How To Exercise With A Disc Bulge

[touggie2000]

hi sam, can you help me understand my MRI results and what should i do??( "There is Degenerative disc disease with mild disc space loss and a shallow central disc protrusion and annulus tear which may abut but not efface bilateral S1 nerve root. No significant neural foraminal compromise noted".) For the most part throughout the day i have a dull pain around the center of my lower spin. with a sudden movement i feel a sharp pop and it literally puts me down!!! im 29 y/o. could u help explain?

[knutschfan]

hello sam,i am from germany,thanks for this video,as i have a bulged disc,i will try all your tips and advice

,is it save to go for longer walks ,with my dogs?

also is it normal to have the tingling in my hands and feet and pain down my left leg,mostly in the night?well and i dont have always pain in my lower back but more in my leg.thanks

[susankamkhan]

Does this help with slipped disc L4,L5 ???

[benjiereyes59]

SAM, i had been diagnose with a herniated disc with loss of sensation and numbness in my left foot i actually limping while walking what exercise would you suggest in my case??? thank you very much!!!

[anunez7884]

Hi Sam I have been stretching an that!! What kind of cardio do u recommend doing because with no cardio I'm gaining weight!!! And that causes more stress on my back!!! I was thinking maybe an elliptical what do u think?

[sisilio1]

Please could you advise me any operation ? coz its been 2yrs m sufferung from DB. n m doing exercises i get relief at times but pain comes again.. n can i workout freehand at home ?? i tried weight for arms but it started to pain so i stopped..

[Sissiaraujo]

Very interesting!

[erickdircks]

Nice! Thank you very much for Sharing!!!!!

[ProjectDexter]

how often should these exercises be done daily for those of use trying to recover from disk bulges? I've started to do them, but don't want to over do it.

[Addicti0nz1]

i have upper back and thorax bulging disks ive had them for a long time now i worked with them for about 6 months its been about 2 months since ive been going to a chiropractor what type of stuff can i do?

[megamaniac76]

OMG thank you so much Sam, I've been suffering for 4 days now and after a couple hours doing these exercise I had about 50% improvement. I was able to get out of bed in under 1 minute lol. thank you so much.

[thelifeuwant]

hello Sam. great videos. I hope you have the time to answer a few quick questions for me.. I have been diagnosed after my MRI with spondylolisthesis and disc bulge in the L5 S1 ,as I understood the main problem is that my the bottom of the S curve in my back is a little bit too curved, so the extra curvature caused pressure on the disks causing them to bulge.. so which type of spine flection would be bad for me? forward or backward? also is it possible over time to heal 100% from this? thanks!

[ericleeSupSayK]

this vid was great! being 22 with lumbar herniated disc is really unnecessary...I hope to fix this soon and I will not deadlift without a belt again when I go back to the gym!

[mylovelyman2]

Sam, excellent videos on disc herniation, Thank you for this. I have an MRI tomorrow, but both my GP and physio suspect herniation/prolapse. In your clinical experience, how long on average does a herniated disc/prolapsed disc take to heal?

Also when soft tissue issues are addressed, what is your opinion on inversion?

Many thanks Ben in the uk.

[prietochiropractic]

This is Dr. Prieto from and I also have a DRX9000 spinal decompression unit in my office for the past 6 years in Yorba Linda, Orange County. Glad to see some teaching of the McKenzie exercises, great job and a nice tool for people to take home!

[prietochiropractic]

test

[TheXFrame]

Sam, how come they say NOT to lie on your stomach when you sleep because it is bad for your back, but this movement where you lie on your stomach helps?

Why wouldn't sleeping on your stomach be even better?

[HolisticSam]

@TheXFrame,

Sleeping on your stomach may cause compression in the facet joints, which for some people can cause pain. In addition, turning your head to one side may cause neck pain. However, when facing pain from a disc bulge that is acute, it is the best option, as in some cases, it can cause immediate relief. I recommend using a massage table with a face cradle to eliminate neck stress.

[shimokita2]

@HolisticSam - Sam, can I do this a week after Lumbar 5, Sacrum 1 discectomy? I'm looking to do some exercises since I'm not registered for any physio therapy or rehab sessions. I'm going to do it on my own. Also, what other exercises or stretches would help? Thanks.

