Slip disc or prolapsed intervertebral disc (PID), characterized by expulsion of nucleus pulposus, is a condition that we usually encounter or hear about. This is a painful and debilitating condition that will greatly affect someone’s daily living. Simple tasks can be troublesome and a painful experience for patients with slip discs. But still, even these patients need to be active and get their daily dose of exercises fixed. Some strenuous exercises can make the back pain worse, but there are some safe exercises and activities for a slip disc patient.
If you are someone who usually does heavy exercises, it is probably a good idea to tone down on the heavy lifting. Instead, try shifting towards gentler and more relaxed activities like walking and yoga. There is no need to push yourself pointlessly while you are suffering at the same time. The main point of the exercises is to keep yourself active and to strengthen muscles supporting the spine. Yoga encompasses various stretching and repetitive movements that can strengthen core and back muscles. There are a lot of posture exercises to try that can be beneficial.
Yoga can bring benefits physically and also spiritually. It helps to improve flexibility and strength, while also providing some pain relief for the back besides stress relief, as some aspects of yoga focus on meditation. Try to reach and stretch as you can. Preferably, try avoiding postures that stress the spine. Another workout that is quite similar to yoga is a physical fitness system called Pilates. This workout focuses more on proper postural alignment and core strength, which differs a little bit from yoga that highlights more on flexibility.
As for walking, it is just as good as running. Researchers have found that brisk walking is in fact more effective than running in reducing risk of heart disease, given the energy expenditures for both are balanced out. Sure, there is not much significance for spine problems, but this shows that exercising by walking is just as good. Plus, exercising can lead to the release of endorphins in the body that can enhance mood and make one stay positive all day long. Besides that, endorphins can also reduce pain due to the slip disc.
Another type of activity that someone suffering from a slip disc can do is water activity. Most of the time, the back pain is due to the spine bearing the weight of the upper body during activity on land. When the activity is in water, the burden on the spine will be reduced therefore making it possible for the people affected to have a wider range of exercises to choose from. However, it is still advised to do light activities even though you have switched to exercise in the water. For starters, swimming can be a good option. There are also water therapy activities such as floating and standing in water for people who suffer chronic back pain.
Slip disc or PID can definitely change someone’s routine, but it does not mean the person cannot lead an active lifestyle. There are proper exercises that suit this ailment. Most importantly, PID patients need to avoid heavy lifting and other activities that can further worsen their condition. Focusing on simple and gentle exercises is the best way to go.