Exercises While I Rest my Herniated Disk

Frankie3333

In June 2010, I had to do a stunt fall in rehearsal for a show. I didn't stretch and injured my back that day. Two months later I was in a small ATV accident. Fast forward to a year later, after taking too many advil and constant back/leg pain, I finally got an X-ray yesterday. The doctor said he thinks it is a herniated disk on my L5 where my spin and hip meet. This is a part that moves around whenever you shake your hips. He said I cannot dance until we get it figured out (pretty difficult when that is what you do for a living). I have doctor's note for work and hopefully will be excused from shows for a few days.

My question is what should I do for exercise? I have been doing Jillian Michael's work out DVD's but I know those are too intense for my back at the moment. Is there weight lifting or other machine's that I could be using? What about yoga? I have lost 15 pounds and it has taken me a long time to get there. I am terrified of gaining it all back while I try to get my back straightened out.

Pam3

i have the same thing for some time now....i bike or spin as my main cardio source.....good luck:flowerforyou:

calimari

I would visit a chiropractor for the back, get a list of exercised to strengthen it. Yoga is what I do for my back.

priescm

BUMP!!
I had a herniated disc a couple of years ago. It was pretty much too painful to do too much of anything. For a long time, the only exercising I could do was walk...and even that didn't turn out well most of the times. I ended up gaining 30 lbs throughout the experience....i've been really scared about re-injuring it now that I am trying to be more active. I never got the surgery and I still feel it sometimes when I stretch a certain way. Literally anything that streched my back caused horrible pain! My doctors told me it was the worse they had seen...especially in someone as young as I am. lol I would like to see what other people suggest! Good luck with recovery....TRUST ME, I can relate.

dieselbugparrot

I would suggest asking your doctor so you don't injure your back anymore. I think JM might be too intense for your back right now.

hwjssc

I have had 2 herniated disc in my back for 7 years now .. about the only excerise I can do is walking

aa1440

Not trying to sound mean but, did you ask your doctor about exercises?

You need to be careful with that herniated disk. And if the people you work with know you are doing all of these exercises they may question why you need an excuse from work.

mollybeslimmer

I know it is hard to rest and relax-but you need to be kind to yourself now till all is found out.
my whole back and 2 disks in my neck are bulging and 2 herniated.
yoga -mild and the stretching is very gentle. In fact heading back to that.
swimming-water is wonderful for back and neck injuries.
seek a good doctor/chiropractor.
walking is excellent-jut all in easy going movements .
good luck

mollybeslimmer

sorry for the double post

priescm

I know it is hard to rest and relax-but you need to be kind to yourself now till all is found out.
my whole back and 2 disks in my neck are bulging and 2 herniated.
yoga -mild and the stretching is very gentle. In fact heading back to that.
swimming-water is wonderful for back and neck injuries.
seek a good doctor/chiropractor.
walking is excellent-jut all in easy going movements .
good luck

Ah yes, I must agree with this! SWIMMING was an AMAZING relief on my back. That would probably be your best bet for exercising if you have access to a pool!

Frankie3333

Thank you for all the replies. I have stopped doing Jillian Michaels. My work let me stay out of the shows for the week but I am also a choreographer. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to rest as much as I would like. Right now I am pretty freaked out by those of you that have said you have been living with this for so long. My pain is constant and muscle relaxers and morphine don't even take that away.

I am just walking, doing light yoga, and will hopefully start hitting the pool next week. Wish me luck when I go in for my MRI tomorrow. If surgery is the only answer, I'll do it.

lkm111

Thank you for all the replies. I have stopped doing Jillian Michaels. My work let me stay out of the shows for the week but I am also a choreographer. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to rest as much as I would like. Right now I am pretty freaked out by those of you that have said you have been living with this for so long. My pain is constant and muscle relaxers and morphine don't even take that away.

I am just walking, doing light yoga, and will hopefully start hitting the pool next week. Wish me luck when I go in for my MRI tomorrow. If surgery is the only answer, I'll do it.

I have the same injury as well. Yoga and water exercise were great for me! You won't believe this, but my Wii Fit helped, too. I think it was because it helps with your center of balance and it made me use some smaller muscles that helped support the area around the disk.

I know how painful it is, I really hope it gets better soon!

Pebble321

I wouldn't do anything till you have checked with a health care professional - you need to make sure that you get specific advice for your particular situation - the last thing you want is to make it worse.
Good luck!

catherine1979

I herniated L3/L4 and L4/L5 a year and a half ago. The first thing you need to work on is strengthening your core so that you don't injure yourself again. If you can access a physiotherapist, they can help you with exercises that will strengthen the core and also keep your spine neutral to prevent further injury. For example, things like crunches are bad for a herniated disc because you are putting pressure on the disc. Good luck!

Frankie3333

Oh my goodness! How are you doing now? Did you have to have surgery?

I got my MRI and it turns out the disk is not herniated. It is in its proper space but it in a huge knot. I told the doctor, "are you kidding me? I've had this pain every day for over a year!" I am going to start PT on Monday and go back to my doctor to get some stronger muscle relaxers. He wanted me on complete bed rest, no walking, no stairs. I laughed and said "the campus I live on is covered in stairs. It is unavoidable." Resting the next few days.

Thank you so much. What sucks is that I've been doing crunches, Jillian videos, and Zumba. All strengthen your core but have been making my muscle knot bigger and bigger.