Isometric exercises
An isometric exercise describes the muscular tension without a change in muscle length. It therefore means a contraction of the muscle without a noticeable change in the position visible from the outside. This form of muscle training is often used as part of posture training or relaxation exercises.
A good example of isometric exercises of the cervical spine is explained below. The patient sits upright in a comfortable sitting position on a chair. Feet and knees are positioned parallel at shoulder width.
Now the 6 movements in the cervical spine are performed one after the other for 10-15 seconds each. To make the exercise isometric, the palm of the hand is then placed against the head as an obstacle to the movement that can be performed. For example, the right hand stops the right cheek for the right rotation of the head.
This tenses the muscle, but the head always remains in the same position. It has been found that the side effects of this type of training result in reduced blood flow to the muscle during the exercise itself. As a result, the waste products of the contraction, such as lactate, cannot be sufficiently removed from the muscle.
Lactate is an acid and leads to local hardening of the muscle due to acidosis if training is applied incorrectly. Consultation with the treating orthopedic surgeon is therefore recommended. Stretching exercises are usually also part of the training program for cervical spine syndrome.
Classic stretching variations are the stretching of the musculus trapezius. The patient stands or sits on a chair and tilts the head as far as possible towards the right shoulder while the upper body remains stable. On the left side, the patient pulls with his hand towards the floor to increase the stretching of the left neck muscles.
It is important that the left shoulder maintains a large distance from the ear.The position is held for about 20 seconds, a pull may be felt, then the head can be rotated carefully in the side tilt as a variation of the stretch, i.e. the gaze is directed once downwards, or upwards. In most cases, the patient himself feels where an increased stretching pain occurs. This position can then be held for another 20 seconds. Then the exercise is performed on the other side. To achieve an effect in stretching exercises, they should be performed once or twice a day for a longer period of time.
