Therapeutic exercise for inguinal hernia in men

Physical exercises for inguinal hernia is one of the main ways to treat the disease, along with conservative therapy and surgery. The goals of exercises and gymnastics are the development of lost muscle tone and the restoration of the musculoskeletal system.

A little about hernia

Inguinal hernia is a disease that is characterized by pathological prolapse of the internal organs of the peritoneum through the inguinal canal. The hernial sac is a cavity in which the contents are located. The contents are most often thin and thick sections of the intestine, peritoneum, omentum. Due to anatomical features, the disease often develops in males, but such a hernia also occurs in women.

The reasons for the development of a hernia include:

• obesity;
• constant strong physical activity;
• existing diseases, where the leading symptoms are coughing, sneezing, constipation or increased gas formation.

All of these factors increase intra-abdominal pressure, which is the main cause of the formation of a protrusion.

Clinical picture

Pain syndrome is the leading sign of the presence of a hernia in the groin. So, pain sensations are aching, and during physical exertion - acute. Also, men, during a routine examination in the mirror, find a hard neoplasm in the groin area, which can change its size. General symptoms: heaviness in the groin, fatigue, loss of strength, irritability and sleep disturbance. Sometimes swelling is fixed in the groin and scrotum.

Indications for exercise

Therapeutic and preventive exercises are shown both to healthy people who have recently undergone surgery, and to patients whose hernia is in the acute stage.

Therapeutic exercise is recommended for people with the following conditions:

• weakness of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall;
• obesity at any stage of development;
• violation of local blood circulation, which is associated with a sedentary lifestyle;
• complete absence of even minimal physical activity;
• the period after the operation;
• congenital childhood defects and defects in children who have muscle weakness.

Contraindications to the course of physical exercises:

• complicated hernias with all the ensuing conditions: tissue ischemia, necrosis, fecal or elastic pinching;
• unsatisfactory condition of the patient: high body temperature, weakness, signs of intoxication of the body;
• gross diseases of the cardiovascular system and respiratory failure, performing exercises without supervision in this case can worsen or exacerbate existing diseases;
• severe pain in the body.

Tasks

A course or single exercise has several goals:

1. Relaxation of muscles throughout the body, especially in the groin area . Restoration of muscle tone.
2. Resumption of disturbed blood flow due to clamping by a hernia of blood vessels . Improving the supply of nutrients to tissues.
3. Restoration of lymph flow.
4. Removal of pain and pain in general.

Gymnastics with inguinal hernia

Before embarking on physical exercises, it is necessary to pay attention to several rules that allow you to maximize the full potential of the exercises and in the future produce the best effect on the patient's body.

There are only a few such rules:

1. It is important to start the course with small loads. Each workout should begin with a simple warm-up that allows you to warm up the muscles and stretch the ligaments. The load should be increased gradually.
2. If discomfort and pain appear, you need to stop exercising and inform your doctor or rehabilitation doctor about it . This is important: in the future, the specialist modifies the program, which will be convenient for the patient himself.
3. It may happen that a course of exercises can be well tolerated, but some exercises are not given . In such a situation, you can refuse specific exercises, but do not leave the course.

The course of physical exercises for inguinal hernia in men involves emphasis on such muscles: the rectus abdominis, oblique and external muscles, as well as the muscles of the inguinal region. For the proper effect, the patient needs to practice from three to five hours a week. It is important to perform the exercises regularly, without missing the set workouts.

Before training, it is recommended to acquire some attributes: a ball, an elastic bandage and dumbbells.

Complex for strengthening the muscles of the abdominal wall

The complex itself consists of a number of exercises:

1. The patient takes a lying position, stretches his arms along the body and straightens his legs. After that, he puts a small bag of sand on his stomach. Next, the patient, while inhaling, strains the abdominal muscles and slowly exhales.
2. The exercise is performed on the stomach. It is necessary to create support on bent elbows and feet. On inspiration, the patient slowly raises the pelvis, holds it above the floor for 10 seconds, then returns to its original position.
3. Position - lying down, arms along the body, legs at the knee joints raised to 45 degrees. After taking the position, the patient alternately crosses his legs, imitating scissors.
4. Position - lying on the back. A ball is clamped between the legs, which is held by the feet. Then this ball rises and stays above the floor for 10 seconds, after which it falls back to the floor.
5. This exercise is performed on a chair, sitting facing its back. The patient makes a slow tilt to the left, holds in this position for up to 10 seconds and returns to its original state. Then the same turn to the right is made.
6. The report is on a chair, resting your hands on its back. It is necessary to raise the pelvis, resting on the socks. In this state, you need to hold out for 10 seconds and return to the starting position.

Such exercises should be performed by a person who underwent an operation a month later.

There are also exercises that should be performed after the operation period:

1. In a pose lying on your back, you need to alternately stretch your foot to the opposite elbow, making twisting;
2. Lying: raise the outstretched leg, make a few circular movements with it (draw a circle), then change the leg and do the same.
3. Lying down: "cycling". With proper strength, the legs can be lowered lower to the surface.
4. Position - sitting on the buttocks. The patient needs to tighten the abdominal muscles, hold the air in the lungs, and gradually relax them while exhaling slowly.

When performing such exercises, the patient should monitor his breathing: its rhythm and frequency. It is important to perform loads slowly, while trying to feel every tense muscle. At the beginning of the rehabilitation course, exercises should be performed three to five times, increasing the number of their approaches over time.

Prevention of inguinal hernia

Preventive measures of inguinal hernias are divided into two types: primary and secondary. In the first case, exercises reduce the likelihood of developing hernia pathology in healthy people, in the second case, exercises help prevent re-protrusion in the postoperative period.

General recommendations for the prevention of inguinal hernia in men

To reduce the risk of developing a hernia in the near future and in the future, it is recommended to adhere to two requirements:

1. Normalize intra-abdominal pressure. To do this, it is necessary to limit physical activity at work, treat coughs and sneezes, and prevent constipation.
2. Strengthen the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and groin . The implementation of this recommendation will strengthen the local muscles, which will not allow the internal organs to go beyond the inguinal canal.

When performing exercises, the patient must remember that the load must be dosed, do not make sudden movements without a previous warm-up, do not perform exercises that do not correspond to the level of physical development.

Diet is an important part of any prevention. Foods that are high in dietary fiber should be added to the diet: fresh vegetables, fruits. In the presence of constipation, it is recommended to use laxatives.

Conclusion

Therapeutic exercise, like the main treatment, produces a significant therapeutic effect: it strengthens the abdominal muscles, restores the mobility of the musculoskeletal system, and regulates the local and general blood flow of the body. For a proper result, the patient is advised to follow simple rules. It is recommended to exercise regularly. With proper return of physical exercises, you can completely cure the signs of inguinal hernia in men.