Have you woken up one morning and all of a sudden felt an intense pain that starts in your back and travels down one or both of your legs? As many of us have been culprits to low back pain, a specific cause of this pain is a disc herniation, which is when one of the discs that sit in-between the bones (vertebrae) in your spine is ‘pushed’ out of its normal position, and can potentially irritate a nearby nerve root, which leads to a burning, intense pain that can travel down one or both legs referred to as sciatica.
Although this pain is very real and can be quite intense, the good news is that it is treatable, often without the need for medications, injections, or other passive interventions. When your lower back pain arises from a disc herniation here are some exercises to try to ease your symptoms before they get out of hand:
Go for walks. People who are active when suffering from disc herniations have faster recoveries than those who aren’t. Going for walks allows for your lower backs natural alignment to be restored with gentle stretching that comes with each stride you take. Start by going for 5 minutes and advance to longer durations as your low back pain allows.
Perform “Back Bends”. Begin with your hands placed upon your lower back. Begin by leaning backward while also using your hands to push your hips forward. Start by doing 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Try to progress deeper into the stretch as your lower back pain and stiffness improve.
Start doing “Press Ups”. This is another classic exercise to address low back pain from disc herniations. Lay down on your stomach and place your hands under your shoulder as if about to perform a push up. Begin by pushing your shoulders and chest upward while keeping your hips down. Start by doing 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Try to progress deeper into the stretch as your lower back pain and stiffness improve.
If you have tried to work with these home exercises but are not seeing the progress in your lower back pain or sciatica that you are looking for, it might be time to reach out to a physical therapist specializing in diagnosing and treating lower back pain to better customize your exercises to suit your individual needs.
0 Comments