What makes a herniated disc worse?

Here are some every day things that can be avoided, but will aggravate your injury. If you are in the midst of a herniated disc injury or are on the road to recovery, it is important to be aware of your posture.

Avoid soft furniture that you will sink into, or furniture that sits low to the ground. It may look ultimately comfortable and inviting, but it is not offering any support for you spine and is actually encouraging an unnatural positioning of the body that will harm you in the long run.

Sleeping on your stomach is very hard on the spine and its associated muscles. If you must do it, use an extremely soft pillow or no pillow at all to avoid raising the neck at an angle.

Addressing inactivity

If possible, when standing in the same position for long periods of time, alternate putting each foot up on a stool or box every few minutes.

If sitting for a long period of time, use a footrest or stool to keep the knees above a little above the hips.

Exercise

For avid gym-goers, avoid the following exercises while in the healing process for a herniated disc:

• Weightlifting
• Leg presses
• Twisting exercises

All of these can aggravate the problem. Instead, focus on these exercises:

• Core-strengthening
• Aerobic exercise
• Stretching and flexibility exercises that help to relieve pressure on nerves.

These are exercises that offer benefit to everyone suffering from back-related conditions, and those who are looking to strengthen the back muscles. At Family Chiropractic & Spinal Health Care Center in New Jersey, we can show you exactly how these exercises treat the herniated disc injury. Let’s talk today: Call our Passaic office at (973) 471-9585 or our Ramsey office at (201) 995-9900.

Dr. Moe Abtahi, D.C.