Back Disc Exercises - Simple Exercises For Each Region of the Spine

Exercises for a herniated disc are an essential part of any healing program. However, an individual dealing with a herniated disc needs to proceed with caution when it comes to exercises, because there is a good chance that you could aggravate your symptoms if you don’t follow some simple rules.

This article will cover some specific exercises for bulging discs, as well as some basic tips and rules you will want to follow for the best results. Before we can cover this information, we need to briefly talk about how the discs of the spine work so the exercises we talk about will make sense.

The spinal discs are cushions that separate each set of vertebrae in the spine. They are composed of a firm outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus.

The nucleus is incredibly important for our discussion about exercises for a back disc, because this is where the discs of the spine store oxygen and nutrients for proper healing.

If you’ve been dealing with this condition for any period of time, you’ve probably heard your physician tell you that a herniated disc is a very difficult problem to heal, and tends to be quite stubborn. This is because the spinal discs do not have a very good blood flow going to them.

The body normally depends on blood for transporting oxygen and nutrients to an injured area for faster healing, so without normal blood flow, the affected disc has to find another way to bring oxygen and nutrients for healing. One of the exercises we’ll talk about will help with this, but for now, just realize that the nucleus of the disc is going to be very important for this.

A herniated disc develops when the firm outer covering is damaged, and the jelly begins to shift into the weak area of the disc. This creates a bulge, which will tend to apply pressure to the spinal nerves.

This is actually why a herniated disc can be such a painful problem – the nerves of the spine control everything in the body, and they are very sensitive to any type of pressure. This is also why the symptoms of a disc problem are not usually limited to the spine – the pain and dysfunction will tend to travel because of the nerves involved.

Now, there’s one more concept I would like to talk about before we talk more specifically about exercises for a back disc. There is one movement in particular that will make a herniated disc worse, so this motion needs to be avoided at all costs when learning and utilizing back exercises for a herniated disc.

The movement I’m referring to is flexion and rotation at the same time. For example – if your herniated disc is in your low back, you would never want to bend forward at the waist and twist at the same time. The same is true for the neck – you would never want to flex your head forward and rotate your head to the side at the same time.

This position is where the discs are weakest, so you need to avoid it at all costs. What does this have to do with your exercise routine? Well, there are certain exercises that place your spine in this position – especially certain stomach exercises.

A common exercise to work the stomach muscles on the sides is to do a sit up while twisting at the waist. Sure, this exercise will target those muscles, but you are placing a lot of stress on the discs of the lower back at the same time. So, if you are suffering with a herniated disc, this type of exercise needs to be eliminated from your routine.

It’s important that you review your current exercise routine and look for any exercises that place your spine in this position. Avoiding them will go a long way in helping your disc heal.

Let’s talk more specifically now about exercises for a bulging disc. I’ll be teaching you a simple routine that will help you, no matter where your injured disc is located (in other words, you can use these exercises whether the condition is in your neck, middle back, or low back).

Before you perform any form of exercise, you need to begin with a warm up. There are two easy exercises you can do that will not only help you warm up, but are also incredibly helpful for a herniated disc.

The first exercise I would encourage you to do is to march in place on a mini-trampoline. A mini-trampoline is just a small trampoline (usually 3 – 4 feet wide), and can be found at a sports store (such as Sportmart).

I want to be very clear that I do not want you to jump on the trampoline – all you want to do is stand in the center of the trampoline, keep your head looking straight forward and your arms at your side, and simply march in place for 5 minutes every day.

This exercise forces your body to balance, which strengthens and warms up the small muscles around the spine. These muscles are very important for providing support to an injured disc, which is why it will help with your problem.

After you perform this exercise, I would encourage you to do a simple exercise using a therapy ball. A therapy ball is one of those large balls you see in health clubs or physical therapy clinics. Simply sit on the ball, keep your head looking straight forward and your arms to your side, and gently bounce up and down for 5 minutes every day. I want to stress that the bouncing should be performed gently – do not get crazy with this, or you could aggravate your condition.

This exercise pumps each disc in your spine, which brings new oxygen and nutrients into the disc for faster healing. This is the exercise I was referring to earlier when we were talking about how significant the jelly in the center of the disc is.

Finally, let’s talk about stretching and strengthening exercises. Stretches should be done every day, while strengthening exercises should only be done 3 days per week. These should always be performed after you have done the first 2 exercises we just discussed.

This article is too brief to give you specific stretches and exercises for bulging discs, but you can get more details, as well as specific stretches and exercises by clicking here (back exercises for a back disc).

Did you find this article helpful? Here are some other related articles and resources you may also find useful:

• Here is a list of the best resources I've found for Bulging Disc / Herniated Disc relief
• Back Exercises For A Back Disc - Avoid Set-Backs With These Simple Rules
• Back Exercises For A Herniated Disc – Simple Rules For Every Situation
• Bulging Disc Exercises – Effective Exercises For Each Region Of The Back
• More Resources