Degenerative dystrophic changes in the spinal column currently affect patients of all ages. Many of them are young, active people who are mainly engaged in sedentary work and therefore do not have the opportunity to regularly provide sufficient physical activity to the muscular frame of the back.
They are concerned about the question of whether, with a lumbar hernia, it is possible to continue to lead an active lifestyle or whether it is better to give up some usual activities. In order to give a full answer to this common question, we suggest that you first become familiar with what a hernia is and why it appears in a particular part of the spinal column.
Having learned about the pathological changes occurring in individual structures of the spine, it will be easier to understand whether it is possible to perform this or that action with a hernia of the lumbar spine. In the article we will also talk about how to correctly approach the complex treatment of a hernia, what methods should be used, and what should be abandoned.
So, an intervertebral hernia is a protrusion of the nucleus pulposus through a rupture of the fibrous ring. The intervertebral disc consists of a dense cartilaginous fibrous ring, inside which the nucleus pulposus is located. This structure does not have its own capillary blood network. Nutrition is received partially through diffuse exchange with the endplates located between it and the vertebral body. Partially, the liquid and nutrients dissolved in it arrive through diffuse exchange with the paravertebral muscles located along the spine. When they contract, a small amount of intercellular fluid is released. It is absorbed by the cartilage fibers of the fibrous ring.
If this process is disrupted due to the fact that the paravertebral muscles do not receive sufficient and regular physical activity, then the fibrous ring becomes dehydrated and loses its elasticity. This is the stage of osteochondrosis or dorsopathy itself. Then, if treatment is not carried out, the following complications develop:
- protrusion of the intervertebral disc (the dehydrated fibrous ring begins to take fluid from the corpus pulposus of the nucleus pulposus, it loses its shape, the height of the disc decreases and the area increases);
- extrusion (cracks and ruptures appear in a disc that has lost its physiological shape, but the nucleus pulposus does not come out);
- intervertebral hernia (a part of the nucleus pulposus emerges through a crack formed in the fibrous ring);
- sequestration of a hernia (separation of part of the nucleus pulposus and its free movement along the spinal column or inside the spinal canal).
In the last stage, surgery is required to restore the patient's health. All other types of complications can be successfully treated using manual therapy methods. If you require such medical assistance, then make an appointment for a free appointment with a neurologist or vertebrologist at our manual therapy clinic in Moscow. The specialist will conduct an examination, review the results of the examinations and tell you what can and cannot be done in your clinical case. An individual course of restorative therapy will also be developed, which will completely cure an intervertebral hernia in the lumbar spine.
Is it possible to do massage with a lumbar hernia?
The most common question that patients ask: is it possible to do massage with a hernia of the lumbar spinal column? The answer to this depends on where the procedure will be performed and by whom. You cannot perform a massage on your own in such a condition, and you should not trust your health to massage therapists who do not have a medical education.
A hernia is a serious complication of osteochondrosis. It can lead to disability, complete or partial paralysis of the lower limbs. Incorrect actions by a massage therapist who does not have knowledge of anatomy and physiology can lead to the hernial protrusion either increasing in size or sequestering (tearing off from the disc). Both situations may require emergency surgery.
Is it possible to perform massage for a lumbar hernia in a specialized clinic? Definitely yes. This procedure is included in almost all recovery programs. It has the following positive effects:
- microcirculation of blood and lymphatic fluid increases;
- the recovery process is accelerated;
- diffuse nutrition is partially normalized;
- muscle spasm along the spinal column is eliminated.
Properly performed massage speeds up the healing process. But it is not enough for full treatment. In our manual therapy clinic, treatment begins with a traction procedure of the spinal column. The spaces between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae increase. Then osteopathy and massage, therapeutic exercises, kinesiotherapy and reflexology are prescribed. All this together gives a positive result. If you do only massage, you can relieve pain and partially relieve muscle spasms, but you will not be able to completely cure an intervertebral hernia.
Contraindications
Let's consider several contraindications for which it is prohibited to warm up a herniated disc:
- Inflammatory processes in the body.
