Borshchenko's smart spine. Isometric gymnastics by Dr. Borshchenko. Spine and joints. A complete course of exercises. Cervical spine
In the book by neurosurgeon, candidate of medical sciences Igor Anatolyevich Borshchenko, the reader will find a unique method of isometric muscle training to strengthen the deep back muscles and shape posture. The peculiarity of this gymnastics is that the muscles are tensed in special ergonomic positions, with virtually no movements or using special movements of small amplitude, which ELIMINATES OVERLOADING OF JOINTS AND VERTEBRES. It is no coincidence that Igor Borshchenko’s “Smart Spine” system of muscle training is called “stationary” (static) gymnastics.
The technique is unique in its simplicity and accessibility. It is suitable for anyone who suffers from diseases of the musculoskeletal system, for patients who have been injured or have undergone surgery on the spine and joints, for those who experience pain in the back, arms and legs. It can be recommended to office workers, drivers and tourists, elderly and sedentary people.
How often do we hear from doctors: “We need to strengthen the spine... We need to do gymnastics and exercises... Now strengthen your back!” Patients echo them: “I’m ready to exercise... Show me what exercises to do... Tomorrow I’ll sign up for a fitness club!” Indeed, most people intuitively understand that health is associated with certain physical activity, and it is advisable to obtain it during special classes. It is at this moment that many questions arise that can become an insurmountable obstacle to health. How to practice? Should I go to the gym or start doing exercises at home? The last question is by no means an idle one: yoga, Pilates, calanetics, aerobics, aqua aerobics, fitness with an instructor, training on simulators and, finally, just physical therapy in the clinic. This is not a complete list of the various health activities that life offers. And then there is your favorite job, which takes up the lion’s share of time, and morning laziness, when you just want to soak in bed...
And as a result, the choice falls on the section of life-giving classes according to the system of an Indian teacher with an unpronounceable name. And it’s good when these activities are useful. And if after a week you feel pain or a sharp worsening of problems, then most people stop training and the myth about a healthy lifestyle dissipates like steam from a cold lunch.
The other extreme is a complete reluctance to engage. “I run around at work like crazy, that’s enough...” or “I have physical work, physical education is superfluous.” Such arguments, of course, can be understood, but we should not forget that the physical and emotional stress of the main job, unless, of course, you are a fitness trainer, this is the wrong load. The daily work of a storekeeper, or a worker, or a cook puts stress only on individual muscle groups, wearing out overloaded joints and cartilage. The spine, your muscles, all joints need, simply require, a special correct load, safe movements and a cyclic rhythm of exercise.
Imagine the crossroads a patient faces after spinal surgery, or a person who has been diagnosed with a herniated disc but fortunately does not require surgery. On the one hand, there is a need and desire to exercise, on the other hand, there is a fear that physical education may worsen an already sad situation.
That is why this book is addressed to those who already have problems with the spine and joints. Those patients who have undergone surgery in the area of the musculoskeletal system, those who, as they age, feel the need for exercise, but do not know where to start. The epigraph of this book was the famous Latin saying - Do no harm! Non nocere! Physical education can be not only pleasure, but also medicine, which, as we know, has a certain dose.
I wish you health and success!
Igor BorshchenkoOriginal name: A big book of exercises for the back. Complex "Smart Spine"
Year of issue: 2016
Series: Russian health practices
Genre: Directories, physiotherapy, health
Released: Russia, Moscow, AST
Language: Russian
Description: This book is a super hit by Igor Anatolyevich Borshchenko, neurosurgeon, candidate of medical sciences. The “Smart Spine” set of exercises has long become the No. 1 bestseller on this topic. You will be able to find out why your back hurts, how to get rid of lumbar pain, how to restore nerve cells, the rules of spine movement, and how to correctly create a fitness plan. Unique positional gymnastics, based on space rehabilitation technologies, will help strengthen the deep back muscles that form the internal corset of the spine, achieve ideal posture and forget about chronic diseases of the spine and joints forever!
Introduction
Part I. Spinal problems? Educational program for the patient
What is osteochondrosis?
