If you’re looking for herniated disc exercises that can help alleviate your pain in record time, you’ve come to the right place.
A good exercise program is a very important part of healing any disc condition (or back-related condition, for that matter), but it can be a little daunting because you don’t want to hurt yourself.
Because of this fear, the first thing I want you to know is that a good exercise program should NOT cause you more pain. You can expect to experience soreness, but this is one time where you don’t want to push yourself.
It can be very tricky to heal a herniated disc, and if you jump into these exercises too quickly, you could cause more damage rather than improvement.
So, what would be a good exercise routine?
Well, there are 3 types of exercises that should be done every day, and these exercises will help you whether your problem is in your neck, upper back, or lower back.
The first exercise I’ll teach you requires a therapy ball, which is one of those large balls they use in physical therapy clinics.
Basically, you just want to sit on the ball and gently bounce up and down for 4 – 5 minutes a day. The bounce should be so gentle that your buttock doesn’t come up off the ball at all.
What does this exercise do, you may wonder? It pumps each disc of the spine, which helps to pump out toxins that slow healing and at the same time, brings fresh oxygen and nutrients into the disc for faster healing.
Does this only help the low back? No – this exercise will pump every single disc in the spine, so even if your problem is in the neck, you can still benefit from this exercise.
The second exercise you want to do every day involves the use of a mini-trampoline (which can be found at any sports store). Simply march in place with your head looking forward and your arms to your side for 4 – 5 minutes a day.
This exercise will help to improve your balance, which is very important for maintaining a properly aligned spine. When you have proper alignment, it takes pressure off the discs and allows them to heal more quickly.
Once again, this exercise is helpful no matter where your problem is located within your back.
The final exercise that should be done every day is a good stretching routine. I’m not referring to a general routine you would do for working out – I’m referring to a specific routine for the part of your spine that is injured.
I’ll be giving you a resource for these stretches in just a minute.
Finally, you will also want to add strengthening exercises to your program for healing, but these should only be done 3 days per week.
You can learn more about the best stretches and strengthening exercises by clicking the following link (Herniated Disc Exercises).
Just remember that all of these exercises should not hurt – if they are, you’re pushing yourself too hard. Try doing them for less time, or less intensely.
What is a Herniated Disc?
The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones in the back (called vertebrae).
They are made up of a strong outer covering (called the Annulus) and a soft jelly center (called the Nucleus).
When a disc herniates, the outer covering tears for one reason or another and the jelly within the disc begins to shift out, creating a bulge in the disc. This is why this condition is also commonly referred to as a “Bulging Disc.”
The symptoms of a herniated disc can be tricky because they tend to bulge right where the nerves are exiting the spine. So, not only do you usually experience pain where the disc is injured (such as low back pain or neck pain), but the pain also tends to travel to wherever the affected nerve travels to.
They typical treatments recommended for this condition include medications (usually anti-inflammatories and pain-relievers), pain injections (epidurals and steroids), physical therapy, and surgery in the worst cases.
Alternatively, chiropractic, massage therapy, and accupuncture have also been found to be helpful with this condition.
