Experiencing Pain Due To Slip Disc? Try These 5 Exercises For Relief

Your back and specially the spine is something that your whole body relies upon for its balance, functioning and movements. As the spinal column is made up with the series of bones known as vertebrae which are stacked, one on top of the other. These stacked bones are cushioned by discs which protects them by absorbing shock from our daily life activities such as walking, running, twisting and lifting.

Each disc consists of a soft jelly-like gelatine part in its interior and the outer part or the ring of the disc is  tough. In some cases the inner soft part of the disc gets protruded through the tough outer ring due to some injury. This protution is something known as slip disc. A slip disc causes a lot of discomfort and pain in a person’s lower back and neck by compressing one of your spinal nerves. This compression of nerves leads to numbness and pain in the affected area. 

Here are a few simple exercises that you can follow to ease the pain caused by the slip disc in your back and neck region. 

Exercises to reduce the slip disc pain

Follow these simple exercises in order to ease the severe pain caused by the slip disc or a herniated disc.

#1. Neck Stretches

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If you have a slip disc in your cervical region neck stretches are something that can help you with this. Stretching your neck muscles can help to relieve the strain and tension in your neck muscle region. Follow these steps to perform neck scratches and relieve the pain-

• Sit on a chair while angling your head towards the chest.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds and raise your head in an upright position.
• Lower your left ear towards the left shoulder without twisting your neck and hold it for 5 seconds.
• Return back to the neutral position and now repeat the same with your right side.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat this for 5 to 10 times.

#2. Kneeling Deep Lunges

With lunges being one of the most popular exercises, keeling deep lunges is a variation that can help you to get relieved from the unbearable slip disc pain. This exercise will help to stretch out your hamstrings and the hip flexors to help and relieve the pain in your lower back and neck. In order to get benefited by this exercises, follow these simple steps to perform it in the right manner-

• Slowly kneel down on your right knee and extend the left one in front of you.
• For a better support place your hand on top of the left knee 
• Lift your right knee off the floor and hold this position for about 5 seconds
• Place your foot back on the floor and relax.
• Switch your legs and repeat the same on the other side.
• Make sure that you perform 3 to 5 reps of this exercise and take it slow to maintain a proper balance.

#3. Piriformis Muscle Stretch

Piriformis is a small muscle that is located deep in your buttock. Stretching out your buttocks provides a nice stretch to these muscles and helps in relieving the lower back and buttock pain caused due to a slip disc. Here is how you can reap the maximum benefits out of this exercise and perform it in a simple yet effective manner.

• Lie down on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent.
• Lift up your right leg and place the right ankle on the left knee by crossing it.
• Pull this right knee of yours closer to the chest to an extent that it produces a stretch in your buttock.
• Hold this position for a few seconds and repeat on the other side.

#5. A Towel Hamstring Stretch

Stretching out your hamstrings can help to ease the pain caused by the slip disc. Make sure that you perform this exercise in a correct manner and do not push yourself too hard. Grab a towel and get on a mat to perform the towel hamstring stretch.

• Lie flat on your back on top of a yoga mat. 
• Slowly lift your left leg into the air.
• Take a towel and wrap it around your left foot.
• Hold the ends of the towel with both the hands and pull your leg towards the body.
• Stay in this position for a few seconds and then release.
• Repeat the same on your right leg and perform 3 sets of this exercise.

Perform these simple yet effective exercises on a regular basis to ease out the pan in your back and neck caused due to slip disc. Although slip disc is a serious condition and requires medical assistance to be cured. Some light exercises can be performed in the early stages of the disease to ease out the pain. Apart from these exercises you can also indulge yourself into activities like walking, swimming and yoga. Before performing any exercise make sure that you consult your doctor and ask if the exercise is safe for you as every case is different.