Rehab for Disc Injuries
There have been a number of exercises that have shown to be beneficial for patients struggling with spinal disc injuries. This is where getting assessed by a licensed professional is the most beneficial. It is important to do the proper rehabilitation for your specific condition.
It is important to alleviate the tension and muscle spasms in the back. Improving core stability and strength will better protect the spine and prevent further injury. This will allow for stability in the body, increasing range of motion and alleviating the pain. These exercises should not aggravate your condition more, however if they do, it is important to seek medical advice.
I remember when I was going through a disc injury in my early undergraduate days. The doctor had recommended that I lay on my back with my feet up and rest. We know now, that immobilization is not what we should be doing to heal disc injuries. Yes we need to “protect” the spine but not moving is not going to protect the spine. Keep that body moving and doing what is tolerable is going to be for the best. If you remember from an earlier post, our discs only get nutrients and re-hydrated through movement. With that being said, yes if a movement hurts to do, maybe we should avoid that but does having a disc injury mean that we should put our life on hold until we feel better? Absolutely not!
It is also important to reduce inflammation in the body. When a disc injury occurs, our body will naturally release inflammation to call cells in our body to come fight at that area. The promotion of an anti-inflammatory diet is beneficial. Eat your fruits and vegetables and stay hydrated by drinking your water. There has been research that shown that adding in Vitamin D and an Omega-3 will be beneficial in reducing pain. Be sure that you are getting the best quality of these vitamins to avoid contamination.
Contact us if you have more questions or want to see what we can do to help you feel better!