- The membranes of the spinal cord are compressed.
- Temperature.
- The presence of neoplasms and painful symptoms.
These are the main contraindications that apply to all categories of patients. In addition to such recommendations, individual contraindications are identified in a specific clinical situation, so it is necessary to consult with a specialist before starting such therapy. Warming is considered a controversial way to eliminate a hernia , so care must be taken when choosing such a therapeutic effect.
Is it possible to steam with a lumbar hernia?
Another popular question: is it possible to steam with a lumbar hernia in a bathhouse and sauna, why is it dangerous? It is not recommended to visit the bathhouse or sauna if you have such a disease. This is dangerous because the inflammatory reaction in the area of the hernial protrusion will intensify. In case of degenerative dystrophic processes in the spinal column, heat is indicated. But it must be dry. In a bath or sauna, the impact is too strong. Excessive dilation of blood vessels occurs. In the area of the hernia, inflammatory swelling of the soft tissue begins. Compression of the radicular nerves occurs. The patient's pain increases.
How can a bath be dangerous for patients with intervertebral hernia:
- paravertebral muscles (located along the spinal column) take on part of the physical load and hold the vertebral bodies at a certain distance;
- when exposed to moist hot air, the muscles relax;
- the spaces between the vertebral bodies are sharply reduced;
- compression pressure begins to be exerted on the damaged intervertebral disc;
- the hernia can quickly increase in size.
Therefore, doctors do not recommend visiting the bathhouse or sauna until the integrity of the damaged intervertebral disc is restored.
Features of the disease
A hernia often appears as a consequence of scoliosis and osteochondrosis. Also, an intervertebral hernia can appear as a result of injury, excess weight, which places a serious load on the spine and all joints, and a sedentary lifestyle, especially in people who are forced to remain in a static position for a long time.
In severe cases, surgery is indicated, which negatively affects the entire body and can contribute to a deterioration in overall health.
Depending on where in the spine the disease is localized, certain symptoms can be identified. A hernia in the lumbar region is accompanied by pain in the same area radiating to the lower extremities. Nausea, dizziness, and pain in the neck and shoulders indicate a cervical hernia. Pain in the chest area and heart characterizes a herniation of the thoracic part of the spinal column.
Is it possible to play sports with a lumbar hernia?
The next question is: is it possible to play sports with a lumbar hernia if it is in remission and pain does not bother you? The answer is negative. You cannot engage in any sports if the integrity of the intervertebral discs is damaged. This is fraught with the development of a number of serious complications.
The fact is that any sport (except chess and checkers) involves tension in the muscular frame of the back. As a result of its spasm, blood microcirculation is disrupted and there is an increased mechanical load on the tissues of the spinal column. sudden movements, falls, jumps - all this can provoke an increase in the size of the hernia or its separation from the nucleus pulposus.
Before you start playing sports, you must undergo a course of rehabilitation and recovery. It is important to understand that if osteochondrosis has already reached such a stage that the integrity of the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc has been damaged, then diffuse nutrition will not simply be restored. It is necessary to carry out procedures to reduce the hernial protrusion, restore the integrity of the fibrous ring and start the process of diffuse nutrition of the cartilaginous tissues of the spine. This can be done using manual therapy methods.
Make an appointment for a free appointment with a vertebrologist at our clinic. Get a free consultation about rehabilitation treatment. Doctors will give you comprehensive individual recommendations that will help you return to your normal lifestyle as quickly as possible.