Why does my back hurt?
Lumbar lumbago: what to do?
Why does a person need a ponytail?
Very dark disk
Salt deposition, or narrowness of thinking
We are looking for a hernia between the vertebrae: C5-C6, L4-L5
Where the tail begins
Shall we cut it or let it live?
Where did the vertebra go?
Surgical hit parade
When the world is unstable
Pain management
Part II. Establishing and maintaining posture. Tips for every day
Where does posture begin?
Rules for spine movement
How to sleep properly
Which sleeping position is preferable: on your back, on your side or on your stomach?
Sleeping and resting on your back
Sleeping and resting on your side
Sleeping and resting on your stomach
Communication with the bed: getting up and going to bed
Making the bed
Behavior in the bathroom
How to put on shoes and dress correctly
How to sit
Learning to stand
How to behave in a car
Car repair and care
Spine and washing machine
While cleaning
Washing the dishes
When communicating with children
In the shop
Gardening
Lifting loads
Seven Golden Rules for Lifting
Balanced spine position
Lifting loads in a balanced position
Lifting loads in awkward positions
The male way of lifting a load
"Frog" lifting of loads
The female way of lifting weights or lifting weights on one leg
Reminder: good habits for the spine
Part III. Overload of the spine. Work on mistakes
Making a fitness plan
Disc herniation, spinal osteochondrosis... who's next???
“Why me?”
Take care of your spinal cord!
Is it possible to help a damaged spinal cord regain lost function?
Advances in medical science
Nerve cells: and yet they are restored!
Stem cells are the hope of the 21st century
Hormonal protection
Medicine of the future
Why does a giraffe have a long neck?
Take care of your neck!
I love my osteochondrosis
Ten most common misconceptions associated with spinal osteochondrosis
Ten most frequently asked questions related to spinal osteochondrosis
Part IV. Smart Spine system
Exercises
Cervical positional gymnastics
Exercise "Pendulum"
Exercise "Consent"
Exercise "Sky"
Exercise "Oh-oh"
Exercise "No-no"
Chest positional gymnastics
Exercise
Exercise "Castle"
Exercise "Bird"
Exercise "Door"
Lumbar positional gymnastics
1st level
Exercise "Heel"
Exercise "Press"
Exercise “Swimming with your hands”
Exercise “Swimming with your feet”
Exercise "Stapler"
Exercise “Fish-hands”
Exercise “Fish-legs”
Exercise “Fish-arms-legs”
2nd level
Exercise “Beetle Hands”
Exercise "Beetle Legs"
Exercise “Bug-arms-legs”
Exercise “Hands behind your head!”
Exercise "Tron"
Appendix 1. Spinal cord injury: optimistic forecasts
Apoptosis – delayed death of nerve tissue
Apoptosis in the injured spinal cord
How to inhibit apoptosis
Dynamics of apoptosis in spinal cord injury
Life-saving watch - the hope of spinal surgeons
Methods for inhibiting delayed cell death
Possibilities for spinal cord restoration
Stimulation of regeneration of damaged spinal cord
Nerve fibers: 10% is enough
Optimistic forecasts from doctors: a breakthrough is inevitable
Appendix 2. What is scoliosis, why does it occur and what are the risks?
Planning pregnancy with scoliosis
The severity of scoliosis
Measures to take before pregnancy
Management of pregnancy and childbirth
How to reduce the risk of developing scoliosis in a child
Click to close spoiler: Contents
Igor Borshchenko
A big book of exercises for the back. Complex "Smart Spine"
The book was created with the participation of O. S. Kopylova
© Borshchenko I. A., text
© Metafora LLC
© AST Publishing House LLC
Introduction
Dear reader! You are holding a unique book in your hands. Its author is a wonderful Russian neurosurgeon, vertebrologist, a well-known specialist in the treatment of spinal diseases. For his patients, Dr. Igor Borshchenko has developed a highly effective applied technique for spinal restoration, based on advanced space rehabilitation technologies.