[HolisticSam]

@shimokita2

I wouldn't do this a week after surgery.

[shimokita2]

@HolisticSam - Thanks. Then I'm just going to take it easy with no exercises for the next four weeks. I read on the Internet that generally people wait 4 - 6 weeks until beginning exercises.

[AnatomicalALIGNMENT]

@HolisticSam

you are a very intelligent , Open minded common sense type of guy in a very demand oriented field, seems there are TONS of people in America including myself, with large numbers of structural abnormalities causing Pain.

if you're not a Millionaire yet, you will be soon ! 1 thing for sure you will obviously NEVER be out of work in this occupation, lol Thanks for the vids and honest info

[posturevideos]

@TheXFrame Great question!! This position is great if you have a disc problem but for a healthy spine we don't sleep like this mostly because sleeping on the stomach means having to twist your neck 90 degrees to rest on the pillow. This twisted neck will then put strain on the nerves and blood vessels up to the head. So yes for a temporary solution, this position helps 'suck' the disc fluid back inward but this does us no favours for an 8 hour sleep with a twisted spine. Hope that helps.

[filitalian]

Sam, thanks alot man. I checked this vid out 2 weeks ago and have been doing doing this stretch after having bad sciatica due to a bulging or herniated disk for over two months. I'm almost back to normal now.

[mrsq1979]

what swiming stroke is good for L5 S1 disk bulge????

[HolisticSam]

@mrsq1979,

I don't recommend any swimming with an active disc bulge. Too risky without direct therapist approval.

[DCFunBud]

This is good to know. I have always been bending forward and sideways to get relief for my DDD.

[JevonMW]

My lower back has been hurting for 3 days now. At times, it's hard to stand fully upright. I tried this exercise... Wouldn't this range of motion compress the lower spine and not stretch it out?

[HolisticSam]

@JevonMW,

Depends on the problem. Many disc bulge sufferers get excellent relief. However, if a disc bulge sufferer also has an inflamed facet joint, they feel worse in both extension AND flexion. Its all specific.

[arnoldnavarro21]

dose this mean the healing process would take a long time... becouse it only heals when your doing the mcenzie

[HolisticSam]

@arnoldnavarro21,

You can't "heal" a disc. You remove the stress off of it until it has a chance to recede.

[arnoldnavarro21]

you a badass man thanks alot!!! now is it possible for my sciatica due to a bad disk to go away after repeated use of this escercise without surgery??? did i make any sense??? can this alone help fix sciatica due to the disk problem???

[HolisticSam]

@arnoldnavarro21,

It is possible, but as mentioned, CHRONIC-anything is related to multiple causes. For example, many of my clients get relief from this movement, but ALSO need soft-tissue work, and corrective exercise to fully get better. Its a piece of the puzzle, NOT the puzzle.

[Jdog5785]

forgot which L but, it is L something that I have herniated. Should I expect this method to take some weeks to be effective?

[pumpkinzer0]

Thanks for this video :)

[slideawae]

Is it possible to have weakness of the muscles as a primary symptom if you have disc herniation rather than pain or numbness?

[krauty86]

@slideawae your herniated disc is NOT causing you pain my man. Dr. John Sarno MD is your answer. You have repressed emotions thats causing you real physical pain. Your brain cuts off a little bit of blood supply to your painful areas causing it to hurt. You most likely have "tension myoneural syndrome". go to tmswiki.wetpaint.com to learn more. go to an introduction to TMS. 20/20 did an interview on him and his practice several years ago. 90% success rate.

[slideawae]

@krauty86 I wasn't having pain, my main problem is weakness. I've looked into that TMS in the past, I'm I'm pretty sure it isn't it. I actually have atrophy of my left leg, mostly of the hip area and have trouble walking.

[sumitkobe]

Sam, how can I schedule a appt to see you?

I'm in los angeles area?

Please let me know.

Thanks!

[AmericanDogRehab]

Prior to moving into the press-up, internally rotate the legs so the heals are pointing outward. This will make it more difficult to contract the gluteal muscles, allowing for more passive extension of the lumbar spine. You may want to add the "breath and sag" piece to your demonstration to show the next progression of this exercise using patient overpressure. 

