unpleasant consequences (squeezing the cervical vertebrae, displacement of the cervical vertebrae). In a sitting position, the load on the neck increases. And if the load is long, the consequences will not be long in coming.

The first manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis appear at a young age: pain, muscle spasms, backache in the neck.

Especially effective and indicated for people with such diseases:

• cervical osteochondrosis;
• Frequent migraine;
• Hints of diseases of the spine;
• Insomnia;
• Vegetovascular dystonia;
• High or low blood pressure;
• Nervous disorders.

Proper massage for the neck will give the desired result, which will be the normalization of the internal processes of the body, a surge of strength, a charge of vivacity, and the elimination of pain.

The group of people who periodically need a massage course includes the owners of professions: teachers, office workers, drivers. A sedentary lifestyle negatively affects the health of the spine and often requires massage.

Contraindications

Massage is a harmless and very useful thing. But for some people, it can do more harm than good. It is contraindicated to massage the neck for people with diseases:

• Hypertensive crisis;
• Acute form of infectious diseases;
• Fevers of various kinds;
• vascular diseases;
• Bleeding, which can be caused by massage in any part of the body;
• Diseases of the skin of the neck;
• Injuries of the cervical spine;
• Severe heart disease.

Massage is a pleasant procedure, but an unprepared body may experience discomfort at first. After the first session, neck pain often occurs. This means that the neck muscles were not ready for such a load, but this is normal. The neck gradually strengthens and gets used.

If you experience headaches after a massage, this is a bad sign. Such reactions mean that either you took the wrong position during the massage, or the massage therapist used the wrong techniques. Perhaps the massage therapist was not a professional.

Massage technique

To properly massage the neck at home, you need to choose a comfortable position. It is best to sit down, bend your knees, keep your back straight, neck relaxed. If there is a pronounced pain syndrome, then it is better to change the sitting position to lying (on the stomach).

To achieve the maximum level of relaxation, the neck must be unloaded, that is, something will have to be placed under the head. Before the massage procedure begins, you need to stretch the trapezius muscles and the back of the head in the neck area. As a rule, massage of the neck and collar zone at home is carried out by a massage therapist, but a self-massage option is also possible. The massage technique consists of four actions for the back of the neck and three for the front.

First, massage the back of the neck:

1. Stroking the back of the neck. It is necessary to start massaging with stroking movements, as if covering the neck and performing movements from top to bottom.
2. Push-ups on the back of the neck. The movements are performed along the same trajectory as the previous ones, but the hands are no longer turned with the palms, but with the side part, the thumb is also involved. There is some pressure on the skin in order to "awaken" the muscles.
3. Rubbing movements on the back of the neck. Using fingers and palms, massage the back of the head, the upper part of the neck, the area near the ears, descending to the lower part of the neck. The goal is to squeeze out the massaged muscles.
4. Kneading movements at the back of the neck. For such movements, all 5 fingers on each hand are used. First, the muscles are pinched, then slightly stretched in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Then you can make vibrational movements.

Now it's the turn of the front side of the neck. Such a massage should be done carefully, because any wrong movement or pressure can cause discomfort and will not bring any benefit.

The complex of movements is more simplified in this case, in order to protect the person being massaged:

1. Stroking movements on the front of the neck. The area from the chin to the collarbone is massaged. The movements are smooth and soft.
2. Rubbing movements of the front of the neck. Compared to the back of the neck, the area is more sensitive here, so much less force needs to be applied. Rubbing goes much more smoothly.
3. Kneading movements of the front of the neck. The entire area from the chin to the collarbones is massaged with all fingers from top to bottom, using vibration, but weaker.

This massage technique is used to relax the muscles in cervical osteochondrosis, to alleviate the patient's condition with the deposition of salts in the cervical region. The duration of the procedure should be about 10 minutes.

Self massage

But what if there is no way to call a massage therapist? You can learn how to massage your own neck. The cervical region lends itself to self-massage, in contrast to such a procedure as massage of the spine of other departments.

• See also: classic back massage.

You can perform self-massage with one hand or two, depending on this, some features of the technique will change.

If you perform a massage with both hands, then the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe neck and collar zone is massaged at once. The movements are smooth, soft, performed from the occipital lobe of the head to the shoulders. After warming up the muscles, the movements become more kneading. In the course are tingling and vibration. Then the side of the neck and the front are massaged.

