Cervical muscle training method for cervical vertigo

  Cervical vertigo is caused by cervical spondylosis, with vertigo as the main complaint, accompanied by complex clinical symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, head and neck pain, tinnitus, visual disturbance, sweating, palpitations, shoulder and back pain, flushing and numbness of upper limbs, and its manifestations can be in various combinations. It has been pointed out that about 50% of vertigo patients over 50 years old have cervical vertigo. Shi Dongping, Department of Spine Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said that the cervical region is the part of the spine with the greatest flexion, extension and rotation, and there are several groups of elastic and tough muscles and ligaments around the cervical spine, which play an important role in fixing and protecting the cervical spine. The physiological characteristics and function of the cervical spine require a high degree of flexibility and sufficient stability to protect important tissues such as the cervical medulla, nerves and vertebral arteries, and to allow a wide range of physiological activities in three-dimensional space. However, the supporting structures of the cervical spine are much less stable than those of the thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine; secondly, the cervical spine is the most mobile and active in daily work and life, and is therefore prone to injury, degeneration and instability; in addition, the cervical muscles and ligaments bear the brunt of various stresses in spinal trauma and are also prone to injury.  Based on the above physiological characteristics of cervical spine and a lot of clinical practice, we have observed that cervical vertigo mostly occurs when getting up, turning over, lowering the head, raising the head and other head and neck rotations or position changes, and it is easily attacked or aggravated after exertion, but can be reduced by rest or external fixation treatment with a cervical brace, so we have created two easy-to-use cervical muscle training methods and conducted cervical muscle instruction training for all patients with cervical vertigo in remission treated by our department. We also use our self-developed “cervical muscle measuring instrument” to quantify the changes of cervical muscle before and after the training, which has achieved good clinical efficacy. The cervical muscle training should be performed in one group in the morning and one group in the evening, and the number of each group should be unlimited, to the extent that the patient feels slightly tired in the neck, as shown in the figure. Figure 1: Specific cervical muscle training position The patient is sitting with the neck flexed 15 degrees, the jaw slightly tucked, and the head, neck and shoulders naturally relaxed. Figure 2: Resistance isometric cervical flexion training The patient gradually increases the cervical flexion force to the maximum degree to resist the resistance, keeping the “cervical muscle training specific position” unchanged for 5 seconds. The next repetition is performed at 2-second intervals. Figure 3: Resistance isometric cervical extensor training patient’s hands crossed fingers clasped in the back of the occipital area, and appropriate forward resistance is applied, while gradually increasing the posterior cervical extension force to the maximum degree, in order to maintain the “cervical muscle training specific position” without changing for 5 seconds for one time. The next repetition is performed at an interval of 2 seconds. Figure 4: Specific body position of palms and forearms during resistance isometric neck extension training neck muscle training requires that the palms of both hands be fixed in the back of the occiput and keep both forearms parallel.