Rules for visiting the bathhouse
- With such a pathology, it is not allowed to use cool water or wipe with snow, even if the disease is not exacerbating;
- Monitor the temperature of the water, it is important that it is at room temperature (for dousing);
- Also keep the temperature in the room under control, about 45°;
- Do not exceed the time spent in the steam room, the approximate time is up to 15 minutes;
- After taking water procedures, you need to get dressed or wrap yourself in a blanket and stay in this position for about one hour so that the body does not cool down immediately and complications do not arise;
- After such events, do not walk on the street;
- The following approach can have a good effect in case of a vertebral hernia: stay in the steam room at a temperature of no more than 45º, then pour water over the body at 20°C for 10 minutes. After these activities, it is recommended to warm up again. This will protect your spine and hernia from sudden temperature changes;
- Warming up the hernia is also useful because with this disease there is a strong muscle spasm, as a result of which small capillaries are compressed, blood circulates with difficulty, especially in the affected area, and this is a secondary factor, which also causes an increase in pain. By the way, it is also possible to heat the sore spot with the help of sunlight, but here, just like in the bathhouse, you need to adhere to the rules of warming up - warm your back for no more than 15 minutes. In addition, warming up the back in the sun promotes the production of vitamin D, which is so necessary for our bones;
- Acute phase of any disease;
- If a sequestered hernia is observed. When the nucleus pulposus does not simply fall out into the spinal canal, but a small piece is separated from it. In this situation, the steam room is a direct contraindication, since heating such a hernia leads to serious consequences - a sequestered hernia often leads to disability;
- Severe compression of nerve canals;
- Feverish state;
- Painful sensations of unknown origin;
- Oncological disease;
- You should not go to the steam room after drinking alcoholic beverages or eating a large meal.
Is it possible to run with a lumbar hernia?
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to run with a lumbar hernia will also be negative. Any fall, twisted leg, incorrect landing - all this is dangerous because paralysis of the lower part of the body can occur.
Therefore, you should not guess whether it is possible to run with a lumbar hernia; it is better to undergo full treatment and only after that return to your usual activities. During the period of therapy, it is better to avoid extreme physical activity on the lower limbs and back.
Is it possible to do a plank for a lumbar hernia?
Does the plank help with a lumbar hernia? Is it possible to do this exercise to strengthen the back muscles? Only the attending physician can answer this question. The fact is that for certain localizations of hernial protrusion, such an exercise really helps to strengthen the muscle frame and speed up the healing process. But for most hernias of the lumbar spine, the bar is strictly prohibited, since it significantly increases the risk of developing sequestration.
Is it possible to squat with a lumbar hernia?
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to squat with a lumbar hernia is positive. Physical activity on the lower extremities increases blood flow and improves the general condition of the back muscles. Therefore, if you do not know whether you can squat with a lumbar hernia, then follow the rule: if this exercise does not cause you pain, then do it. But it’s better to have someone nearby who can back you up if it’s difficult to rise from a squat position. It is also recommended to use a special lumbar corset, which will protect the back muscles from excessive physical stress.
Warmer
A heating pad is one of the other methods of warming up a hernia that anyone can use. Tension is relieved from the muscle corset, swelling is eliminated, and pain in the damaged area is reduced. The water in the heating pad should be warm. You can use the device together with a woolen scarf to provide gentle heating of the damaged area.
Under no circumstances should you place boiling water on a sore spot . Heat treatment should be moderate and slow. It is possible to use several heating pads to ensure symmetrical heating and coverage of a wide area.
If the water in the heating pad cools down, the compresses can be removed; similar procedures are performed daily for 2-3 hours.
Is it possible to get pregnant and give birth with a lumbar hernia?
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to become pregnant with a lumbar hernia is likely to be negative, since during the growth of the fetus, undesirable changes will occur in the position of the vertebral bodies of the lumbosacral spine. Violation of the integrity of the fibrous ring will have an extremely adverse effect. A sharp increase in the size of the hernial protrusion and its sequestration are possible. Emergency surgery may be required to prevent the mother-to-be from becoming paralyzed. Therefore, knowing that there is a lumbar hernia, it is better to plan pregnancy for the period after full recovery.
One more question: is it possible to give birth with a lumbar hernia? It is often asked by women whose hernia has formed during pregnancy. In most cases, the doctor decides to perform a planned cesarean section in order to avoid extreme physical stress on the lower back during labor.
All services and pricesMake an appointment
Next article —>
Is it possible with radiculitis...
