Therapeutic exercises for vegetative-vascular dystonia for home

Drug therapy for vegetative-vascular dystonia is ineffective because autonomic dysfunction occurs for various reasons and is manifested by many symptoms.

At the Yusupov Hospital, neurologists stop an attack of VSD with the help of individually selected medications. Therapy for vegetative-vascular dystonia begins with non-drug treatment methods. Treatment of VSD is carried out using modern physiotherapeutic procedures. After the vegetative crisis subsides, VSD can be treated with Almag. This is a magnetotherapy device that operates with a traveling pulsed magnetic field. It helps normalize the functions of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. At home, it is permissible to use aromatherapy for vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Why is breathing exercise useful for VSD?

Autonomic vascular dystonia is a functional disorder in which the structure of the organ does not suffer, but only the regulation of its work is disrupted. This condition is provoked by stress, mental stress, increased physical or emotional stress.

Translated from Latin, “vegeto” means excitement. During attacks of VSD, “vascular excitation” occurs: blood pressure rises and falls, a feeling of lack of air appears, the heartbeat quickens, and dizziness occurs. Various fears (panic attacks) are also characteristic, ranging from the fear of death to the fear of speaking (also known as glossophobia).

It is during such attacks that breathing exercises are of great importance. It allows you to find the correct breathing rhythm so that the blood is saturated with oxygen, the feeling of shortness of breath disappears, and the heart begins to beat more slowly. Also, respiratory exercises help to distract from worries and fears - and the attack gradually passes.

Why do you need breathing exercises?

Performing a set of breathing exercises for VSD is necessary to solve several problems:

Stabilization of heart function;
Restoring the rhythm of breathing;
Suppressing anxiety and fear;
Normalization of blood pressure;
Blood oxygen saturation;
Stopping dizziness;
Increasing the tone and endurance of the body.

Classes do not have to be carried out only during a panic attack. During the interictal period, they have a preventive value and make the nervous system more resistant to stress.

Exercise at home

You can successfully perform therapeutic physical exercises at home. It is useful to do physical exercises in the morning and evening, but training can be done at home at any time convenient for the patient. There is exercise that is recommended to be done daily, without various devices, in a familiar home environment.

What kind of physical exercises are these:

Stand straight, lower your arms along your body, inhale deeply, extend your left arm in front of you, and extend your right arm back. Exhale and take the starting position. Do the exercises 10 times, changing hands in turn;
Place your hands on your shoulders, place your feet shoulder-width apart, and straighten your back. Slowly roll your shoulders, remembering to breathe deeply;
Bring your palms together at chest level, pressing them tightly together, bend your elbows. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower your hands down. Repeat the physical exercise at least 10 times;
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your waist. Raise your left hand up, then extend it in front of you, making rotating movements with it. Repeat the same with your right hand. Do physical exercise 10 times;
Tilt your head forward and slowly move it in turn in different directions;
Stand up straight, put your hands on your waist, and take turns leaning forward and backward;
Stretch your arms in front of you and make a movement with them, as if cutting with scissors;
Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward. Raise your arms and legs at the same time, imagining a boat;
Do a swallow while standing; to do this, move one leg back. Spread your arms out to the sides and lean forward. At the same time, try to raise your extended leg as high as possible;
Lie on your back, performing rotational actions with your legs raised, pretending to ride a bicycle;
Putting your hands on your waist while standing, bend in different directions, then perform pelvic rotation;
Do push-ups on the floor at least 10 times;
Do squats with your arms extended in front of you.

By performing a complex of exercise therapy every day, you can successfully fight all types of VSD. Regular physical exercise for VSD is the main weapon in the fight against the disease, since thanks to a set of exercises you can completely defeat this pathology.

Breathing exercises

In everyday life, we rarely pay attention to how we breathe. But proper breathing is a whole science that requires special study and long-term training. In order for breathing movements to become as effective as possible, it is necessary to master the techniques of diaphragmatic, abdominal, thoracic, deep and shallow breathing.

Breathing and vegetative-vascular dystonia

The appearance of shortness of breath during an attack of VSD is not a sign of a disease of the respiratory system, but only an inadequate reaction of the nervous system to a mental stimulus. Nevertheless, for the patient this condition is extremely unpleasant: he develops a feeling of inadequacy of inhalation and a fear of death.

Note!
If the attack is truly caused by VSD, and all examinations of the heart and lungs do not reveal pathology, then a person has no real risk of dying during a panic attack. Loss of consciousness may occur due to fluctuations in blood pressure or vasospasm. But the mechanisms of breathing regulation work automatically in the body, so it is impossible to suffocate in such a situation.

The most important thing that a patient with VSD must learn is to calm down on his own. And measured breathing helps him with this. It distracts from groundless worries and fears, saturates the blood with a large amount of oxygen, sufficient for the feeling of lack of air to pass.