[PIlotrcm]

If you have a posterior disk buldge (buldging out the back on the nerve). Would sleeping on your stomach make it better?

[HolisticSam]

@PIlotrcm,

Yes, but that is NOT recommended because of the potential stress on your neck (unless you are laying down on a massage table with a face cradle). Additionally, sleeping for 8 hours like that may agitate your facet joints.

[LegPains]

@HolisticSam

Whats your opinion on the NUBAX home decompression Machine, and DRX 9000 and VAX D machine professional decomp disc  therapy ?

[carolinaindian]

this is nothing different than the "Cobra Pose" or Bhujangasana in yoga right? good info though!

[HolisticSam]

@carolinaindian,

It may be different in that there is NO muscle tension in the position via the Mckenzie method.

[Fastweb]

I suffered a disc herniation in Feb/March 2009. Unfortunately, the timing was coincidental to lithotripsy surgery I had for a kidney stone so I thought it was still stone fragments. It wasn't until I had an MRI a month ago that it showed the cause as a herniated disc. Began physical therapy a few weeks ago and the therapist recommended this position, but with a pillow underneath for support.

[LegPains]

@Fastweb

watch vids about DRX 9000

[aouss]

try eating some seafood, From my personal experience for some reason I feel much better after eating seafood.

[Ultimatefightingcore]

prone on the bone, supine on the spine

[LegPains]

@Ultimatefightingcore

DRX  9000

[1989beatles]

hey im 20 and i got the a disc herniation a few days ago. The cause was because i did this position( the 1 in ur video) for 10 hours everyday for 2 months whenever i was using the computer. Can i still do this exercise for healing of my disk herniation?

[LegPains]

@1989beatles

you need to check into VAX D

type it in a search  here

[LegPains]

@1989beatles

watch videos on the  DRX 9000 Machine

[farooqiba]

hi i have a mild posterior disc protrusion is this the exercise i should do

[2010vasilisa]

Hi, I was wondering if this exercise can be performed with lateral disk herniation?

The pain is felt below the knee(anterior) and is slightly worse in prone position.

Thanks

[HolisticSam]

@2010vasilisa,

Yes, most people can do it, however, in come cases a "lateral shift correction" must be done PRIOR to the straight extension as in the video. Mckenzie covers this in his book, "7 Steps To a Pain Free Back".

[Shortbus824]

I am 20 and I have a severely degenerated disc in the L4 and L5 vertebrae, also a bulging disc, and spongylolsis (or however you spell it). I am on graveyard shift at a convenient store with a lot of stocking and organizing the coolers and other parts of the store. Is there anything that I can do? Doing the exercise just seemed to aggravate it more, is there anything that you can suggest for some relief?

[sassybitch78]

WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION BUT I WAS TOLD NOT TO EXSTENTION IS WHAT I WAS TOLD TO AVOID CUZ OF HOW MY DICS IS. MY DICS IS IS JUST WAY TO PAINFUL IM GOING TO THE DR 2MORROW REGARDING AN MRI. I DO HAVE A HERNEATED DICS AND I DO NOT WANT SURGERY SO IF U COULD MABE SEND ME SUM INFORMATION A WHAT OPTION I MAY HAV ID BE GREATFUL. THXS AGAIN FOR THE INFORMATION I GUESS IM LESS CONFUSED BUT STILL NOT SURE.

[sassybitch78]

WOW THATS FUNNY CUZ I WAS TOLD NOT TO BEND BACKWARDS CUZ OF THE DISC PROBLEM I HAVE IF I LIE ON MY STOMACH I HAVE MORE PAIN THAN ANYTHING. SO IM VERY CONFUSE OF THIS VIDEO.

[HolisticSam]

@sassybitch78,

Depends on which direction the bulge is in. Some times a "shift correction" is needed before a straight on correction can be done without problems. Keep in mind that this is a general movement, but usually has to be modified. Many people have more than one problem, such as a disc bulge + facet joint irritation, etc.

[kfantastico]

hey sam,

I am being treated for L4/L5 disk bulge....My physio doc had me star with extention exercises to "push the disk away from nerve"... it's been 1 month now and pain is less but by no means gone...now he has me doing flexion because extension leads to spasms and Pain!! still have som leg pain and waddle when I walk.