The main problem that astronauts face in conditions of weightlessness is a sharp weakening of muscles that are deprived of any load: almost any movement is effortless, and in such conditions the muscles quickly lose their strength and elasticity. Immediately after returning to the earth's surface, astronauts can hardly move their limbs and are often unable to assume a sitting position. Their spine becomes abnormally flexible, and their height increases by several centimeters due to weakening of the muscular frame.
In 2005, in order to return the Russian member of the 10th expedition, Salizhan Sharipov, to Earth from the ISS, he had to sew and deliver a special “penguin suit” to the ship. This highly constricting suit, shaped like a penguin's torso, helped to “compress” the relaxed space explorer, thanks to which he was able to sit in the seat of the Soyuz spacecraft and return to Earth. Currently, physical training systems have been developed for astronauts, which allow them to quickly and effectively restore and maintain the muscular corset of the spine, and prevent serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system and internal organs. Exercises for astronauts were developed primarily with the goal of strengthening the deep muscles of the back and maintaining posture.
In everyday life, we also often neglect movement or move incorrectly. This leads to the fact that the muscles that support the spine in an upright position weaken, posture suffers and a tonic-strength imbalance occurs when one or more groups of back muscles are not included in maintaining body position. A person begins to experience back pain, then he develops diseases of the spine and internal organs.
In order to quickly and effectively correct incorrect posture and create a reliable muscle corset for the spine, Igor Borshchenko used space technologies for the rehabilitation of astronauts. His “Smart Spine” muscle training system was developed based on the physiological principles of the functioning of the human musculoskeletal system. The method will help you quickly get rid of back pain, create additional support for the spine and protect it from overload.
Weakness of the back muscles and poor posture are the root cause of many diseases. And establishing and maintaining posture is the key to solving many health problems. Dr. Borshchenko’s unique positional gymnastics will help you engage the short and long muscles of the spine, strengthen the deep back muscles that form the internal corset of the spine, and achieve ideal posture. The “Smart Spine” muscle training system is strictly physiological, eliminates overstrain and muscle spasms, which makes it gentle on the vertebrae and joints.
By starting to practice regularly using Igor Borshchenko’s method, you will not only get rid of spinal diseases. The symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia will disappear forever, the functioning of internal organs will improve, and high blood pressure will decrease. Positional gymnastics will restore the tone of the nervous system and help you get rid of extra pounds. Your vision and hearing will improve, and sexual problems will disappear. You will feel lightness in every movement, gain a beautiful gait, your body and soul will become younger!
We wish you success in mastering positional gymnastics by Igor Borshchenko!
Part I. Spinal problems? Educational program for the patient
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is one of the most common diseases. After the flu and colds, back pain is the first reason that will force you to see a doctor. When we say “osteochondrosis,” we mean a disease of the spine. But it is not so. Can there be a spine without osteochondrosis? Of course, this is our ideal. Is there osteochondrosis without a spine? No, you will answer, and you will be wrong. How could it? For curiosity's sake, let's take a look at the International Classification of Diseases (www.mkb10.ru): what you won’t find there: osteochondrosis of the hip and pelvis, osteochondrosis of the humerus, radius and ulna... Let’s not bother ourselves with boring names of places where osteochondrosis can develop - tarsus, patella, metatarsus, tibia and fibula, hand bones, separately head of the femur... I think you are already tired of this listing. A person has neither more nor less bones - at birth there are almost 300. Osteochondrosis of the spine is a separate line and has its own code. Therefore, it is more correct to use these two terms together.
But since no one has encountered osteochondrosis of the patella in everyday life, and advertising only talks about the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, therefore here and now osteochondrosis for us will be precisely a disease of the spine: a formidable, cunning, most common, and most importantly – an interesting disease.
Although you will almost never see osteochondrosis of the spine abroad - they usually say “spondylosis”, “degenerative disc disease”, which is closer to the point. But traditions must be respected, and for a Russian citizen, osteochondrosis is somehow more understandable and closer.
