Exercises for Bulging Discs

Utilizing exercises for bulging discs can be somewhat intimidating for the average person, simply because your condition can be easily aggravated.  This is probably the biggest concern for someone suffering with a bulging disc – the last thing you want to do is make your condition worse.

This article will discuss some simple rules you can follow to ensure your success with bulging disc exercises, as well as some helpful resources where you can find the most effective exercises for bulging discs.

Before we get into that, I need to explain a little about what a bulging disc is, and how it functions.  Without this background information, the details I discuss about exercises will not make sense.

The spinal discs are special ligaments that serve a couple of purposes.  First, they hold the spinal bones together, and second, they act as cushions or shock absorbers between each set of bones in the spine.

They are made up of a firm outer covering (called the annulus), and a jelly center (called the nucleus).  I often refer to them as “jelly doughnuts,” because that’s essentially what they look like.

In order for a disc to bulge, there has to be a tear in the outer covering.  This can be caused by an injury, wear and tear of the spine as we age, or even toxins and infections.  If the outer covering tears, the jelly center will begin to shift towards the weak area of the disc, which creates a bulge.

There are a few key points I want to express in order to help you understand the tips about exercise we’ll discuss in just a moment.

First of all, one of the reasons a bulging disc can be very stubborn to heal is because it does not receive a very good blood supply.  Your blood holds the essential nutrients and oxygen for healing, so it’s important that you understand that the process of healing your disc is going to require some patience.

It is possible for the disc to heal if you follow the appropriate steps, but I want you to know that this is going to take some time.

So, if the discs of the spine don’t receive oxygen and nutrition from the blood stream, how do they receive these important things?  Well, this is where it gets interesting, because the discs of the spine actually store the oxygen and nutrients they need for good health in the jelly center of the disc.

The only way you can get new oxygen and nutrition into the jelly of the discs is by physically pumping the discs.  We’re going to be using this information when we discuss one of the exercises I’ll encourage you to do.

The final point I want to make before discussing exercises is that the discs of your spine are designed to not feel pain.  That’s right – they actually do not have the ability to feel anything.  

If this is true, then why can a bulging disc be such a painful and debilitating condition?  The reason is because, when a disc bulges, it usually applies pressure to the nerves of the spine, which control everything in the body.  The nerves are very sensitive, and this is what causes the pain associated with a bulging disc!

Why do I bring this up?  This is where most bulging disc treatments fail, and I don’t want you to fall victim to this.  Most treatments for a bulging disc are designed to numb the inflamed nerve, which does provide temporary relief at the time.  

However, if you don’t take additional steps to ensure that the disc itself heals, your pain will inevitably return.  

So, what’s the point?  The exercises for bulging discs that we’ll discuss need to be continued long after your pain is alleviated, because this is going to be very important if you want the disc to heal completely for long-term results.

Alright – let’s talk about exercises specifically now.  There are 4 different types of exercise I’m going to recommend for you.

The first exercise I recommend requires the use of a mini-trampoline.  This is simply a trampoline that’s about 3 – 4 feet wide.  Now, what you don’t want to do is bounce or jump on the trampoline.

The exercise you want to use for your bulging disc is to simply stand on the trampoline with your head looking straight ahead and your arms at your side, and then slowly march in place.

This simple exercise should be performed for 5 minutes each day, and will improve your balance, which helps to align the spine and removes pressure within the discs of the spine.

The second exercise I recommend requires a therapy ball (which are those large balls you see at health clubs or physical therapy clinics).  Simply sit on the ball and gently bounce up and down on it.  Perform this exercise 5 minutes each day.

This pumps the discs – remember when we discussed how the discs replenish oxygen and nutrition within the nucleus?  That’s right – by physically pumping the discs.

The purpose of this exercise is to pump new oxygen and nutrition into the discs for faster healing.

Next, we’ll discuss stretches and strengthening exercises.  Stretches should be done every day, and strengthening exercises should be performed 3 days per week.

There are some excellent resources online for learning stretches and strengthening exercises for bulging discs, including a free course I offer at my website (just sign up in the upper left hand corner of this page), which includes some videos that you can follow along with to get the best results.

This is probably the easiest way to learn the exercises and stretches that will help your condition.

If you would like more information about exercises for bulging discs, please click here.

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

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