Exercising for Degenerative Disc Disease Relief
People who suffer with degenerative disc disease find that their daily activities can be quite limiting. It’s normal for a body’s intervertebral discs to degenerate naturally, which goes hand in hand with losing the flexibility within the spine they had at one time. It also increases a person’s risk to future injury.
However, for those with degenerative disc disease, the rate of loss in flexibility is much quicker than someone who does not have it. Just with age, we lose flexibility due to a decrease in the amount of water in our system as we age. For example, when we are born, our body consists of approximately 90% water, while it goes down to about 70% in our adult years, and even down to 50% by the age of 90. Add to that, we also naturally lose elastin, which is important in being able to stretch, and the lack of water and elastin contribute to disc degeneration.
The momentum of degenerative disc disease, especially in the lower back, can also accelerate as a result of years of bearing weight while twisting, or repetitive movements, such as heavy lifting on the job, or swinging a baseball bat or golf club when playing sports for years.
Its progression can also be influenced by a person’s daily activities. Poor nutrition and other activities such as drinking alcohol or caffeine can lead to dehydration, which as mentioned above can result in a lack of flexibility. Other medical conditions such as diabetes will also play a role in your ability to stay hydrated. So, a proper and healthy diet that replenishes the water is important.
However, exercise is also important to help with degenerative disc disease.
The symptoms can include a lingering ache in the back, burning pain, or sharp shooting pain with certain movements, such as bending or twisting. People who have this are often encouraged by physical therapists and physicians to not only improve their diet, but also to perform the proper exercises to help them gain back some of the flexibility and slow down the process as much as possible. Exercise encourages circulation, which is imperative for the body’s ability to deliver the appropriate nutrients and oxygen to tissue within the body in order to help rebuild it to a healthier state.
Strengthening for Relief and Support
Strengthening muscles in the back is critical in helping to stabilize the back, which in turn will help fend off future injury. An example of a strengthening exercise appropriate for degenerative disc disease is one that has you marching or stepping in place, while lying down. This is done by the following steps:
- Lie on your back
- Raise your knees
- Alternating, raise one leg at a time, about 3 to 4 inches up from the floor
- Hold each lift approximately 10 seconds
You can also do a reversal of this, by lying on your stomach, lifting your legs alternating them and holding each lift about 5 seconds. Or, you can lie on your back and lift your buttocks off the floor for approximately 10 seconds.
Each of the above exercises should be repeated about 10 times in the beginning, working up to 20 to 30 repetitions after you become better conditioned.
Stretching to Diminish Pressure on the Spine
Stretching is an important component of exercise when it comes to degenerative disc disease. It’s a way to gently manipulate your muscles and relieve some of the tension and pressure that builds up, especially in the lumbar spine for patients with degenerative disc disease.
However, it’s important to not hyperextend your spine, or to bounce while stretching. This could lead to unnecessary injury and have you out of commission for a while. A better way to stretch would be to move forward, with bending stretches like you would to bend downward to touch your toes.
An easy form of an appropriate stretching exercise for degenerative disc disease would be to lie down on your back, and then slowly lift your knees to your chest, or as far as your body will allow, lengthening the muscles along the spine as you stretch. This movement helps to take pressure off the nerves which tend to be compressed by discs that are damaged.
Frequent Low Impact Exercise
Low impact exercises such as walking, swimming, or using a stationary bike are great ways to stimulate your circulation, which plays a significant role in our overall health, including issues of the spine, discs, and nerve within the back.
These exercises can be done easily and often, without causing too much strain on the back while performing them. Make sure to hold in your abdominal muscles during the activity to get optimal results of your effort. And, strengthening the abdominal area helps to support your back.
Physical Therapy and Degenerative Disc Disease
If you are in physical therapy as a result of degenerative disc disease, your therapist will guide you into the most appropriate exercises for your specific situation. Your routine might include some of the exercises mentioned above, as well as some yoga, Pilates, and other exercises to help with mobility and range of motion.