Therapeutic exercise for a hernia of the lumbar spine

Exercise therapy for a hernia of the lumbar spine is an individually selected set of exercises that helps the patient cope with the unpleasant manifestations of this insidious disease. The protrusion of the intervertebral disc occurs more often in the lumbar region and the sacrum, those areas that have the greatest load.

It is impossible to get rid of a hernia without surgery, but surgical intervention does not give any guarantee, therefore, it remains to direct forces to preserve the condition of the disk and the entire spine without aggravating the pathological process.

Therapeutic exercise for a hernia of the lumbar spine is always prescribed, but at different periods of the disease.

If the pathology is at an advanced stage, and surgery is indispensable, this will be the only case when physical methods of treatment will be useless and even dangerous. In other cases, a set of exercises is useful both before and after removal of a hernia of the lumbar spine.

Gymnastics in the pathology of the lumbar can be considered as a method of treatment and prevention. In the first case, we are talking about strengthening the muscular corset and increasing the space between the vertebrae due to individual movements. Prevention consists in regular relaxation and toning of the muscles, which prevents soreness and stiffness.

Physical activity for a herniated disc

With an intervertebral hernia of the lumbar there is a risk of pinching and inflammation of the nerve, which will lead to severe pain and dysfunction of the pelvic organs. The most severe consequence of the disease will be disability, when the patient loses the ability to self-service due to paralysis of the limbs.

It is possible to avoid such consequences, and exercise therapy for the spine is an important step in maintaining back health.

You can do physical education in the gym, special rehabilitation centers and at home. Efficiency, of course, will depend on the location and the availability of additional devices, but even without simulators, you can pick up an effective complex that can be easily performed at home.

Before you start exercising, it is important to undergo an examination. The diagnosis of a hernia is often combined with other pathologies, and they will also require treatment. Displacement of the disc in the lumbar or sacral spine may be the result of trauma, and then surgical treatment is already considered. When there is a need for an operation, it should by no means be ignored, and exercise therapy will already become part of the postoperative rehabilitation.

Physical activity with a hernia is useful, but not all. If the medical complex is selected by the doctor, taking into account the course of the pathology and the characteristics of the body, then independent exercises in the gym do not guarantee the correct distribution of the load, and this can be harmful.

With a disc pathology in the lumbar region, it is unacceptable to lift weights, carry heavy weights on the shoulders and engage in power sports.

Weakened vertebrae need to move, and it is not desirable to sit for a long time if the disc is displaced. This posture is detrimental even to a healthy spine, and many diseases are associated with prolonged sitting. With a hernia, it is undesirable to jump, land on your heels when running and walking, and travel for a long time in vehicles on uneven roads.

Exercise therapy - benefit or harm

When it comes to chronic diseases, each treatment method is considered from two sides - potential benefits and harms. A hernia of the spine requires lifelong treatment, therefore, drug therapy and various physiotherapeutic methods must be dosed, otherwise the consequences of their long-term effect on the body will have to be eliminated. Therapeutic exercise affects the entire body, strengthening muscles, normalizing blood circulation, increasing immunity and improving the psycho-emotional state.

But there is also a downside to training, associated with the wrong choice of exercises and the inability to perform them with benefit.

The wrong approach to physical education can be harmful, and the risk concerns accidental injury, muscle strain, bruising, sudden traumatic movements. To minimize potential harm, it is important to start classes with a specialist. Many experienced traumatologists have developed their own training programs and teach them to their patients. This approach to treatment for lumbar hernia will be the most effective and safe.

Why exercise exercise therapy is needed for a hernia in the lumbar spine:

an individual treatment complex has a beneficial effect on the entire body, reserve forces are activated, the spine recovers faster, at the same time, the process of disk destruction is suspended, which is ensured by the beneficial movement of the joints;
microcirculation in the diseased part of the back improves, stagnant processes go away, lymph flow normalizes, excretion of toxic substances accelerates;
the space between the vertebrae increases, and this reduces the pressure of the hernia on the nerve roots and spinal cord;
muscles relax, spasm goes away, which removes stiffness of movements and soreness;
muscles are strengthened, a natural muscular corset is formed, which provides support for the spine.

Classes will be harmful during the period of exacerbation of the disease, when inflammation occurs, severe pain and spasms disturb. In this state, you can not engage, and it is important to ensure peace of the back. Medicines for oral and external application will be used for pain relief. And even when the back is anesthetized, you can not start classes until the inflammation subsides completely and the symptoms calm down.

Indications and restrictions

Therapeutic exercise is indicated for degenerative pathologies of the spine during remission. Exercise therapy after removal of the intervertebral hernia is prescribed after 2-8 weeks, depending on the technique of the operation and the patient's condition after surgery.

Intervertebral hernia is an indication for the appointment of physiotherapy exercises. After diagnosing the pathology, the doctor will recommend contacting a specialist to select an individual training program. A competent trainer will also require pictures and test results to take into account all the nuances of the state of health and select the most effective complex.