When applying massage with one hand, the friend should support the first at the elbow. With this technique, one half of the neck is massaged, then the second (with the right hand - the left side of the neck, with the left hand the right). To enhance the effect of massage, achieve greater muscle relaxation, massagers are used. Such devices greatly simplify the massage.

We can’t live a day without self-massage - we just don’t notice how we rub our hands, forearms, stroke our knee, feel our lower back.

The teacher in the class observes a session of mass self-massage during a test: 25 right hands write in notebooks, and 25 left hands vigorously rub their forehead, bridge of the nose, and ruffle the back of their heads. Tousled hair and flushed cheeks indicate that some work has been done: this is how our body furnishes a brainstorm - a rush of blood to the brain.
Since self-massage for a person is an unconditioned reflex, we can only cultivate movements. Like a professional massage therapist, we will use the techniques of stroking, rubbing, kneading, patting, vibration.
At the same time, we have a number of advantages over professionals: we know and feel our body better, we will not allow unwanted influences, we will gently but meticulously stretch the pain point, and we will use our own services at any time.
Self-massage and massage is useful for any healthy person. Contraindications are not associated with joint diseases, but they are quite extensive and strict - treat them carefully.

The beauty of self-massage lies in the fact that it can be performed in conjunction with any of the complexes that we have already learned. And we are free to do a massage before a warm-up or in between individual exercises.
Self-massage is the same means of body care as brushing your teeth. True, unlike brushing your teeth, massage after eating is not recommended.
We will describe the techniques of local massage. And the sequence of a full massage should be as follows: we work out the hips and knee joints; then chest, neck, arms; then belly; then sequentially massage the pelvis, lower back, back; and finally the head.
Hygienic preparation for massage is quite simple: cleanly washed hands and applying cream to massaged skin areas. Any cream will suit us, you can use Vaseline. There are special oils for massage containing extracts of needles and herbs. One of these herbs is larkspur (aka comfrey and bone breaker). Zhivokost is used in folk medicine for the treatment of joints. Now traumatologists also widely prescribe it in the course of rehabilitation therapy. During self-massage, it is important to pay attention to the vector of its implementation: along the lymphatic vessels - towards the lymph nodes. That is, the neck is massaged from top to bottom, since the nearest lymph nodes are located under the collarbones and in the armpits. The legs are massaged from the foot - up the lower leg - up the thigh. We massage the hands from the hands - up the forearm - and up the shoulder to the armpit. But the lymph nodes themselves ("glands") cannot be massaged.

Massaging the neck

The neck can be massaged while sitting or standing, the main thing is that the muscles are as relaxed as possible. In a horizontal position, massage will not work: if you lie on your back, the main muscles are inaccessible, if on your stomach, the neck turned to the side strains the muscles and nullifies our efforts.
We first stroke the back of the neck with our hands, not forgetting that the movements are made from top to bottom. Then in a horizontal direction (a little more assertive than stroking) we rub the muscles. And then we knead the warmed muscles with our fingers, like plasticine, in a vertical (top to bottom) direction.
Especially carefully we rub and knead the so-called trapezius muscles - they are more like a triangle with vertices: The upper back point of the neck - The shoulder joint - The spinal column at the level of the diaphragm. The most tense part of the trapezius muscle usually painfully pulls and inclines the neck to the shoulder. Massage the back of the neck should be finished with stroking.
And we only have to stroke the front of the neck: from the chin down.
The most common cause of headaches is the obstruction of venous outflow in the vessels of the brain. This difficulty is provoked just by the problems of the collar zone (neck and trapezius muscles). Therefore, after massage of the collar zone, it is useful to perform a few simple movements to enhance venous and lymphatic outflow.

Exercise for the neck and trapezius muscle

Attention! The exercise is performed in the absence of acute pain in the cervical region. Remember the rule: if your neck hurts, do not turn your head sharply! A sharp up and down movement or twist can lead to spasm of the neck muscles - this is a serious complication of inflammation in the cervical spine.

1. Starting position: sitting, hands on knees, keep head and back straight.
2. Press the chin to the chest for a few seconds.
3. Slowly tilt your head back, pull the back of your head towards your back.
4. Return to starting position.
5. Tilt your head to the left as much as possible and return to the starting position.
6. The same slope to the right. Return to starting position.
7. Press your chin to your chest and slowly roll your head from shoulder to shoulder.
8. Return to starting position.
9. Pull your chin up. Slowly and carefully roll your head from shoulder to shoulder.
10. Return to starting position.
11. Perform rotational movements of the head in one direction and the other. Repeat 2 times on each side.