So, you have been informed that you have osteochondrosis of the spine. Everyone knows that appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, hepatitis is something with the liver. Go and ask, what is osteochondrosis? I will give typical answers from ordinary people: “It’s when your back hurts...”; “Well, when my back was crossed...”; “It’s something with the spine...”; “My parents and I definitely have it...” Like this. No idea what most often leads to sick leave and “what osteochondrosis is eaten with.” Let's try to figure it out together. As you know, any medical term that ends in “-oz” means degeneration of a specific organ. Degeneration is the reverse process of regeneration, or restoration. Cartilage in the Latin language, which is dead but alive among doctors - chondro. As the famous humorist said: “No matter what you do to a person, he stubbornly crawls to the cemetery.” The aging of the body begins already in the prime of 30 years, and for some - even earlier, which is why cartilage degeneration - chondrosis– is inevitable, no matter how you look at it and no matter what medicine you buy at the pharmacy. In medicine there is the concept of a target organ. Osteochondrosis targets the intervertebral disc located between the vertebrae (very complex and beautiful bones, by the way - osteo in Latin), which are also involved in the disease. We get the most perfect mathematics: OSTEO+CHONDRO+OZ=OSTEOCHONDROSIS. This is the “health formula”, almost a Kabbalistic spell. By solving this equation with four unknowns, you will get rid of the disease. I hope that by the end of the book you will succeed and you will be able to find the promised happiness.
The spine can be considered the most important organ. Try a simple experiment. Ask your four-year-old to draw a person. Where will he start? That's right - from a vertical stick, which represents the spine. And only then will he draw on arms, legs, and for some reason a cucumber - he will get the long-awaited little man. This first stick is involved in any human movement, even during sound sleep. And the most active part of the spine is the intervertebral disc.
For those for whom terminological accuracy is important, I would like to clarify that it is intervertebral, because it lies between the vertebrae. And certainly not intervertebral.
You understand that the spines of even siblings are not connected in any way - unless they are Siamese twins. In order not to complicate our lives, we will continue to say simply “disc” and know that this is the very organ that lies between the vertebrae, does not allow us to sit straight, gets older with age, can get sick, is completely responsible for osteochondrosis, is needed by adults too , and children, and so on - I could go on for a long time...
Although the intervertebral disc is quite simple in appearance, it is not just a piece of cartilage. In order to firmly connect the vertebrae, the disc has many circular ligaments that intertwine and form a fibrous ring. But it cannot soften all the blows and shocks that the spine experiences through our grace. This work is performed by the central part of the disk - the nucleus. In appearance it looks like jelly, which is why it is called the nucleus pulposus, or nucleus pulposus. It was preserved as a remnant of the primary notochord, the predecessor of the spine in the embryo. There are very few cells in the nucleus and 95% is intercellular substance that can swell and retain water. Therefore, the core of the disc is very elastic and well absorbs the loads transmitted to the spine. But it is precisely this part of the disk that is its Achilles heel. Like any cartilage, the disc has no blood vessels, so its cells are forced to feed by diffusion, that is, absorption of nutrients from neighboring vertebrae. This is a very slow process, and if it is disrupted, then the few cells in the nucleus slow down the formation of the intercellular “jelly” or even die. The core loses water, dries out, the height of the disc decreases, and then all the blows of fate are transferred directly to the fibrous ring, which endures for the time being, and then cracks. At this significant moment, a loud “Ay!” is heard. and the little man understands that something has happened inside, and His Majesty osteochondrosis reveals a new medical history.
And in general, everyone, because this book describes in detail where all back diseases come from, how to walk, sit, and sleep correctly so that the spine does not disturb. I found a lot of interesting things for myself. My chiropractor recommended the book to me, and I recommend it to everyone.
Dovidauskaite Kristina 0
The book describes in an accessible form the causes of disorders in such a complex system as the spine. The author highlights modern views on the causes of intervertebral hernias and new methods of their treatment. The most physiological movements and postures for the spine when cleaning an apartment, lifting loads, working in a summer cottage, etc. are covered in detail. Some exercises of the Smart Spine system are described in detail. For full-fledged classes on this system, you need to purchase not one book, but two (even better - all three books, since most of the exercises are not repeated in them). In my opinion, this is not very convenient; I would prefer a complete description of the isometric gymnastics system under one cover. Therefore, my rating is 4 points out of 5
Skorodumova Maria 0
A book for any age. On the fingers, with a minimum of medical terms, it talks about the work of the spine and the most common problems with it at any age. Light exercises, and, most importantly, rules of life to prevent these very problems. They gave me this book to read. After reading it, I decided to buy it for myself, because I will contact her. I advise everyone to buy it.
