Generally speaking—as long as they're performed correctly—core and back exercises are beneficial for bulging discs, as are activities like walking, elliptical exercise, swimming, and riding a stationary or regular bike.
Daily walks are an excellent way to exercise with a herniated disc, without putting additional strain on your spine and causing painful symptoms to flare up.
Skip movements that involve significant axial loading on the lower back, such as squats and leg presses. Avoid toe-touches, sit-ups, and yoga poses that worsen the pain and lead to significant bending of the back.
The pain from a herniated disc usually is worse when you are active and gets better when you are resting. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving, and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because there is more pressure on the nerve.
The optimal sleeping position for a herniated disc is on your back. Lying on your back keeps your spine in a neutral position so you have less chance of pinching the nerve. For added comfort, nestle a small pillow or rolled-up towel under your knees and lower back.
Most (80-90%) cases involving bulging or herniated discs will heal within 2-4 months. This of course depends on the severity of the injury, as well as your age and overall health. An important difference is that a herniated disc is a permanent injury that usually results in chronic, recurring pain.
Pain while sitting is the primary complaint of many patients with lumbar spinal ailments, including those with discogenic low back pain and lumbar disc herniations (1,2). These patients typically achieve some degree of relief of their symptoms in the standing position.
Deep Tissue Massage: There are more than 100 types of massage, but deep tissue massage is an ideal option if you have a herniated disc because it uses a great deal of pressure to relieve deep muscle tension and spasms, which develop to prevent muscle motion at the affected area.
It's okay to partake in gentle, healing exercises such as slow walking and swimming. For some patients, cycling is also a way to relieve herniated disc pain, but every individual is unique, so be sure to approach any new activity with caution and control. Sitting down for long periods of time is also discouraged.
Start with ice to relieve inflammation. Apply an ice pack to your lower back for the first couple of days after the pain starts. On day three or four, switch to heat. Use a heating pad or an over-the-counter heat patch to help relax the muscles.
He explains that it's best to be up about as much as possible; complete bed rest for a herniated disc is not recommended. Many patients with a slipped disc find that sleeping in a recliner chair is most comfortable.
Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.
One of the best treatments for the symptoms of a herniated disc is stretching exercises. By gently stretching the muscles in the back, their flexibility is improved, helping them stabilize the disc herniation area. Overall endurance and circulation are also improved with herniated disc exercises, and symptoms improve.
On occasion, a disk herniation will dehydrate or shrink back but it is rare that it will disappear so unfortunately, there is no magic formula. We don't even have stem cell options that we've been able to create that allow us to regenerate the disk.
How long do these disc herniations take to heal? Most disc bulges resolve in 6-8 weeks, but it can take longer depending on the size of the bulge (i.e. if the bulge is hitting the nerve behind it like described above).
Yes! Chiropractic care is the preferred treatment method for many patients suffering from a bulging disc. It is non-invasive and does not require drugs or injections of any kind. Chiropractic can help provide you with improved mobility, decreased pain, and overall better quality of life.
It will depend on the severity of the issues as well as whether or not the chiropractor has found additional problems. Typically, a disc protrusion can take up to three months to repair. In most cases, you may be seeing your chiropractor longer than that.
Ice also creates a numbing effect, so it helps soothe the initial pain, especially if it is intense. Just make sure to use a barrier between your skin and the ice (like a paper towel or washcloth) to avoid injury. Heat therapy may be best after those first 48 hours, as heat helps to relieve painful muscle spasms.
Use a raised toilet seat or install handrail next to the toilet to help take pressure off your back when you sit on and get up from the toilet. Also make sure the toilet paper is easy to reach. Don't wear high-heeled shoes.
Most importantly, an L4-L5 disc bulge can lead to prolonged pain and other, more serious conditions like spondylolisthesis if you delay treatment. Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebra shifts or slips, and can cause significant pain that may require surgery to fix.
Disks show signs of wear and tear with age. Over time, disks dehydrate and their cartilage stiffens. These changes can cause the outer layer of the disk to bulge out fairly evenly all the way around its circumference — so it looks a little like a hamburger that's too big for its bun.
Yes, drinking water can help prevent degenerative disc disease. If you do not drink enough water, your spinal discs will not adequately rehydrate after water leaks out during the day. This means the discs become smaller and less functional, which increases the risk of injury to the collagen fibers in the disc.