Cervical osteochondrosis (neck pain) - how to train properly

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2016-12-20

This article is dedicated to everyone who occasionally experiences neck pain (not necessarily osteochondrosis). Often, there are several causes for such pain. But almost all share one of the main reasons – weak neck muscles that are unable to hold the cervical vertebrae in place. As a result, they occasionally dislocate, compressing the nerves and causing pain. In principle, there are not many restrictions and nuances in training for such pain, but they do exist. You must accomplish two tasks during your training:

1. Reduce the load directly on the cervical vertebrae.

2. Train the neck muscles (either directly and/or indirectly).

Reducing the Load

Loads on the cervical vertebrae can arise from (and do arise from) all exercises where the barbell rests on the shoulders:

So as you can see, there are only three exercises. Moreover, you can perform hyperextensions, but either without weight or with the weight on your chest, not behind your head.

The mechanism here is simple. Take, for example, squats with a barbell on the shoulders. At the top position, when you are simply standing with the barbell, it exerts pressure on the cervical vertebrae. However, when you squat, your back bends, and your head remains elevated. This is where the pressure on the vertebrae occurs. With bending and hyperextensions, this is even more pronounced.

This does not mean you should never do these exercises, but at least during periods of exacerbation, it is better to avoid them. However, after strengthening the neck muscles (which I will discuss below), you can perform these exercises without restrictions.

Training Neck Muscles

As I mentioned at the beginning, the neck can be trained directly and indirectly. During exacerbations (when there is pain), it is better to focus on indirect training methods. These include exercises such as:

Shrugs, in general. The thing is, this exercise trains the trapezius muscles located at the back of the head. The cervical vertebrae experience almost no load during this exercise. It doesn't matter if you do the exercise with dumbbells, a barbell, or on a machine. It is sufficient to perform this exercise twice a week at the end of your workouts for 3 sets of 12-20 repetitions.

Direct training involves exercises aimed directly at the neck muscles. These are more effective for the neck but can also load the vertebrae. Therefore, you should only do them when there is little to no pain. Such simple exercises include:

And other neck exercises that your imagination and equipment can suggest. It is also sufficient to perform these twice a week at the end of the training for 10-20 repetitions. At the same time, you should alternate between flexion and extension of the neck, meaning you should train both the front and back of the neck. Otherwise, if you only train the muscles on one side over time, it can lead to imbalances and complications.

Typically, two months of neck training is enough for pain and tension to significantly diminish, if not completely disappear.

Conclusions

1. If you experience pain and tension, remove exercises where the barbell rests on your shoulders from your workouts.

2. However, there is no need to eliminate them permanently. A few months of absence will suffice, until you strengthen your neck muscles.

3. Gradually strengthen your neck muscles. Start with indirect exercises and slowly (as the pain decreases) incorporate direct exercises.

4. Once the pain has completely resolved, use it as a preventive measure to train your neck once a week. This will be sufficient.