Olga Dem. 0
Easy, even simple at first glance, but very effective gymnastics. I do it myself. The book fell into my hands completely by accident. She found me :) I'm glad about it. Now I recommend the book (or gymnastics:)) to friends and acquaintances. To those who write negative reviews, I would like to say - don’t read gymnastics, but need to do it! So that later you don’t write bullshit about “complete bullshit”!
Kaverzina Olga Alexandrovna 0
I bought the book for my dad as a gift, because... he just had surgery on his spine. The book talks in detail about the occurrence of problems in the spine. A good set of exercises, which is especially important - with a ball, because... when using a ball, the effectiveness of the exercises is higher. I hope the book will help him during rehabilitation.
1. It is best to allocate special time for training on the “Smart Spine” system. I recommend exercising three times a week.
2. At the end of the lesson, it is best to do cardio training, that is, a light jog, exercise on a treadmill, exercise bike or in the pool.
3. Don't be overzealous and practice every day. The muscles and nervous system should be given rest. In this case, classes will bring more joy and they will become more effective.
4. Many exercises from the “Smart Spine” system can be performed at work, sitting on a chair, or while traveling. Thanks to this, you will be able to do micro-breaks and mini-warm-ups, bringing your spine back to normal.
Make the Smart Spine system your habit, and then your spine will become not only smart, but also healthy.
LEVEL 1 EXERCISES
CERVICAL POSITIONAL GYMNASTICS
Correct posture starts with the position of your head. Our movements are subordinated to one goal - maintaining balance of a body part, which collects the greatest amount of information about the world around us. And this is our head, where the organs of vision, deafness, and balance are located.
Working in a sitting position, at a computer, leads to the fact that the head is constantly tilted excessively. This causes the cervical spine to flex and form kyphotic deformity- that is, the arch of the spine is directed backward.
In a healthy cervical spine it should be the other way around: the arch should be facing forward.
The correct position of the head and neck is easy to control: the plane of the ears should be in the plane of the shoulder joints. This is exactly the position a soldier takes in formation at the command “Attention!”
The following exercises are aimed at acquiring the correct position of the head and neck and strengthening the muscles necessary for this.
The described exercises for the cervical spine are an excellent tool not only for strengthening muscles and acquiring correct posture, but also for relieving tension headaches from which most people suffer. After this gymnastics, muscle spasm disappears, and blood circulation in the brain is normalized.
These exercises can be convenient office gymnastics, which is advisable to perform several times a day to maintain general tone, both at work and during sedentary travel on an airplane, car, etc.
Initial position- sitting on a chair. Place a medium-sized book on the top of your head.
1. Start light rocking movements with your head back and forth.
2. As soon as you feel the book slipping, start moving in the opposite direction.
Rice. 3
This way you will balance the book in a neutral position. This is the ideal correct position of the head and neck.
Try to hold the book for 1-5 minutes. Five minutes a day is enough for the muscles to remember the desired position.
The following exercises are performed in isometric mode - that is, without movement. During the exercises, resistance to movement is carried out using the hands. Apply pressure and tension to the neck muscles gradually, avoiding pain.
The duration of each voltage is from 10 to 20 seconds. At the end of the exercise, gradually, smoothly remove the pressure from the hands and the tension in the neck muscles.
EXERCISE 2. “CONSENT”
We nod our heads when we agree, and this exercise is similar to a nod.
Initial position- sitting straight on a chair. One hand is placed on the forehead.
The first phase - try to bend your head, “agree,” while simultaneously resisting this movement with your hand. Continue for 10-20 seconds without moving.
Second phase isometric- at the end of the exercise, you can slightly throw back your head and tilt it back. It is permissible to help yourself with the hand that is already on your forehead. Place your other hand on the back of your neck, creating support for movement.
