How to strengthen the muscles of the back with a hernia of the spine

Many people who are faced with problems with the spinal column are wondering how to cope with the attack, especially if the disease was caught in the early stages of development. Doctors, having assessed the situation, will recommend the daily implementation of a set of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back with an intervertebral hernia.

Many patients react with great doubt to the suggestion of doctors to devote their time to therapeutic exercises. Is this method effective? Isn't it a banal waste of time and a delay of an inevitable, it would seem, surgical operation? Let's try to figure it out.

Basic information about the methodology

Why does a person begin to complain of a sore back? What leads to the development of most pathologies? Most often, the answer is simple: excessive stress on the spinal column, combined with poor blood circulation, has too strong a negative effect, which is why the disease develops.

The spine is not able to independently cope with all the loads associated with upright posture, and the back muscles, due to the modern lifestyle, are simply not able to provide the required support.

Since no drugs or surgical techniques are able to strengthen the back, the patient is prescribed therapeutic exercises.

Not a single doctor who treats hernias and understands how the disease develops will assure the patient that exercise therapy will solve all his problems. However, any good specialist will definitely emphasize that without simple exercises, which will have to be given at least a little time every day, the treatment process will not only take longer, but also harder.

Of course, not every patient will want to spend time on this at home, but it is important to understand that physical education, even in a minimal amount, will significantly increase the chances of a full recovery, prevent the recurrence of the disease and speed up the regeneration processes in the spinal column.

Doing or not doing the exercises remains entirely on the patient's conscience, no matter how much effort the doctor spends on talking, however, a person who actually worries about his health will still listen to a specialist.

Importance of staging

A herniated spine is a very fragile structure of the human body that cannot cope with high loads, no matter how much the patient wants it. The result of an attempt to overload the musculoskeletal system will be a pinched hernia, which will be accompanied by acute pain, limited mobility and other unpleasant symptoms.

In order for the exercises for the back with a hernia of the spine to be not only useful, but also safe for the patient performing them, it is recommended that the entire complex be divided into three stages.

Include:

1. The first or introductory stage , at which it is necessary to prepare the body for the upcoming loads. They warm up the muscles, stimulate the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It is best to conduct the introductory stage for 10 minutes, performing various simple exercises for different muscle groups.
2. The second stage is the main one . During it, the main complex is performed, which has a dynamic or static type of load. The spine during this period is the most stressed. The duration of the stage should not exceed 30 minutes.
3. The third and final stage is the final one . Its main task is to relieve the load on the muscles, give them the opportunity to relax, and the body to recover from gymnastic exercises. During this period, patients are recommended to perform simple breathing exercises for 10-15 minutes.

Staging is an important condition for exercise therapy, which allows you to avoid rapid overloads of the spinal column. Without it, strengthening the muscle corset can be not only useless, but also harmful to the body.

Varieties of exercises

Today, doctors use many different methods to strengthen the back. Most of them can be used during remission to prevent relapses and promote the development of a muscular frame, which will partially relieve the load from the spinal column.

In total, four main subtypes are distinguished, which are most often used in medical practice.

Namely:

1. Low intensity aerobic exercise.

This often includes activities such as cycling or swimming. Many doctors also include sports walking here, which allows you to have a beneficial effect on the muscles of the back and abs without straining them too much. The greatest efficiency is attributed to gymnastics, which is performed in water, due to which the spine is not loaded, but the back muscles are actively working.

2. Tai chi, qigong, yoga.

East Asia is famous for various sets of exercises, which in recent years have been increasingly used to treat various diseases in Europe. Their potential has not yet been fully explored. It is known that the back can be cured with their help not only due to the strengthening of its frame, but also due to the fact that many complexes include meditative practices. This will allow you to achieve not only physical, but also emotional balance.

3.Stabilization exercises.

Strength training or stabilizing type training, as they are also called, does not directly affect the back, but allows you to improve the condition of the muscles of the abdomen and lower body. With their help, it is also possible to achieve improved blood circulation and regeneration processes, increase the overall level of endurance.

True, with strength training you need to be careful not to overstrain.

4. Stretching.

Stretching has proven itself as a measure to stop pain. True, many doctors believe that its effectiveness is noticeable only in the initial stages, when a vertebral hernia is just beginning to develop.

How to strengthen abdominal muscles

To effectively treat a vertebral hernia, the impact must be exerted not only directly on the spine, but also on the stomach. The abdominal muscles play a big role in a person's ability to maintain balance, walk on two legs, and move correctly. Without their development, it is impossible to cure the back.

To strengthen the abdominal muscles, apply:

1. Body lifts.

Many people know this exercise as a press swing, but there are still some differences. The starting position is the same as for swinging the press. The task of the patient is to slightly raise the body above the floor, while keeping the legs on the floor surface. Important! There is no goal to reach your knees with your forehead, you need to tear your body off the floor by only 15-20 cm and freeze like that for a few seconds. In this case, it is recommended to inhale on the rise, and exhale on the lowering. The optimal amount is two sets of 10 times each.