After that, it is very useful to whip yourself on the neck with a towel dipped in cold water: 1-2 times on the left and right.

Massaging the lower back

The lower back, unlike the neck, can be massaged lying down - in this position, the muscles are relaxed.
If it is possible to massage only while standing, it is necessary to take into account the starting position for such self-massage: legs shoulder-width apart, the pelvis must be moved back and forth throughout the entire massage.
When stroking the lower back, the hands move smoothly in different directions - you can make horizontal or circular movements.

Rubbing is carried out firmly:

1. Finger pads. We set the fingers perpendicular to the spine, from the spine to the sides with horizontal, wavy or circular movements, we “rake” the muscles.
2. With the back of the hand with both hands (fingers pointing down) - horizontal movements from the spine in both directions. The hands are clenched into fists.
3. The back of the hand of one hand. We put the other hand on top of the massaging hand to increase the pressure. We press on the lower back with energetic circular movements.

It is difficult to achieve effective kneading of the muscles of the lower back. You can only pinch yourself a little, which is also not bad. The main thing is to complete the massage with stroking.

Lower back exercise
After massaging the lower back, it is useful to hang on the horizontal bar. While hanging, you can perform the following technique:

1. For 2-4 seconds, instantly strongly strain the muscles of the whole body.
2. Now relax as completely as possible.

Repeat tension-relaxation 2 times. Do not forget that you can jump off the horizontal bar only in general good shape. Therefore, it is better to play it safe, going down to the stand.

Massaging the gluteal muscles

As you understand, "Starting position: sitting" does not suit us now. But you can massage while standing or lying down.
Starting position: standing. We transfer the weight of the body to the massaged leg. We set aside the other leg a little to the side and slightly bend at the knee - “long standing position”.
Stroking the muscle is carried out from the thigh up.

Let's do the splitting like this:

1. With fingertips, circle around the coccyx.
2. With fingertips, we rub the gluteal muscles vertically: from the hip to the lower back, over the entire area.
3. Bend the hand into a fist, with the knuckles we massage the lower back with a horizontal movement from the spine to the stomach.

After rubbing, we perform the “vibration” technique. It is necessary to achieve not only superficial, but also deep trembling of the gluteal muscles. Vibration is performed from the bottom up. After vibration, we will again stroke.
Vibration - massaging the muscle by patting with a relaxed hand or wiggling the fingers hard. The purpose of this technique is to cause muscle trembling.
In the "lying" position, the massage of sore gluteal muscles is performed while lying on a healthy side. Sore muscles are at the top and in a relaxed state. Massage techniques are the same as in the standing position.
A sedentary lifestyle gives trouble to the gluteal muscles. Meanwhile, you can knead them without getting up from your chair!

Exercise for the muscles of the buttocks

1. Starting position: sitting, keep your back straight, hands lie freely on your knees.
2. We tear off our legs from the floor and roll on a chair from one buttock to another - not in a straight line, but in a circle, through the coccyx area. Let's make 8-10 such semicircles.
3. We return to the starting position and completely relax the gluteal muscles.
4. And now sharply and strongly for 5-6 seconds we strain the buttocks.
5. And we relax again.

Repeat tension-relaxation 2 times.

Massaging the foot and ankle

Massage of the foot, ankle joint and shin is a daily necessity for those who have even slightly manifested flat feet. And it is important to massage the foot and lower leg at the first manifestations of gout - a growing "bone" at the base of the thumb. No need to wait for sudden trapping pains, if only because the prevention of pain by self-massage is a free and undeniable pleasure.

1. We bend the leg at the knee and place it comfortably on the other leg.
2. We hold the foot with our free hand, and with a massaging hand we stroke the sole from the fingertips to the heel. Movements are performed with fingertips.
3. If you are not sensitive to tickling, do squeezing with your thumb over the entire sole and actively combing the sole with four knuckles on the fists (fist comb). " Squeezing"- massage with the edge of the palm or the knuckle of the thumb (the hand is bent into a fist).
4. Work each toe with a twisting and sucking motion. Perform flexion, extension, rotation of the toes. At the same time, alternate active (independent bends of the joints) and passive (with the help of a massaging hand).
5. Lock the ankle joint with your free hand and work out the arch of the foot with the crest of your fist and the edge of your palm. Without reducing the fixation in the ankle, make twisting movements of the foot in different directions with a massaging hand.
6. Rub the heel with tongs of the palm of your hand: grab it with your massaging hand and sharply squeeze your fingers, sliding off the heel.
7. In circular motions, we work out the ankle joint from behind, clasping it with the whole palm or rubbing it with four fingers (while the massaging hand has to be actively rotated in the wrist). The front surface of the foot is firmly massaged with four fingers.
8. We wrap our fingers around the Achilles tendon (it attaches the muscles of the back of the lower leg to the calcaneus) and massage it with vertical movements. Then we work it out with wrapping circular movements of four fingers.
9. We finish the massage with a dense tangible stroking of the foot with an open palm over the entire surface - from the fingers to the lower leg: the front and side surfaces. We capture the largest areas of the foot with the palm of our hand.

