Lumbar Hernia

Message sent by: Maria Grazia

Hi Maria Grazia,

lumbar hernia is a fairly common problem. Some people live with a herniated disc for life without even noticing it. Others are not so fortunate and suffer from repeated attacks of low back pain, cruralgia or sciatica (pain that radiates until reaching the front and back of the thigh respectively).

After making a thorough diagnosis, it is very important to adopt the right therapy. Among the various suggestions offered by the doctor there is almost always a reference to physical activity. As you rightly wrote in the mail, in the presence of a herniated disc the race is not recommended to avoid that the repeated impacts on the ground cause further insults to the suffering disc. For the same reason, even the bicycle is sometimes not recommended. Instead, an exercise bike is allowed as riding on the spot you do not run the risk of running into some holes. Often the activity in the water is considered the ideal sporting discipline even if, personally, I suggest to associate it with specific toning and stretching exercises out of the water.

As I said in the introductory part, the lumbar hernia is a widespread problem, so much so that almost every day I have as a client a person with this low back problem. When, as in your case, the lumbar hernia is of recent onset and you must still learn to know it perfectly it is important to take several precautions.

Therefore exercises are chosen in which the lumbar region is not directly solicited. Then work on the posture, especially if there is an evident lumbar hyperlordosis (accentuation of that kind of basin that the vertebral column forms in the lower back).

The work will initially focus on strengthening the abdominal muscles and the upper back. Only after a few test sessions will exercises be initiated very carefully to strengthen the oblique, spinal and lumbar muscles.

Stretching at the end of the session is essential, especially if accompanied by some simple respiratory control exercises.

Unfortunately from personal experience I can tell you that it is not easy to give advice at a distance. Normally after four or five months most of my clients with a similar problem prepare exercises very similar to those of people with a perfectly functioning back. Given the great individual variability, experimentation is also important, starting with light exercises and temporarily abandoning those that cause even a slight slight discomfort.

I hope at least to have convinced you that in most cases a lumbar hernia is not such a serious and debilitating problem. Simply take some general precautions that I will try to illustrate:

never stop stretching at the end of the session, even when you are particularly well. Active stretching exercises are very important, but above all passive and global decompensated (like pancafit). During exercises it is important to maintain a relaxed and abdominal breathing (ask your instructor)

initially avoid to then experiment with great caution all those exercises that involve in a more or less important way the lumbar region (leg press, squat, standing gluteus, posterior impulses for the buttocks, bridge, reverse crunch, leg raise, v-up and more in general, all those exercises for the abdominals that involve movements of the lower limbs.Alert also to the torsions of the bust with a stick and to the side bend or lateral bending for the obliques). Push-ups with dumbbells, barbell (slow forward), or isotonic shoulder press machines are also very dangerous; some relief is obtained by performing them while sitting, a position in which it is important to keep the lumbar area well supported by the back, keeping the feet forward and the pelvis rotated forward (the technical term is retroversion of the pelvis, ask your instructor)

in your case I believe it is also very important to have proper hydration, both for a speech related to kidney function, and because, as you know, the vertebral discs have an important aqueous component

Sincerely.