This way you stretch the anterior neck muscles that were involved in the exercise. It is important to perform this stretch without violence and without the slightest pain for 2-5 seconds.
EXERCISE 3. “SKY”
An attempt to look at the sky involves throwing back your head - this is the movement that is used.
Initial position- sitting straight on a chair. One hand is placed on the back of the head.
First phase isometric- try to throw your head back as if you want to look at the sky, while simultaneously resisting this movement with your hand.
The second phase - at the end you can slightly bend your neck. It is permissible to help this with the hand that lies on the back of the head.
This movement stretches the back muscles of the neck that were involved in the exercise. It is important to perform this stretch without violence and without the slightest pain for 2-5 seconds.
EXERCISE 4. “OH-OH”
When we groan, we often shake our heads from the is side. This movement is basic in this exercise.
Starting position - sitting straight on a chair. One hand is placed on the side of the head.
The first phase is isometric - try to tilt your head to the side while resisting the movement with your arm.
The exercise lasts 10-20 seconds without movement.
The second phase - at the end of the exercise, you can slightly “ooh”, that is, tilt your head to the side with the hand that rests on your head. The other hand is located on the side of the neck on the opposite side and creates support for movement.
This exercise stretches the lateral neck muscles that were involved in the movement. It is important to perform this stretch without violence and without the slightest pain for 2-5 seconds.
EXERCISE 5. “NO-NO”
An expression of disagreement is accompanied by a turn of the head - this is a basic movement.
Starting position - sitting straight on a chair. The mouth is closed and the teeth are tightly closed. The palm of one hand is placed on the cheek.
The first phase is isometric - try to turn your head to the side while resisting the rotation with your arm.
The exercise lasts 10-20 seconds without movement.
Second phase - at the end of the exercise, you can slightly turn your head to the side and slightly upward with the help of the hand that was lying on your cheek. The other hand simultaneously lies on the side of the head on the opposite side and helps rotation.
This movement at the end of the exercise stretches the neck muscles that are involved in rotation.
It is important to perform this stretch without violence and without the slightest pain for 2-5 seconds.
Repeat the exercise on the opposite side.
EXERCISE 6. “THE CAT LOOKS UP”
The exercise is designed to train the muscles of the back of the neck.
The first phase is isometric - smoothly raise your head up, look up. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds. This is the tension phase.
The second phase - smoothly lower your head down, it should hang freely.
This stretches the back of the neck muscles.
Perform the exercise for 15-30 seconds. This is the relaxation phase. Repeat the exercise 1-3 times.
EXERCISE 7. “THE CAT LOOKS TO THE WAY”
The exercise is intended to train the muscles of the back and side of the neck, the muscles of the cervical-occipital region.
Starting position - standing on all fours.
The first phase is isometric - smoothly raise your head up and at the same time turn it to the side, look up and to the side. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds. This is the tension phase.
Fig 16
Rice. 17
Figure 19. Voltage phase
The second phase - smoothly lower your head down, it should hang freely. This stretches the back of the neck muscles. Perform the exercise for 15-30 seconds. This is the relaxation phase.
Repeat the exercise with your head turned in the other direction.
The total number of repetitions is from 1 to 3 times.
EXERCISE 8. “SUNBANNING”
The exercise is designed to train the muscles of the anterior group of the neck.
Starting position - lying on the couch, a small cushion is placed under the lower back, the head is located behind the edge of the couch. The hands are located under the neck.
The first phase is isometric - tilt your neck and head slightly forward; in case of muscle weakness, you can easily help with your hands. This is the tension phase.
Rice. 22
rice. 24
This position should be held for 15-30 seconds.
The second phase is dynamic- lower your head smoothly, together with the arms that support it, to the level of the couch, then below the level of the couch to the lowest possible level - the head should hang freely and smoothly from the edge of the couch.
At the lowest point, the arms smoothly release the head and move freely to the side.
This is a phase of stretching or relaxing the muscles, its duration is 15-30 seconds.
Repeat the exercise 1-3 times.
