herniated discs

It depends on the severity of your herniation. I'd ask a physical therapist because it really could vary depending on how long it's been and how bad it is. I've had crunches hurt my back, and deadlifts/ squats hurt as well.


The least amount of back pressure I can think of would be hanging leg raises and planks.

I had an L3/4 microlaminectomy, and the discs below look dodgy as well. I've felt your pain!

Obviously, pay attention to what your back is telling you and any medical advice.

I had excellent success with (thanks to multiple PTs pushing them consistently):
1. *crunches*, both center and side - keeping them low (only raising shoulders, never higher). What made it work was really focusing on tightening my abs and pressing my lower back to the floor the whole time.
2. On a bad day, I can only do the very first breathing exercise in this video, & consider it to be a useful staple item http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/workout-detail/17-Minute-Pilates-Core-Series-Workout/8n/
3. Don't know what it's called but lay on your back, put your hands on the floor out to the side, and bend your knees like you're sitting in a chair. Now roll left & right, keeping upper body still. It's okay to let knees open a little if you need to.
4. On your back, on the floor, hands just barely under lower back curve (don't shove your hands underneath - they're just a reminder to keep your back down, really). Legs straight up in the air (you look like a letter "L"). Now lift your heels to the ceiling. It's only a 1/2-2" range of motion - works the lower abs.

And of course be extremely respectful of anything that annoys your back. Planks were not in the cards for mine, even though they're fantastic for your core. But hanging leg raises? Perfectly okay!

Always keep in mind that you may be able to do more as you progress. If an exercise is off the menu now, it might be doable later. You can still be really active, just gotta find your new groove!

ETA: Huge YMMV! I noted the things that have been helpful for *me* as a starting point. Hopefully others will chime in, and you'll have to see what works for you :-)

Depends on how bad the herniation is.

1. Mild disc herniations tend to heal in about 3 months, if allowed to heal that is.
2. If you are experiencing:
numbness/tingling/sharp shooting pain/ down your leg, past the knee, this is usually a symptom of disc herniation. If you get the same symptoms over the front of your thigh to the knee, it usually is suggestive of herniation at the l234 levels, typically discs herniate at l45 l5s1.
3. Are your discs actually herniated? An xray or ultrasound will not demonstrate this. MRI is the gold standard to diagnose this. I would avoid Dr. Googling your symptoms and seek out the help of a health professional
4. True disc herniations tend to cause the most pain with sitting/squatting, you'd also have a positive straight leg raise test on both legs. In other words, if your leg pain past the knee increases with squatting, sitting, deadlifting, leaning forward while seated, it likely it is a disc (although some muscles in the glutes can reproduce similar symptoms without nerve irritation0.
5. Don't do squatting/deadlift, forward flexion exercises until you are healed, try extension exercises, similar to the yoga cobra pose to see if that helps.
6. See a health professional
7. Leg pain increases=back irritation/inflammation worsening. Leg pain decreases=cause of symptoms less irritated/inflammed
8. Start with transverse abdominus (pelvic floor strengthening, similar to kiegels) avoid crunches. Try plank as tolerated.