Physical therapy exercises for l5 s1 herniated disc

So when you suffer from a herniated disc, you would want to do something about it. Surgery is usually not the first thing you want to do.

Instead, you would want to treat your herniated disc with exercises. And in many cases, this is very well possible.

Research even suggests that after a year in about 90% of the cases, there was no difference between surgical and nonsurgical treatment in terms of effect. Both recovered equally.

That’s why I will show you the three exercises that can help you to treat your herniated disc without surgery.

I’ll also tell you what to do and what not to do in terms of activities.

So let’s start.

As you already know, compression of the nerve in your back causes your pain. This compression causes inflammation of the nerve, which causes the pain in your leg.

To reduce the pain, you want to reduce the inflammation. You can do this by applying anti-inflammatory creme. You can use it directly to the skin in your lower back to reduce the pain in your leg.

You also want to reduce the pressure on the intervertebral disc. Bending forward usually increases the radiating pain in your leg, which slows down your recovery. So this is something you would want to avoid until the disc repairs, and you’re free of symptoms. Then it is oke to bend and do everything as you did before.

Also, lifting heavy weights will increase the radiation. The pressure on the intervertebral disc causes this — the load results in flattening of the discus. If the discus is still intact, this is not a problem. But when the discus breaks, this will increase the pressure on the nerve.

If you need heavy lifting for your work, or when you have small children, then you can wear this back brace. It reduces the pressure on your back and the nerves resulting in less pain.

What you want to do instead are exercises that reduce the pain in your leg. Usually, this is possible by bending backward. The first exercise will teach you how to do this.

But remember, if any other activity or exercise reduces radiating pain, then you should do this instead.

Back pain due to a herniated disc is a relatively common symptom. It can usually be treated conservatively with physical therapy.

Image Credit: Sorapop/iStock/GettyImages

Disc herniation in the L5 to S1 area can occur when excessive loads are placed on your vertebrae. It commonly presents as lower back pain with or without pain that radiates down the back of one of your legs. Treatment is generally conservative at first, involving a short period of bed rest, pain killers and physical therapy. However, if your symptoms do not improve, your doctor may choose to do further tests to rule out more serious causes of lower back pain.

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About Disc Herniation

Intervertebral discs are structures found between vertebrae that help attach vertebrae to one another and provide a cushion to absorb loads placed on vertebrae by jumping, twisting and turning. According to orthopedic surgeons Craig Humphreys and Jason Eck, over time, as a result of stress or just from normal wear and tear, these discs can degenerate, and the inner portion of the disc, the annulus pulposis, can herniate into the region of your back occupied by the spinal cord. This causes pain and altered sensation in the regions of the body served by that portion of the cord. Disc herniations between the L5 and S1 vertebrae are one of the most common causes of low back pain.

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Treatment Options

According to Anthony Luke and C. Benjamin Ma in "Current Medical Disease and Treatment," the general first-line approach to treating a disc herniation involves up to two days of bed rest — longer has not been shown to help recovery — accompanied by non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, and physical therapy.

Exercises to Perform

Exercises for a herniated disc should focus on core stabilization, say Humphreys and Eck. The McKenzie back stretches are a specific set of movementsthat can help improve symptoms from disc herniation. These involve stretches that extend the back (for example, by standing up and leaning backwards) and flex the back (for example, by bending forward slowly as if you were going to touch your toes). Core stabilization is achieved by strengthening your abdominals and lower back muscles by doing sit-ups and weight-resistance training. Contacting a physical therapist is the best way to learn these exercises.

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Exercises to Avoid

Although many people with low back pain due to disc herniation will return to full functioning with appropriate therapy, you should avoid certain exercises and activities while you are experiencing symptoms of herniation. According to back pain guidelines published by the University of Michigan, you should avoid exercises that put a lot of strain on your lower back, such as high-intensity weightlifting and contact activities such as football and ice hockey.

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When Exercise Fails

As detailed in "Current Medical Diagnosis," if pain resulting from disc herniation persists for more than six weeks, if it is accompanied by progressive neurologic dysfunction (for example, progressively worsening pain that radiates down the back of your legs, or loss of bowel and bladder continence) or if it is accompanied by night sweats, weight loss or severe pain at rest, you should seek further care, as these are all "red flag" signs that something serious is going on in your back.

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