An excellent massage for the sole of the foot is rolling tennis balls, rolling pins for dough, “riding” soles on wooden accounting accounts while sitting at a table or watching TV in the evening. If it is possible to finish the treatment of the feet with a cold bath for a few seconds, it will be very useful both for the ankle joint and for the general hardening of the body.

Massaging thigh and leg

To massage the thigh and lower leg, you need to take the most comfortable position:

1. You can place the foot to be massaged on a stand.
2. You can massage in the supine position by lifting the massaged leg up.
3. A good relaxation effect is to put one foot on the other.

Foot massage direction vector - up: from the foot - to the knee, from the knee - to the groin and buttock.
We are already familiar with the techniques of massage of the lower leg and thigh: stroking, rubbing, kneading the muscles. The calf and thigh muscles lend themselves well to vibration - the thigh must be lifted and shaken with a shaking movement.
For the muscles of the leg, you can use the squeeze technique. 2-3 seconds after squeezing, the skin looks whitened, because the superficial veins are compressed - then the blood supply is intensively resumed.
If there are painful muscle compactions, the so-called "trigger zones" (from the English trigger - trigger), you need to carefully work them out with the pad of your thumb. The trigger zones are massaged in the radial direction in order to gradually warm up the muscle and approach the center of inflammation.
Well-warmed muscles should be thoroughly spanked over the entire surface with an open palm. And finish the massage with a wide, tight stroke.

Osteochondrosis (from the Greek. osteon - bone and hondros - cartilage) - "ossification of cartilage." The spine consists of the vertebrae themselves and the intervertebral discs. It is the latter who suffer from osteochondrosis, they seem to “ossify”, become less elastic. This often occurs with increased physical exertion or, on the contrary, with a sedentary lifestyle, lack of sufficient exercise.

Intervertebral cartilages do not have their own vessels that would feed them with useful substances from the blood; in this sense, discs can only rely on connective tissues. Excessive compression or relaxation of deep muscles disrupts the movement of blood, and the process of "shrinking" begins in the cartilage. And an increased load can even lead to displacement or damage to the disc, intervertebral hernia, which is fraught not only with acute pain and discomfort, but also with other health problems.

Cervical massage is an effective and pleasant means of preventing and alleviating the course of the disease.

The cervical spine is the most fragile and prone to overload, as it carries the mass of the skull, and also performs many times more movements than other departments. Many important blood vessels and large nerves pass through the neck to the brain. Therefore, sometimes the problem that causes pain is in the spine, but, as the people say, “gives” to the neck. Before starting any procedures, including massage, consult a specialist, otherwise you can only aggravate the situation, because massage is a type of treatment in this case, and not pleasant relaxing procedures.

Another common mistake is the use of drugs for high blood pressure. The fact is that osteochondrosis of the cervical region affects the blood vessels, which causes the pressure to rise, and this is not about the heart.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical region gives pain not only in the neck, but also in the area between the shoulder blades and the back of the head. At the same time, the neck becomes as if wadded, it is difficult to turn it to the side. The blood flow in the cervical vessels worsens, the brain lacks nutrition, so headaches, dizziness and even fainting are possible.

The first thing a patient suffering from osteochondrosis and his attending physician think about is the relief of pain, since the pain can be truly unbearable. After that, the doctor, as a rule, prescribes moderate exercise in the form of exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises) and neck massage. The first method for the neck may not be as useful as massage, since the number of movements of the cervical region is limited and it can only be truly “stretched” with your hands. In addition, massage performs several functions: reducing pain, improving blood flow in the cervical region, relieving muscle spasms, and toning the muscles of the neck and back.

