How to do yoga with a herniated spine

Certain yoga asanas, when performed correctly, affect the diseased back, which makes it possible to classify this practice as useful for spinal pathologies. A disc herniation occurs more often as a result of little physical activity, because the lack of movement of individual vertebrae leads to stagnant processes, malnutrition of the disc, and as a result, to a hernia. This pathology is preceded by osteochondrosis, which is characterized by dystrophic-inflammatory processes.

At any stage of the disease, the intervertebral discs need to move, so yoga is recommended by doctors for the treatment of spinal hernia, even if you have not had to perform such exercises before.

Comprehensive treatment of intervertebral hernia begins with an examination of the body. Yoga has contraindications, and therefore it is important to make sure that the spine is ready to perform various asanas.

Yoga for back health

Yoga with intervertebral hernia is necessary and safe. All poses carry a uniform load, exclude sudden movements and accidental injury. Some asanas are not available without special training, they are technically difficult and require a certain physique, but they are all allowed for a herniated disc. An exception will be twisting exercises, their safety should be further clarified with the attending physician.

Important rules for practicing yoga in diseases of the spinal column:

• the body needs to gradually get used to the loads, therefore the first lesson will include the simplest poses that are performed for a short time;
• painful sensations should not be allowed, and if some movement is difficult, you need to postpone it and return to execution after feeling better;
• exercises must be performed daily;
• each complex ends with asana Shavasana;
• performing each movement, you should be aware of how it is useful for a sore back, and which muscles are involved.

You can do yoga at any time, but the desire for this is not enough. It is important to find an experienced specialist who will not only tell why the body needs this practice, but also show how to perform this or that asana.

A set of exercises should be selected taking into account the disease, its stage, and general health. There are separate useful asanas for pathology in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar back.

Exercises for beginners

The easiest exercise to start with is to raise your arms and clasp them into the lock when the body is relaxed and the legs are shoulder-width apart. In this position, you need to stand for at least two minutes, keeping your breathing calm and even. Then this exercise is complemented by smooth and slow torso forward, but only so that the back maintains one position.

 

For those who are just getting acquainted with this practice, the following asanas are recommended:

1. Uttana Tadasana. Slowly raise your arms above your head, fold your palms. While inhaling, stretch the body up without lifting the heels from the floor. As you exhale, lower your arms, straightening to the sides.
2. Balasana . Sitting on your knees, wrap your legs around the pillow. As you exhale, go down, lying on it. Relax, breathe evenly, maintain the position for a minute. Slowly return to starting position.
3. Tadasana . Feet shoulder-width apart, stomach retracted, arms relaxed. On exhalation, the spine is stretched as much as possible without moving the arms or legs. Exhaling slowly, return to the original position.

Benefits of yoga for hernia

Yoga and other practices won't cure a herniated disc, but their health benefits can't be overestimated. An important condition for the positive effect of exercises on the spine will be proper breathing. Many experts recommend first of all mastering breathing exercises, learning how to control breathing, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, without being distracted by irritating factors.

Breathing should be smooth, and the chest, diaphragm and abdominal cavity are simultaneously involved in the process.

Proper inhalation and exhalation lead to muscle relaxation, which ensures the correct distribution of the load and the maximum benefit from the exercises. If breathing is intermittent, with frequent stops, fast, this will not contribute to the correct performance of asanas, because it is important to achieve a meditative state.

With a herniated disc, not only the spine suffers, the disease affects the general physical and psycho-emotional state, therefore yoga is considered as a general strengthening practice.

So what is yoga useful for a hernia of the spine:

• asanas help to “hear” your body, to feel those areas that need attention in terms of recovery;
• yoga teaches you to control your body, notice changes that indicate health problems;
• practice allows you to successfully and without harm to cope with stressful situations, which ensures the ability to breathe correctly and listen to sensations;
• mood improves, outlook on many everyday things that could aggravate the disease changes;
• the natural muscle corset is strengthened, which is extremely important for a hernia to distribute the load on all back muscles;
• blood pressure returns to normal, blood flow improves and the removal of toxic substances from the body is accelerated;
• muscle tone increases, blood circulation improves in the diseased back, which at the same time has a good effect on the condition of the skin.

This practice as a teaching excludes bad habits, implies a healthy diet and self-acceptance. But even without delving into the philosophy of yoga, you can take from it a lot of useful things for the overall health of the body.

Hernia in the cervical region

Exercises for disc pathology in the cervical spine:

1. In the position lying on the left side, put an outstretched hand under the head, with the other hand lean on the floor in front of the chest, raise the head, linger in this position for 10 seconds, repeat on the right side.
2. In a sitting position on a chair, put your palm to your forehead, tilt your head forward, resisting with your hand.
3. Repeat the previous exercise, but with your palm to your temple, and tilting your head to the sides.

Hernia in the chest

Exercises for disc pathology in the thoracic spine:

1. Get on your knees and sit on your heels. As you exhale, tilt your torso forward, stretching your arms above your head, and touching your forehead to the floor. Stay in this position for a minute. This asana helps to relax the muscles in the thoracic region of the back.
2. Sit on a chair, raise your straight arms above your head. Slowly lower the body back, stretching the spine to lean closely against the back.
3. Sit on the floor, straighten your spine. Clasp your hands behind your back, bringing your shoulder blades together. Stay in one position for a minute.

Hernia in the lumbar

Exercises for disc pathology in the lumbar spine:

1. Sit down, rest on the floor with your fingers and foot. Slowly rise, stretching your back and pelvis, without taking your hands off, transferring the main weight to your heels. Straighten your legs, raise your arms and cross over your head.
2. Lie on your back. Raise your legs as you inhale, and slowly spread them apart as you exhale.
3. Lie on the floor, try to relax all the muscles as much as possible, lie in this position for several minutes without moving.

Contraindications and precautions

The exercises of this practice are harmless, but before starting classes, it is important to make sure whether it is possible to practice yoga with a hernia of the spine, taking into account the individual characteristics of the course of the pathology. In some cases, the disease is a contraindication for any physical activity, then asanas can do harm. Only the attending physician, who sees x-rays and knows the medical history, will help to deal with this.

Yoga has relative contraindications:

• postoperative period (first 2 months);
• inguinal hernia;
• exacerbation of any systemic disease;
• pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• severe displacement of the intervertebral disc;
• increased arterial and intracranial pressure;
• infectious diseases;
• mental disorders;
• fever, cold.

Regarding the period of pregnancy, it is possible and useful for women to practice yoga, but it is better to stop classes from the third trimester.

It is unacceptable to practice yoga when there are complications. They will be indicated by severe soreness, limitation of movements, malaise, migraine, pallor of the skin and many other symptoms, depending on the damaged area.

Features of performing exercises for disc herniation:

• during the period of a pronounced pain syndrome, classes are stopped, this also applies to the moment when severe pain appears during the asana;
• you can not do twisting movements, and those that require arching and rounding of the spine;
• it is not recommended to do asanas after taking painkillers, so as not to make movements that provoke discomfort and can harm.

Each contraindication is relative, and permission to exercise is given by the doctor. It is also important to remember that yoga should bring pleasure and relaxation, and if you force yourself to perform asanas, it will be ineffective. It may also be that almost any yogic posture is difficult and causes discomfort, then you will have to give up classes. But such a reaction of the body to exercises should alert, perhaps this is a sign of a complication of a hernia, then you need to immediately be examined and undergo a course of treatment.