Further treatment options and what else you can do with a herniated disc | Therapy of a slipped disc of the lumbar spine

Further treatment options and what else you can do with a herniated disc

Exercises

In order to strengthen the back muscles and to relieve the spine after a herniated disc, or to prevent herniated discs, various exercises can also be done at home. These should be done daily if possible. Below is a small selection of exercises that may be suitable to mobilize or strengthen the lumbar spine.

Many more exercises for or against a herniated disc can be found under our topic: Exercises for a herniated disc

• To mobilise the lumbar spine, lie on your back and lay your arms and legs relaxed. Then pull one hip towards the feet and the other towards the shoulders. Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position.

Then change sides. – Lie on your stomach and stretch your arms straight forward. Then lift your arms, legs and head off the floor for a few seconds.

This strengthens the entire back muscles. Let go again before the next pass follows. – In the supine position, place your arms next to your body and place your legs in front of your pelvis at an angle of about hip width.

Now retract the navel and press the lumbar spine onto the pad. Hold this position for a few seconds. Then make a slight hollow back and stretch the belly button upwards.

Hold again for a few seconds. Proceed in this way in alternation. – In the quadruped position, alternately extend the left leg and right arm, or the right leg and left arm parallel to the floor forwards and backwards.

Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Change sides. This exercise strengthens the back muscles very well.

• Lie on your back, bend your legs and pull towards your stomach. Grasp both knees with one hand each. In this position make small rocking movements from left to right or up and down.

This exercise relaxes the lower back. Conservative therapy is carried out over a period of 6-8 weeks. If the symptoms do not improve during this period, a surgical intervention must be considered.

In principle, it can take longer until the original functional level is reached again after a herniated disc. Even after a surgical intervention, follow-up care over several weeks is necessary. Following the therapy, back-friendly sports should continue to be performed to prevent further disc herniations.

Forecast

Overall, a slipped disc in the lumbar spine has a good prognosis with adequate therapy. Of course, the prognosis depends individually on the severity of the herniated disc and the impairment of the patient. If there is no improvement within 6-8 weeks of conservative therapy, the prognosis is worse. Often a surgical intervention has to be performed.