For each patient with osteochondrosis, the massage scenario is individual, since it is important to take into account the phase of development of the disease, its features, concomitant diseases (pressure drops, respiratory failure, and so on). Having received a referral for a massage from a doctor, choose a really good specialist whose actions will not aggravate the situation, but will help you cope with the disease. Also remember that massage should be started when the peak of the disease has already passed and the pain is not felt so acutely, otherwise the massage will turn into torment.

In fairly mild cases, massage can be done at home. To do this, the patient must lie on his stomach on a flat hard surface (bench, couch). The legs should fit completely on the couch, not hang down. Hands bent at the elbows, put your palm on your palm in front of you, rest your forehead in your palms. You should start by kneading the muscles adjacent to the cervical spine with pinching movements. Next, the muscles of the neck are massaged with the help of “stretching” with the fingers. Gradually move on to the chest (shoulder blades and interscapular space) and head (circular movements and strokes). Head massage cannot be ignored, since it is from the lower part of the skull that the most important nerves that suffer from osteochondrosis depart.

Sometimes massage can be done while sitting. The procedure is carried out every two days. At first, massaging the neck can cause pain to the patient, especially in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bstrong damage, but over time, the discomfort will pass, leaving lightness and relaxation.

Problems with the neck are often observed in those who work at the computer, with papers, bend over the stove for a long time ... If our body is in a forced monotonous position for a long time, a spasm of the cervical muscles occurs. And this is fraught with dangerous consequences, because overstressed muscles put pressure on the cervical vertebrae, on the vessels that supply blood to the brain and nerves that carry signals from internal organs to it. The result can be a headache, and poor sleep, and a feeling of fatigue, weakness the next morning, memory loss, vision problems.

To avoid such consequences, the neck must be kneaded regularly. It's not that hard.

On a note

It is very important to ensure that the neck is relaxed during sleep. So that the muscles do not spasm, the cervical spine should be a continuation of the thoracic, be on the same line with it. Choose your pillow carefully so that it is not too soft, too low or, conversely, too high.

At the office during breaks

Experts recommend periodically performing isometric exercises for the cervical region during the working day. During them, the neck muscles should be tensed as much as possible, but for a short time. Since you do not make sudden movements, the exercises do not put pressure on the spine. They can be performed directly sitting at the table.

Sit straight, put the brushes one on top of the other, forming a lock. Raise the brushes to the chin and press the chin down. Neither the head nor the hands should move. Then relax and repeat the exercise several times.

Put your hands on your forehead. Try to push your head forward, and with your hands resist as hard as you can. Only the muscles above the shoulder are tensed, and the head and arms are motionless. Relax after a while.

Put your hands behind your head, put your palms on the back of your head. Try to tilt your head back, and apply back pressure with your hands, making it difficult to do this.

Place your palm on your temple, thumb behind your ear. Press your head into your palm, trying to bend your arm to the side, and at the same time resist this pressure with all your might. Change hands and repeat the exercise.

By the way

Psychological stress can lead to the appearance of clamps in the neck. Against its background, hormones are released into the bloodstream, which increase muscle tension. If the stressful situation drags on, it becomes chronic - a muscle spasm occurs. To remove it, sometimes you need to go not only to a massage therapist, but also to a psychologist. True, there is also a feedback here: when we perform gymnastics in order to physically relax the neck, psychological stress also decreases slightly.

Home after work

To relieve the tension accumulated during the day from the muscles of the neck, when you come home, you need to lie down a little on the floor in this position: put your legs on a nearby chair, under the lower back - a small roller, under the neck - too. This position will unload the entire spine and relieve fatigue from the cervical region.

Well, if you buy a hydromassage nozzle and, winding it on the shower, move a strong jet of warm, almost hot water along the back and sides of the neck.

For those whose neck is especially tired, you can buy a Shants collar at the pharmacy. Or make it yourself. Take a thick layer of cotton wool, roll it into a rather tight roller according to the size of your neck. Then wrap with several layers of gauze, wrap and sew up the edges. Sew two strings of ribbon and gauze on each side - and the collar is ready. You need to put it on by tying the ties at the back.

Such a collar is used in hospitals for various injuries of the cervical spine. It will come in handy when, after returning from work, you feel heaviness in your head and tension in your neck muscles. Wear a collar for at least an hour or two while doing household chores. It is important that it tightly fixes the neck - you should not be able to tilt your head. Thanks to this, the muscles from which the load has been removed will relax. And then you can already start gymnastics - it will be great if you find time for exercises at home.