Kinesiotherapeutical Procedures for Degenerative Changes of The Cervical Spine : Undergraduate Thesis

Bol u području vrata i degenerativne promjene koje uzrokuju pojavu bolnih sindroma vratne kralježnice spadaju među najčešće bolesti u populaciji. Sjedilački način života, stres, izostanak tjelesne aktivnosti, nepravilan položaj glave i vrata prilikom obavljanja raznih fizičkih poslova, uz proces starenja, najvažniji su čimbenici koji uzrokuju razvoj degenerativnih promjena vratne kralježnice. Degenerativne promjene tj. patološki proces ponajprije zahvaća intervertebralni disk uzrokujući njegovu dehidraciju. Dehidracijom disk postaje neelastičan, smanjuje se njegova veličina i dolazi do većeg opterećenja na pokrovne plohe trupova kralježaka. Progresijom dolazi do pucanja vanjskog dijela prstena što uzrokuje prolaps ili protruziju diska različitog stupnja. To uzrokuje pojavu bolnih sindroma kralježnice. Cilj ovog rada je pobliže objasniti degenerativne promjene, a kasnije i bolne sindrome koji se javljaju u području vrata. S obzirom na to da promjene pogađaju i sve veći dio mlađe populacije, iznimno je važno poraditi na samoj prevenciji bolesti. Većina degenerativnih promjena nastaje zbog atrofije mišića i poremećaja stato-dinamičkih odnosa. Odgovarajuća tjelesna aktivnost ima važnu ulogu u prevenciji, a kasnije i rehabilitaciji. Tjelesna aktivnost trebala bi se provoditi u skladu s individualnim karakteristikama i dobi svake osobe.The pain in the neck region and the degenerative changes that cause painful syndromes in the neck spine are among the commonest diseases in the population. The sedentary lifestyle, stress, lack of physical activity, irregular head and neck position while performing various physical activities, alongside the aging process, make the most important factors that cause degenerative changes in the neck spine. The degenerativne changes, that is, the patological process, firstly effects the intervertebral disc, causing its dehydration. The dehydration makes the disc less elastic, decreases it size and causes larger loads on the vertebral body surfaces. Progression of this causes breaking of the outer part of the ring, that again causes prolapse or protrusion of the disc of various degrees. This causes painful syndromes of the spine. This paper aims to explaining the degenerative changes and subsequently also the painful syndromes appering in the neck region. Since these changes also affect an increasing part of the younger population, it is extremely important to deal with the very prevention of the diseas. Most part of the degenerative changes is caused by muscle atrophy and disorders of the stato-dynamic relations. An adequate physical activity plays a mayor role in the prevention, and subsequnetly also in rehabilitation. Physical activity should be performed adequately to each person’s individual characteristics and age