Does this treatment sound familiar?

please help...I am tired of being in pain.

[shibby211]

Neat video Sam. 1 question: Does this help to fix the disc bulge, or just alleviate pain?

[HolisticSam]

@shibby211,

You cannot "fix" a disc bulge. What you do is alleviate pressure on it, and reduce the imbalances that caused it in the first place. So, in essence, alleviating pain and healing go hand in hand.

[shibby211]

Neat video Sam. 1 question: Does this help to fix the disc bulge, or just alleviate pain?

[FenixFit]

Can this exercise aggravate symptoms of thoracic disc herniation (posterior)? Because my mother has lumbar, thoracic and cervical disc bulge (posterior in all sections of the spine).

[HolisticSam]

@FenixFit,

Actually, it shouldn't. The correction procedure is the same for posterior bulges at any level in the spine. Extension. Get the book "7 Steps to A Pain Free Back".

[Foulacy]

The title of this video is misleading.

[littlepiaf]

"Extension of the spine"?? Is this not contracted. It is extending the abs, but this would kill my L5/S1 bulging disc. I cannot lie on my stomach without a pillow under my hips and even then i feel compression on my nerve. I cannot lie on y back with my legs extended either.

[HolisticSam]

@littlepiaf,

Then odds are a disc bulge is NOT the ONLY thing going on.

[littlepiaf]

@HolisticSam I agree, but what then?

[Violetti]

I have one quick question,I was at my physiotherapist and she gave me this exercise to do for my herniated disc, i was doing it for a week then went back and she said i was bending my back too much so she told me not to bend my back so much as i have more of a curve in my spine and she said i need to get it back to neutral. She said to slightly raise my hips as well so as not ro bend my back entirely.Now i'm confussed, and not too sure how to do it,some advice would be really appreciated!Thanks

[HolisticSam]

@Violetti ,

This is really an individual thing. Some people have a LOT of pain, and can only lay on their stomach in the beginning, and get a lot of relief. Others need the more progressed versions, etc. Bottom line, follow the advice of your physio, because she is working on your individual case.

[Violetti]

@HolisticSam

Ok Thanks for the advice! :)

[drtomstead]

I am P.T. with Ph.D, McKenzie works great with small disc bulgings to 2-4mm, bigger will worsen when doing alone (need to contact with P.T. or chiropractor), there is need of mobilisation and chiroprcatic type care adjustment - best and precise-Gonstead (I treated 8-11 mm prolaps of the disc) if you that overextension with big L5-S1 prolaps your symptoms will get worsen (pain and numbness to leg or legs)...

[HolisticSam]

@drtomstead ,

I agree that the size of the disc bulge may have impact on the Mckenzie technique, however, I have seen 6-8 mm disc bulges that have had success with this approach, so we much be careful not to generalize. Additionally, I'm sure you are as well aware as myself, that the vast majority of PTs and chiropractors do not know these approaches, or simply don't have enough experience in applying them to help most people with these types of chronic issues.

[HolisticSam]

Additionally, credentials don't always mean much. I recently taught a class of 30 physios who were extremely remedial on the topic of back pain rehabilitation. So, again, generalizations.

[heartbutsmiles]

I have four bulging disc and 2 fractures and so far nothing at all has helped me. Do you have anything that can help bulging disc in the neck? please get back to me when you can thanks

[HolisticSam]

@heartbutsmiles,

The BEST resource is Robin Mckenzie's book "7 Steps To a Pain Free Back". It includes mobilizations for this type of dysfunction, but you will need to learn exercises for after.

[heartbutsmiles]

Oh thank you so much! I greatly appreciate it!! I pray that this works! Thank you!!

[nossful]

This has been the single most effective exercise that I have found to relieve low back pain. This stretch is amazing. I also take a hot shower and use the inversion table at a 45 degree angle. Inversion tables work!

[paulanka2000]

go do some spinal decompression maybe with the laser, find a great therapist as well and lots of ice, every hour for like 20 min.