A temporary restriction to the beginning of training will be a period of exacerbation of the disease.

There are also absolute contraindications to physical education:

heart or respiratory failure;
malignant neoplasms;
paralysis of the legs;
hemophilia;
suffered a stroke.

Exercise therapy rules for spinal pathology

The important rules for physical education with an intervertebral hernia:

You need to perform a set of exercises daily, alternating the load on different muscle groups, it would be even better to divide the complex into several approaches.
The appearance of slight fatigue is a sign that the lesson needs to be stopped, overwork should not be allowed.
The time of classes and the load increase gradually every day, and if you had to interrupt the course for a while, you need to start again with light exercises.
Any sudden movements, tilts, jumps are excluded.
According to the indications, you need to practice in a special bandage.

During each exercise, you need to monitor your well-being. When there is pain, the session stops. In this case, it is recommended to anesthetize the back with a cooling gel or anti-inflammatory ointment, and it is better to refuse tablets. If the pain does not subside, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe medications and prescribe procedures to alleviate the condition.

You need to start classes with a warm-up. These are head turns, torso tilts, rotation of the legs and arms in the joints.

Several times a week it is recommended to visit the pool, and perform exercises under water. This option will be the most gentle. Water softens movements, reducing the load on the spine. Normal swimming on the back is also useful, but it is permissible to swim no more than 200 meters at a time.

Dikul's exercises

Valentin Dikul developed a set of exercises for hernia after he himself was able to get rid of this serious disease. His course consists of three stages. The first two are preparatory, the third is the main one, aimed directly at combating disc protrusion.

Examples of exercises according to the Dikul :

Lying on your back, raise your legs to your stomach, bending them at the knees.
Standing, take one end of the bandage with your hand, press the other with your foot. Make tilts of the body in the opposite direction from the bandage.
Lying on your back, pull your legs to your chest, at the same time I raise my head and shoulders.
Lying on your back, raise the pelvis, turning the thigh to the side, repeat alternately with each leg.

Bubnovsky's method

Dr. Bubnovsky is known as the author of the book " Osteochondrosis is not a sentence !". He has a long-term practice of researching spinal pathologies, and based on his observations he created a unique training program for herniated discs. The doctor himself calls his technique adaptive gymnastics.

At the exercise from Dr. Bubnovsky:

On the back, legs bent, arms crossed behind the head. It is necessary to reach with the elbow to the knee, without lifting the pelvis from the floor.
On knees. Try to bend your back up and down as much as possible.
On the back, legs bent. Raise the pelvis, holding in this position for 10-15 seconds.

Effective complex

Useful exercises to do at home:

Lying on your back, arms and legs are straight. Raise the body, lingering in one position for 5 seconds. Repeat up to 10 times.
Lying on your back, left leg bent, right hand on the knee. Pull your leg to your stomach with your hand, offering resistance. Repeat with each leg 10 times.
Lying on your back, legs bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Lying on your back, arms straight along the body, legs slightly bent at the knees. Stretch your arms in front of you, raising your shoulders, keeping one position for 10 seconds. After relaxing the muscles, repeat again, and so on 5-7 times.
Sitting on your feet, hands on the floor in front of you. Arch your back at the waist, stretching your arms forward.

With disc pathology in the lumbar region, it is recommended to train the abdominal muscles, hang on the horizontal bar, exercise with dumbbells and on an exercise bike. When visiting a gym, it is better to enlist the support of a trainer who will be aware of the problem and create an individual program.

Exercise therapy during exacerbation

During an exacerbation of the disease, the standard complex is contraindicated. When the back hurts, muscle relaxation exercises are suitable. It will be useful to perform some yoga asanas.

One of them is the "corpse pose" - lying on your back, you need to relax your muscles as much as possible and stay in this state for as long as possible. It is also safe to “child pose” - kneel, put a pillow between them, sit on your feet, then lower yourself onto the pillow, stretching your arms forward.

When exercise is dangerous

The medical complex can harm in such conditions:

a recent spinal injury;
colds, flu, infectious diseases;
nausea and general malaise;
pinching and inflammation of the nerve.

Therapeutic exercise is the only method of treatment without adverse reactions, which is why it is recommended for all patients without exception.

Exercise therapy directly affects the cause of the disease - muscle weakness, and this is an equally important reason to include the complex in the treatment of spinal pathologies. Only by strengthening the muscular corset, it is possible to exclude a recurrence of the disease after surgery and its exacerbation in the case of conservative treatment.

The need for surgery

It is unacceptable to use non-surgical methods when the patient's condition is severe and there are indications for surgery. Removal of a hernia is performed in case of sequestration, when at any time a part of a disc that has broken off can damage the nerve root and spinal cord. An absolute indication for surgery will be pain syndrome for several months, which is not stopped by any methods, including blockades and taking narcotic analgesics.