Treatment/Therapy

The treatment of cervical spine syndrome begins in the acute phase with pain-relieving measures. For this purpose, in addition to heat applications and massages, NSARs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Ibuprofen and Diclofenac can be taken. In any case, it is important that the neck is not spared, because exercise is an essential part of the treatment.

Further treatment is carried out in cooperation with a physiotherapist, who recognizes muscular imbalances and postural defects and counteracts them with appropriate measures. These include passive applications to regulate muscle tension as well as active exercises to correct posture, self-mobilization of the cervical spine and, because of the functional connection, additional mobilization exercises for the thoracic spine. The affected person must develop a new awareness of how correct posture feels and how movements are performed without pain-inducing evasive movements.

For this purpose, physiotherapists use various measures of manual guidance during active movement, which the patient should gradually take over without guidance by the therapist’s hand. As soon as the basic movement coordination is well implemented, medical training therapy (also in the context of physiotherapy on the device (KGG) prescription) can be started. Weak musculature is built up during equipment training in order to function optimally in the everyday life of the patient.

Exercises/physiotherapy

Patients with cervical spine syndrome often show a posture with a reinforced hollow back, round thoracic spine and shoulders pulled forward, as well as an overstretched neck. To counteract this, the chest and neck muscles must be loosened and the muscles between the shoulder blades must be strengthened. The first exercise serves to correct posture: Sit upright on a chair and try to feel both of your ischial tuberosities – then sit upright and the lumbar spine takes up a neutral position.

Now imagine that a thread is attached to the back of your head, pulling you towards the ceiling. The sternum is also moved forward and upwards. Now retract your chin as if you wanted to form a double chin.

Make sure that the shoulders are not pulled upwards. Hold this position for ten seconds and repeat it three times. If the ten seconds fall slightly, the time should be gradually increased.

You may have felt during the first exercise that your muscles between the shoulder blades begin to burn and tire quickly. This is because these muscles have become weak over the time of the wrong posture and need to be trained again. The next day you may also feel a sore muscle, so don’t worry – you have done the exercise correctly.

If you have felt a pull in the chest area, then your chest muscles seem to be shortened. To stretch them, stand next to a wall and place your forearm against the wall in such a way that your shoulder is spread slightly more than 90° apart and your elbow joint is bent about 90°. The position of the arm is not changed while you slowly turn your upper body away from the wall until you feel a pull in the chest muscles.

Hold this exercise on each side for at least thirty seconds. More neck stretching exercises can be found here: What is the best way to stretch the neck? The neck muscles should be stretched to support the relaxation of the neck muscles.

To do this, stand upright and let your chin sink towards your chest, avoiding the formation of a rounded back. To stretch the lateral neck muscles, tilt your head sideways – the ear approaches the shoulder and let the other shoulder sink consciously. If you feel a pull in the area between the ear and shoulder, perform the exercise correctly.