[miguelantonio1975]

I'm a 33y/o male and I've been dealing with a herniated disc for well

over two yeasr now. I've been through all sorts of treatments, some help

more than others. I been unable to walk long distances home bound due to the intense pain when i stand up if any one knows any suggestions or been in similar situation let me know

[VAswang]

@miguelantonio1975

Ever visited a chiropractor for adjustments?

[jareedc]

@miguelantonio1975

I'm 31. Just had the same thing. Mckensie helped little. But good support under waist when asleep was helpful. Stretch your butt, hamstring and hips (all over youtube). I avoided sitting. Recovered to 100% I felt. Then I did gardened and went back to worst pain ever. MRI showed a L5 disk. NEUROSURGIOEN did surgury am recoving but walked to the car (couldn't do it earlier. Could get permanent nerve damage if it gets bad enough, so stretch, but also think surgury

[HolisticSam]

@jareedc,

Very good point to bring up, thanks. Healing a disc takes MONTHS, even if you are completely symptom free, which many people can achieve within 3 months, you STILL have to avoid flexion for at least 6 months, and some therapists believe it can take up to 18 months without incident to completely heal. Be careful!

[madeleineellerby]

I've had slipped discs for 9 months I'm a a pro at these exercises haha

[PeacePatto]

heres the rest of my question

a few weeks ago when i was having one in my lumbar someone came and squeezed my shoulders could this have caused it

my sympptoms are also symilar

its not that bad though

i just have pain on the upper back below the scapula and on the scapula

and i have been having heart burns and i think i have acid reflux

and aarm pain everyday(elbows to hands)

what happened and it hurts when i am lying down and get up in my upper stomach and i have a fever every evening??

[HolisticSam]

Johnbr59,

Since you don't want to damage the disc, you want to avoid flexion for a while, sometimes up to 6 months. Yes, this can cause tissues to adaptively shorten, but its worth it.

Yes, over time, as you introduce flexion, the range of motion will return, but I recommend that you take up to 8 additional months after a bad disc herniation to achieve full range of motion. (With close guidance, this can happen faster, but its better SAFE than sorry).

[johnbr59]

Sam, is it okay to ask; I see in your videos to say avoid flexion, as do most doctors and chiropractors, and I almost never bend forwards to the extent that I have almost lost flexion. Does this matter? I only ever really bend forward a bit to do shoes and the like. Will flexion come back once the disc has healed?

Thank you very much, your videos are brilliant =)

[com535]

i am 20 and i used to play tennis.I had an MRI and it appeared to be a disk buldge between L3/L4 to the left and L4/L5 in the center both them wid disc dehydration.Should i do these excersizes? and can it be related to a sports injury?

[HolisticSam]

This is the ideal exercise for disc problems, however, you should refer to Robin Mckenzie's book "7 Steps To A Pain Free Life" for safe modifications and a further understanding.

[johnbr59]

Yep you should, though run it by a doctor. Very sorry to hear of your injury =( I used to be a tennis player too before my herniated disc. It is very likely it was a sports injury. You need to lay off it, do these exercises, core strengthening, and hopefully everything will work out for you, but disc injuries are almost always long term.

[nystagmus]

is this not called upward dog in yoga?

[optimumperformance]

No.... Totally different exercise performed totally differently.

[HolisticSam]

Thanks for the reply optimumperformance!

[Strengthcoach1]

Yes, it does reduce the space between the vertabrae, however, extension as shown is desired in order to allow a posterior disc bulge to move anterior, thus moving the bulge away from the nerve root. This is all detailed in reknowned physical therapist Robin Mckenzie's book, "7 Steps to A Pain Free Back".

[cupex69]

hey, i saw this vid and talked to my doc about this specific exercise. i have an l5 herniated disk (mild) i was sent off for 2 week rest and now i am pain free. he told me no exercise for 4 months. i am a really active person (26 yrs)

the thing is that my doc told me that stretching like that backwarfs actually reduces the space between the vertebrates, so i shouldnt do this.

can u or someone explain this to me? i am eager to get my back to normal ASAP. THANKS

[s1phor]

yai, my backpain went away when lying like that.....briefly though, but stilll

[ss4vegeta1]

Thanks, Cool she is cute.

[musikphysiologie]

Thank you. Have to watch this video over and over to get all the informations. Thank you for uploading!

[WellnessMafia]

Informative.Thanks.