Basics of proper breathing

Before you start practicing, you need to learn the basic principles of proper breathing:

You should start breathing exercises with a small number of repetitions (about three), gradually increasing them (up to 8-10).
It is advisable to exercise three times a day before meals.
If the exercise involves physical activity, then you need to move smoothly, without jerking movements.
Full concentration on your own feelings is important. Make sure you are not distracted by external stimuli.

Important!
If during class you feel dizzy, light-headed, or have darkness in your eyes, then the workout should be suspended until you feel normal, and then slow down a little.

Tips for proper breathing

Breathing movements should be measured and rhythmic.
Most gymnastic elements involve inhaling through the nose - this way the air is better purified and warmed. Exhalation can be done both through the nose and through the mouth.
When breathing, try to use not only your chest, but also your stomach. First, air fills the upper and middle parts of the lungs, expanding the ribs, and then enters the lower sections, the diaphragm lowers, and the abdominal wall protrudes.
All bending, relaxing, squatting, lowering the arms are accompanied by exhalation, straightening, raising the limbs - by inhaling.

Basic exercises

We list the basic exercises that you need to master first:

We breathe rhythmically, at a comfortable pace. Then we inhale alternately with the right and then with the left half of the nose, blocking the second. We exhale through our mouth.
As you inhale, inflate your stomach, and as you exhale, draw it in. For convenience, you can put one palm on your chest, the other on your abs, and thus control their movements.
Now we breathe only through the chest, without using the stomach in any way.

Breathing exercises

The breathing exercises proposed by different authors are quite heterogeneous. We have selected the most effective ones. Some are designed to relieve panic attacks, while others are suitable for daily use.

Exercise by Dr. Kurpatov

Dr. Kurpatov points out that the feeling of fear is formed during the pause between inhalation and exhalation. Accordingly, first of all, this pause needs to be shortened. He proposed his own exercise to regulate breathing during a panic attack with vegetative-vascular dystonia.

First, we sequentially inhale air, hold our breath and exhale. Each stage should last 5 seconds. The inhalation retains this duration, but the pause gradually shortens, “giving” its seconds to the exhalation. That is, in the next respiratory cycle, inhalation lasts 5 seconds, pause – 4 seconds, exhalation – 6 seconds, then: inhalation – 5 seconds, pause – 3 seconds, exhalation – 7 seconds. etc. As a result, there is no pause at all between inhalation and exhalation, and exhalation is extended to 10 seconds.

Sound exercise

A slow, deep breath is taken for seven seconds, then the air is released through the mouth with a drawn-out sound “eeee”, “aaa”, “oooh”. You can also draw out the consonant sounds “shshsh”, “xxx”, “mmm”. They are more effective for training the lungs.

If you do the exercise during an attack, you may not be able to speak clearly. If instead of clear sounds you get sobs and sobs, do not try to suppress them. They help relax the diaphragm and relieve muscle block.

Static classes

These are exercises that only involve breathing in a certain rhythm. The body and limbs are in an arbitrary relaxed state: lying down, sitting on the floor or on a chair.

Exercise "Steps"

First, completely exhale the air from your lungs. Then inhale it in small portions, pausing for two seconds after each short inhalation. Now also exhale gradually. As you exhale, you can make a short “hmm” sound. This exercise is perfect during the interictal period to activate the body if you are worried about lethargy, general weakness, and apathy.

Exercise "Flower"

Imagine that you want to smell a fragrant flower and inhale deeply through your nose. Exhale freely. You can gradually speed up the pace, but do not overdo it: with frequent deep breathing there is a risk of developing hyperventilation and dizziness.

Classes with elements of dynamics

The following exercises involve physical activity and a certain body position while performing breathing exercises.

Exercise "Blacksmith's bellows"

At a fast pace, perform 30 sharp exhalations through the nose, while sharply drawing in the abdominal muscles. At the same time, the hands perform “blows” with their fists in the air. You can jump in time with your breathing movements.

Exercise "Pacification"

Suitable for suppressing aggression. Raise your straight arms up as you inhale, and as you exhale, sharply bend them at the elbows, hitting yourself on the front surface of the chest.

From yoga gymnastics

In Eastern practices, breathing techniques are designated by the term “Pranayana”, which implies inhaling prana - vital energy - along with air. To perform it correctly, you need to sit in the lotus position. If this is a difficult task for you, you can simply cross your legs “Turkish style”.

Keeping your back and head straight, we inhale slowly, feeling how the air consistently fills the tops of the lungs, the entire chest and lower sections, pushing back the diaphragm. At the height of inhalation, pause for a couple of seconds, and then slowly exhale. Allow 5-10 minutes for this task.

Exercise "Crane"

It also comes to us from yoga. Lie on your back with your legs straight up. As you exhale, bring them closer to your head, and as you inhale, bring them back. The inhalation should be 2 times shorter than the exhalation.

