Lumbar disc herniation can significantly impact daily life, causing leg pain and numbness. While surgery is often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about lumbar disc herniation, there are conditions for its suitability, and some people may not want to undergo surgery.There are other ways to prevent the worsening or recurrence of lumbar disc herniation besides surgery.
Here, we will explain about lumbar disc herniation and stretching methods for it.
table of contents
What is lumbar disc herniation?
「The lumbar spine is the part of the lower back bone. The lower back bone is a part from the spine to the bones of the buttocks, and all those bones are made of stacked bones called vertebral bodies. The intervertebral disc acts like adhesive to connect the vertebral bodies.
A lumbar disc herniation is when the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc bulges out and presses on a nerve. Nerve compression causes leg pain, numbness, low back pain, and difficulty walking.
reference)
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Commissioned Project Minds Guideline Library
https://minds.jcqhc.or.jp/n/pub/1/pub0017/G0000475
Stretching method for lumbar disc herniation
If you suspect you have a lumbar disc herniation, you should first consult a doctor.Depending on your symptoms and the results of examinations, surgery may or may not be indicated. If your symptoms come and go throughout the day, or if the pain is decreasing day by day, you may be advised to wait and see without surgery. In some cases, the symptoms may disappear completely after a few months, but research suggests that daily exercise such as stretching is effective in preventing the symptoms from worsening and in preventing recurrence.
So, I will explain how to stretch below. By stretching, it is possible to (1) keep the lumbar spine in a physiological forward leaning posture (do not bend the waist too much) and (2) make the muscles around the waist and legs flexible, preventing the deterioration and recurrence of lumbar disc herniation. can be expected.
stretch holding both knees
By doing this stretch, you will be in a posture that does not warp your back too much. It also improves the stretch of the muscles that support the spine and the muscles of the buttocks.
- Lie on your back and grab both knees with both hands.
- Exhale and bring your knees closer to your chest for 10 seconds.
Keep your buttocks off the floor as much as possible as you bring your knees closer to your chest.
waist twist stretch
By doing this stretch, you can improve the movement around your hips and correct the habit of arching your lower back. In addition, it improves the growth of many muscles such as the muscles that support the spine and the muscles of the waist, chest, back, stomach, buttocks, and front of the thighs.
- Lie on your back and open your legs slightly.
- Keeping your hips on the floor, bend your right foot to the left.
- Hold the pose for 10 seconds while exhaling.
- Do the left too.
If possible, hold the bent leg with your other hand. I feel more stretched.
Stretching by pulling a towel through the soles of the feet
By doing this stretch, you can improve the movement of your hips and correct the habit of arching your lower back. It also helps stretch the muscles in the back of the thigh and calf.
- Lie on your back, bend your knees, and open them slightly.
- Hold a towel (about the size of a hand towel) with both hands and pass it under the sole of your right foot.
- While lying on your back, extend your legs through the towel to an angle of about 60 degrees from the floor.
- Hold the pose for 10 seconds while exhaling.
- Do the left too.
In order to feel just the right amount of stretch, please adjust by comparing towels of different lengths.
Stretching both elbows and bending both knees
This stretch stretches the lumbar spine and stretches the muscles in the front of the abdomen and thighs.
- Lie down on your back and raise your upper body with both elbows.
- As you exhale, bend your knees up and hold the position for 10 seconds.
Note: If you tilt your head back, your lower back will arch too much, so keep your eyes on the floor.
back thigh stretch
This stretch stretches the muscles in the back of your thighs and prevents you from putting too much strain on your lumbar spine.
- From a standing position, squat down and grab both ankles with both hands.
- Extend your knees, keeping your chest and front thighs together.
- Hold the pose for 10 seconds while exhaling.
Be conscious not to separate your chest and thighs. If it is difficult to straighten your knees, you can keep them bent.
Do not perform any stretches until you feel pain. Start with 1-2 repetitions and gradually increase the number. By continuing, you will be able to do it easily. Let's go for the long term as long as we can.
When not to stretch
If you feel more pain or numbness in your legs than usual, if you experience other symptoms such as difficulty walking, or if your symptoms worsen after stretching, please do not stretch. And make sure to consult your doctor.
summary
This time, I explained about lumbar disc herniation and how to stretch it.
If you have pain or numbness in your legs, first consult your doctor to see if they can be treated and if you can stretch. Once you start stretching, keep doing it within a reasonable range and aim to prevent aggravation and recurrence.
reference)
• Lumbar disc herniation treatment guidelines, revised 2nd edition
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox?projector=1
・Low back pain management guideline 2019 revision 2nd edition
https://minds.jcqhc.or.jp/docs/gl_pdf/G0001110/4/Low_back_pain.pdf
・All Japan Federation of Medical Workers' Unions: Why does lower back pain occur? Let's prevent it by strengthening our abdominal muscles. Lower back pain started with bipedal locomotion.
https://www.min-iren.gr.jp/?p=4119
・J⁻STAGE Physical Therapy
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/rigaku/44/6/44_11334/_article/-char/ja/
- All Japan Federation of Medical Workers' Unions: Lower back pain, the lumbar spine, this difficult thing
https://www.min-iren.gr.jp/?p=7791
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda