What Can Help Relieve Herniated or Bulging Disc Pain?

A common back and spine problem is herniated or bulging discs. Nearly everyone will know someone who has experienced a herniated disc at some point in their lives. It's painful and we hope you're one of the fortunate ones who don't have to endure it. In many cases, these discs will heal on their own with no long-term consequences. However, if you have a herniated disc and aren’t able to treat it successfully by yourself, you may need to reach out for professional help from an experienced physical therapist or orthopaedist.

Fortunately, there are several exercises that can ease the pain caused by a herniated disc and strengthen your back to prevent relapses. 

Core stabilization exercises

Many people suffering from back pain have weak core muscles. When the core muscles are weak, the spine receives less support. This may be a reason why people with weak core muscles experience back pain more often than those who have a strong core. Core stabilization exercises strengthen the core and make your body less prone to back pain. One of the best exercises to strengthen the core is the pelvic tilts. It should be done in two variants to strengthen your core in different ways. Another exercise that strengthens your core is the bent knee hug. Other exercises that strengthen the core are the bicycle and the knee to chest. Other core stabilization exercises you can try are:

• Planks
• Side plank
• floor prone cobra 
• cable anti-rotation (requires equipment found at most gyms.)

Stretching Exercises

A herniated or bulging disc can lead to muscle spasms in your back. Thus, it’s recommended that you stretch your muscles as often as possible to ease the pain and prevent muscle spasms from becoming chronic. There are many great stretches that you can do to ease the back pain caused by a herniated disc. 

The knee to chest is one of the best stretches that you can do on a daily basis. It will help you ease the pain caused by a herniated disc and improve your overall posture. To perform this stretch, you should lie on your back and use your hands to grab one leg by the ankle. Next, you should pull that leg towards your chest and hold this position for 30 seconds. After performing this stretch, you should repeat it with the other leg. This is one of the best knee-to-chest stretches that you can do while dealing with a herniated disc. It will help you ease the pain caused by the condition and improve your overall posture. These are the best exercises that you can do while dealing with a herniated disc. They will help you ease the pain caused by the condition and also improve your posture.

One of the best stretches is the hip stretch. It will help you ease the pain in your back and improve the blood flow to your lower extremities. To perform this exercise, you should lie on the floor and use your arms to pull one leg up towards your head. Next, you should try to reach your hands towards your toes while keeping the other leg on the floor. 

Another great stretch is the triceps stretch. You should perform this stretch while standing upright. Then, you should lift one arm towards the sky while keeping the other arm on your side. You should hold this position for about 30 seconds and then perform the same stretch with the other arm. This stretch will help you ease the pain caused by a herniated disc and improve your overall posture. 

Finally, the seated hamstring stretch. It will help you ease the pain in the back of your leg and improve your posture. To perform this exercise, you should sit on a chair and place one leg on another. Then, you should try to bend towards the leg that’s on the chair. You should perform this stretch for 30 seconds and then switch legs. These are the best stretching exercises that you can do while dealing with a herniated disc. They will help you ease the pain caused by the condition and also improve your posture.

Exercises To Avoid With A Herniated Disk

Not all stretching and exercises are created equal, especially when it comes to herniated and bulging disc pain. A lot of folks experience this pain when bending and rotating their body. This ought to tell you that rotational exercises aren't the ones you want to try out. Leg raises are also out since they tend to put a lot of stress on the lower back. You should also avoid sit-ups and a common runner's stretch - toe touches. These will often exacerbate the pain and potentially do more damage to the injured disc.

Other Solutions For A Herniated Disk

Of course, gentle stretching and exercising may not be the solution to your herniated or bulging disc problem. Before trying any of these stretches or exercises, you should consult with one of our spine and neck specialists to make sure that you're not doing something which could contribute to future damage. We can begin with physical therapy which may get rid of the issue altogether. If that doesn't work, there are other options including surgery. Your case will be unique so no matter what we encourage you to set up an appointment with us today.