Exercises for self-study

Similar gymnastics can be performed at home:

We stand straight. Feet shoulder width apart. Place your left hand on your left thigh and extend your right hand forward. With an outstretched arm, you need to slowly describe 3-4 full circles, starting to move your hand up. Then we repeat the circles with the second hand.
We stand straight. Hands down. Feet shoulder width apart. As you inhale, move your right hand forward and up, and at the same time move your left hand back. We bend our back slightly. As you exhale, lower your arms. The exercise must be repeated 5 times (we change hands).
You need to stand straight. Place your hands with your palms in front of you. We press our palms on each other, after 10-15 seconds. we lower them. Shake your hands and do 5 repetitions.
We stand straight, stretch our arms forward. With a little effort, we clench our palms into fists. Now you need to swing your arms up and down like scissors. After 30-40 seconds. We lower our hands, relax and shake.
Wall push-ups. You need to perform no more than 7 repetitions. Make sure all muscles are tense. Stay in this position for 5-7 seconds.
Circular rotations of the shoulders. As you inhale, we raise them, move them in a circle, and as we exhale, lower them. Do 2-3 minutes.
Turn the torso to the sides. At the same time, we spread our hands or place our palms on our hips. Duration – 2 min.
We stand straight, slowly slowly tilt our heads to the right, then to the left. We return to the original position. “Rolling” must be repeated 5 times.
The stance is straight, hands are on the shoulders. We raise our shoulders up and back, then slowly lower them down, describing a circle. We return to the starting position. Repeat 5 times.
Feet shoulder-width apart, arms bent at the elbows. We turn the body alternately, first to the left, then to the right. In this case, you need to extend the opposite arm forward. 5 reps on each side.
We stand on our left leg, bending our right leg slightly at the knee. Rotate your foot in each direction alternately so that you get the fullest possible circle. Then we change the leg and do the same for 5 approaches.
We stand on our left leg and bend our right knee at an angle of 90 degrees. We move the bent leg to the side as long as possible, and then lightly spring it. We change the leg and repeat the exercise again. Repeat 5 times.
Straight stand, hands on the belt. Raise the left leg bent at the knee, then straighten it so that it is parallel to the floor. Then we change the leg and repeat the same thing. We repeat the exercise with each leg at least 5 times.

Playing sports

Often people do not differentiate between the concepts of “sport” and “physical therapy”. However, the difference between them is significant. Exercise therapy involves light health-improving physical activity that even a sick person can handle. They are primarily necessary for the body’s adaptation to external conditions.

Professional sport is aimed at achieving certain results in competitions. Intense muscle work occurs, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are also subject to significant stress. Therefore, you can fearlessly engage in sports only against the backdrop of good health.

Is it possible to play sports with VSD?

In fact, vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a direct contraindication to sports activities. In part, they will even be beneficial: the resistance of all body systems to stress will increase, blood vessels will begin to react less acutely to changes in external conditions, and a person will feel better. However, playing sports against the background of VSD can also have negative consequences:

Excessive loads can cause adaptation failure;
When engaging in traumatic sports against the background of a suddenly developed attack of VSD, there is a risk of harming one’s own health;
When participating in competitions, excitement and anxiety appear, which can aggravate the symptoms of VSD;
In team sports, responsibility for the entire team appears, and increased nervous tension can also lead to an exacerbation of the disease.

Therefore, in each case, this issue is resolved individually and only after consulting a specialist.

What sports help with VSD?

Usually, non-professional sports are allowed when there is no longer a need to participate in competitions and chase records. Most useful for VSD:

Running, race walking;
Swimming;
Team dynamic games;
A ride on the bicycle;
Skiing and ice skating.

But it is better to refuse weightlifting and training according to the Tabata system. Remember that each body has its own load limit, and do not overdo it during exercise.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a condition that is difficult to correct with medication. The most effective are often psychotherapy and various techniques that develop self-discipline and the ability to quickly calm down. That is why breathing exercises for VSD can achieve a significant effect with regular training.

Is exercise therapy indicated for VSD?

As already noted, VSD is primarily considered a neurological disease, although it manifests itself with a wide variety of somatic symptoms. Therefore, drug treatment in this case can only maintain the condition of the body, reducing the manifestations of the disease. However, it does not eliminate the cause, therefore, it is not 100% effective.
On the other hand, correctly calculated and dosed physical activity can significantly improve both the general condition of the patient and influence the centers of nervous regulation in the cerebral cortex. Thus, by improving their relationship, normalized sports activities eliminate the cause of the pathology. Therefore, most doctors support the use of therapeutic exercises for vegetative-vascular dystonia.

However, when performing procedures, certain rules must be followed. A set of exercises should be selected only by a specialist and start with light loads that increase gradually. It is advisable to do exercises outside, accompanied by pleasant music, which further improves the condition of the nervous system.

It is advisable to use a variety of exercises and not limit yourself to any particular sport. It is very important to exercise regularly, at least once a day. Long breaks only drive the body into stress. The best time for gymnastics for vegetative-vascular dystonia is the morning.

You should start your classes with a warm-up and end with stretching. It is necessary to perform all movements smoothly, without sudden jerks, while controlling your breathing.