2. Leg lift.

Another simple exercise that will help strengthen the stomach. It is necessary to lie on your back and alternately raise each leg 20-25 cm from the floor. After lifting, it is recommended to keep the leg in weight for several minutes, and then only lower it. It is important to perform movements not jerkily, but smoothly, otherwise there will be no effect! The multiplicity is similar to that in the previous exercise.

3.Gap elimination.

A manipulation that does not require heavy loads on the back and is easily performed even with a spinal hernia. It is necessary to lie on your back and with muscle strength to minimize the gap that forms between the lower back and the floor. You need to freeze in this position for a few seconds. It is recommended that the legs be gradually moved away from the body in order to increase the difficulty.

How to relax the muscles around the spine

To strengthen the muscular corset of the spine, simple exercises will allow you to relax the muscles to prepare them for the load. There are many recommendations on this list.

And here are some of them:

• having taken the position “lying on your back with bent legs”, begin to slowly raise the pelvic area above the floor, and then lower it back, with each next approach slightly increase the distance separating the buttocks and heels, and also increase the time that the pelvis is in a “suspended” state ;
• lie on your stomach and bend your elbows in the chest area, do back arches with the body lifted from the floor, trying to stay in this position for at least a few seconds and not allowing the pelvis to come off the floor;
• again lie on your back and, bending your knees, carefully lower them to the floor in one direction or the other, avoiding sudden movements;
  without changing position, grab your knee and pull it to your chest, without lifting your body off the floor as much as the stretch allows, and then release and repeat the exercise with the other limb;
• repeat the previous exercise with your knees, now pulling towards you not each leg in turn, but both at once.

It is important to remember that the load of the spine with a hernia in the morning should be minimal! During this period, the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region are maximally filled with fluid, and therefore are the most vulnerable.

How to strengthen back muscles

Exercises to strengthen the muscle corset, as well as to relax it, are necessary in order for the effectiveness of gymnastics to be maximum.

This list includes the following simple manipulations:

• lie on your stomach, after placing something soft under your stomach and, putting your hands behind your back, try to raise your head, shoulders and chest above the floor and freeze in this position for at least a few seconds, gradually increase the duration of being in an elevated state;
• the position is the same, but now the arms are extended behind the head and it is necessary to lift the upper limb on one side and the opposite lower limb for a few seconds, the duration of maintaining the position should gradually increase;
• roll over onto your back and, pulling your legs into a bent position, raise your pelvis and part of the body as far as you can to make a half-bridge, maintain this position for a few seconds, and then lower yourself;
• lie on your stomach again, putting your hands under your chest, and alternately raise your legs, slightly bent at the knee for convenience;
• get on all fours and lift the upper limb on one side and the opposite lower limb, freeze in this position for a few seconds, and then repeat the exercise with the other pair of limbs;
• in the same position, only the lower limbs can be lifted alternately, freezing in this position for a few seconds, so that the strengthening of the muscle corset is more effective.

When performing manipulations at home, it is important to ensure that the back does not sag and does not twist too much anywhere, otherwise it is possible to harm yourself.

Exercise rules

In order for the treatment of the lower back and other parts of the back to be most effective, you will have to follow a number of simple rules when performing certain loads.

These include:

• the need to monitor one’s own condition and refuse to perform certain exercises if they cause severe discomfort or severe pain (in this case, if the discomfort is tangible, but implicit, then physical education should continue);
• at first, you will have to abandon all exercises that involve even minimal twisting of the spinal column along its axis;
• it is necessary to avoid shock effects during the implementation of the complexes, without making sudden movements and shocks;
• it is best to do physical education several times a day, dividing the entire set of exercises into several small sets, thanks to which you can optimally distribute the load;
• making great efforts is not recommended, since the goal is not to break any records, but to improve your own health, which can be difficult to achieve if you try to overpower yourself;
• at the very beginning of the complex, exercises are performed with a small load and amplitude, both indicators increase gradually.

You cannot expect a lightning-fast effect from physical education, which will manifest itself on the very first day, classes must be systematic and long-term in order to get a visible stable effect.

What are the positive effects

Many are concerned about the question of why, when using exercise therapy, it is possible to cure a herniated disc? What makes it possible to fight the disease so fully with such a seemingly outdated method? The fact is that therapeutic exercises have a number of positive effects.

These include:

• the ability to form a correct posture in childhood or adolescence, and correct it in adulthood in order to reduce the load on the spine;
  improvement of plasticity and mobility not only of the spine, but of the whole body as a whole;
• it is possible to reduce the level of static load on the lower back, which, as you know, is most susceptible to the development of hernias;
• it is possible to stimulate blood circulation in the spine and adjacent parts, as well as improve the nutrition of tissues in the spine;
• the intensity of age-related dystrophic changes decreases;
• You can improve not only the condition of the musculoskeletal system, but also in general have a beneficial effect on your own health and mood.

Gymnastics, the use of which is recommended by doctors for such a diagnosis as a hernia of the spine, is a simple method, if not completely coping with the disease, then significantly reducing the severity of its symptoms. And you can do it at home, which is a significant advantage.

The main thing is to remember that the exercises should be performed regularly and fully, and also consult with your doctor regarding the level of permissible physical activity and the most optimal set of exercises. Movement is life, and with a hernia of the spine, movement is also a protection against disability, if used wisely.