The 6 Best Exercises for Lumbar Disc Herniation – Advice from Your Downtown Toronto Chiropractor

Do you have a lumbar disc herniation or a lumbar disc bulge and are looking for relief from your pain?

Have you been suffering from low back pain, sciatica and are looking for relief from your back pain?

Have you been diagnosed with a lumbar disc herniation or a bulge in one of you lumbar discs?

Are you waiting for an MRI of your lumbar spine and want relief from your pain now?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you need to read this post on the 6 best exercises for your lumbar disc herniation from your downtown Toronto chiropractor.

When a disc bulges or herniates on the posterior aspect of the lumbar spine, it can pinch onto the nerves that exit the lumbar spine or even onto the spinal cord itself. This often results in low back pain, sciatica or other tingling and numbness. Forward bending or flexion of the lumbar spine will cause the disc to push out even further and cause you to experience increased pain and discomfort. What we are addressing in these exercises are for posterior disc bulges and we are attempting to strengthen and stabilize the lumbar spine while pushing the disc bulge back in. It is always recommended to seek out the best chiropractor in Toronto before beginning any exercises to make sure they would be right for you. Here is the list of the 6 best exercises for your lumbar disc herniation:

1. Prone Lumbar Extension / Cobra Position in Yoga

Lying on your stomach, perform a modified push up by pushing your upper body off the floor with your arms while keeping your pelvis on the floor. Ty to straighten your elbows while letting your lumbar spine sag and relaxing your glutes. Take a deep breath in, relax your spine and lower your upper body to the floor and repeat. Repeat this for 12 times holding the up position for 15-20 seconds and resting on the floor for 15-20 seconds. Do this 2 times per day.

2. Single Knee To Chest

Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, pull one knee up toward your chest to feel a stretch in your glutes. Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds. Repeat with other leg. Do this 2-3 times per day.

3. Abdominal Hollow with Leg Drag

Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Suck your stomach in (visualize pulling your belly button back to your spine) - this is an abdominal hollow. Hold this contraction and slowly straighten one leg out along the floor while maintaining your contraction. Slid your leg back to the starting position and alternate wit the other leg. Repeat this 15-20 times for 1-2 times per day.

4. Prone Leg Raise

Lie face down with a towel or a pillow under your pelvis. While maintaining an abdominal hollow (see instructions above) slowly raise one leg up off the floor and hold for 4 seconds. Lower your leg back to the floor and alternate with other leg. Repeat this 12 times twice per day.

5. Cat / Camel Stretch

Start by letting your stomach muscles relax and your spine sag down while rolling your shoulder back and looking upwards with your neck. Now pull your stomach muscles up and in while arching your back and dropping your head. Lower back down and repeat. Hold the upwards stretch for 4 seconds and repeat for 15-20 times 1-2 times per day.

6. Cross Crawl aka Broken Table

This exercise is sometimes referred to as Broken Table. While on your hands and knees, perform an abdominal hollow and keep your back flat. Slowly, extend one leg straight out behind you while at the same time extend the opposite arm like you are reaching out to shake someone’s hand. Try to hold yourself stable for 10 seconds. Repeat with the opposite side, repeat 15-20 times 1-2 times per day.

There you go, these are your six best exercises for a lumbar disc herniation. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at hannikainenchiropratic@gmail.com. If you are in Toronto and are looking for a chiropractor to further help you out with your lumbar disc herniation , please send me an email or give us at call.