This video covers three herniated disc exercises. Before we get to the three exercises two simple concepts that help herniated discs heal are outlined.

Limiting early morning lumbar flexion

The first concept to help your herniated disc heal involves not flexing your lumbar spine for the first hour after waking up. This video describes why this works so well.  Basically avoiding lumbar flexion for the first hour after waking up reduces forces through the back part of your disc. The back part of your disc is where it herniates. Less force through the posterior (back) part of the disc allows it to heal, while also reducing pain.

Hip Hinge

The second concept to incorporate into your every day is the hip hinge. Think about how many times you stand up and sit down during the day. And how many times you bend forward over the course of a day. There is a good chance you’re moving too much through your lumbar spine. Standing, sitting and bending forward cause your lumbar spine to flex. When you have a herniated disc lumbar flexion places more stress and strain through the posterior disc, where it’s herniated. Simply bending and flexing forward through your hips while keeping your lower back from flexing reduces repetitive and excessive force through the disc. This reduces pain and helps facilitate the healing process.

The exercises described are designed to reduce pain and allow the discs to heal.

Complete the three herniated disc exercises in the order below.

1. Lumbar traction. Use a pull-up bar or chairs as shown in the video. Do three or four tractions bouts of 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Cat/camel. 10-12 reps. Move through a comfortable range. Don’t try to push through pain. All you’re doing is getting gentle motion through the disc to promote healing. Gentle compression/decompression is how the disc intakes nutrients and gets rid of waste.
3. Prone press-up. 10-12 reps through comfortable range. Hold yourself in the up position for 10 seconds. You can do these exercises multiple times each day. Four or five times if you want.

These exercises will reduce pain while helping the herniated disc to heal.

The discs require motion to heal. The motion has to be the right type though. These three exercises will get movement through the disc to facilitate healing without placing excessive force through the back part of the disc. Start with these exercises. As your back pain decreases gradually resume your regular exercise program. Remember the hip hinge concept while bending forward and while standing and sitting.

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