Hernia of the lumbar spine: signs, causes, treatment and a set of exercises

In the article, we consider the signs of a hernia of the lumbar spine .

Among the many complications of osteochondrosis, lumbar intervertebral hernia is most common. What are the reasons for its development? How is it manifested? What is the danger of intervertebral hernia? Is it possible to recover without surgery and what are the treatment options?

Causes of hernia and symptoms

The vertebrae of the lumbar spine (five in total) perform the function of depreciation and are connected by intervertebral discs. When a hernia occurs, the disc protrudes, the nerve is compressed, and pain occurs, which must be removed as soon as possible. The causes of signs of hernia of the lumbar spine are the following factors:

• excessive loads;
• genetic specificity of the ligamentous apparatus from birth;
• beveled pelvis;
• inflammatory process of the sciatic nerve;
• radiculopathy;
• scoliosis and osteochondrosis;
• severe physical exertion;
• injuries
• bad habits;
• inactive lifestyle.

A person’s disease manifests itself in the form of: stiffness in the lumbar region, pain in the upper part of the lower extremities, weakness of the big toe, toes go numb after long sitting, goose bumps on the lower extremities.

Symptoms of an intervertebral hernia of the lumbar spine should not go unnoticed.

What is dangerous hernia?

If there is no adequate treatment, then the load from the inflamed area will go to the segments located nearby, due to which new hernias form. If the situation is especially difficult, there may be paralysis of the pelvic region or limbs.

Treatment specifics

If signs of a hernia of the lumbar spine have been diagnosed, the specialist will first choose conservative methods of treatment. If they are ineffective for a long time, then surgical intervention is necessary.

Therapy of the lumbar intervertebral hernia without surgery is done in several stages. First, bed rest is prescribed, analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. As soon as the acute symptoms disappear, other therapeutic methods are used. If you strictly follow all the doctor’s recommendations during therapy and rehabilitation, you can achieve a stable remission until the end of the patient’s life.

It is important to understand that a consequence of a hernia of the lumbar spine can be a disease such as sciatica.

Mode

In the acute period of pathology, it is required to exclude physical activity and adhere to bed rest. The restriction of movements eliminates the load from the spine, relieves the patient from pain and colic. It is forbidden to sit and stand up for a long time. It is only allowed to raise legs and arms, rotate with feet and hands, make circular movements with the head.

Drug therapy

With medical treatment, several groups of drugs are used that are selected by a doctor. It is forbidden to engage in self-medication in any case, it can cause an exacerbation of the disease.

To stop the pain, apply drugs sold only on prescription:

• strong painkillers;
• weak analgesics;
• narcotic analgesics.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs not only eliminate pain syndrome, but also relieve inflammation and fever. Recently, new drugs have begun to be used - inhibitors characterized by a prolonged effect. That is why they are taken once a day.

Muscle relaxants, which act directly on the patient’s central nervous system, can help relax spasmodic muscles.

Vitamin complexes are able to improve the condition in general and strengthen immunity. To accelerate their influence and rapidly increase the content of blood, it is advisable to make injections intravenously and intramuscularly.

Topical preparations

The main complex of medicines is supplemented with local preparations - creams, ointments and gels. They must penetrate through the epidermis and several layers of space inside. That is why a high dosage is needed.

There are several types of ointments:

• improving blood circulation;
• warming;
• anesthetizing;
• anti-inflammatory non-steroidal.

Physiotherapy

Non-surgical therapy of the intervertebral hernia of the lower back without fail includes physiotherapeutic procedures that will eliminate the pain syndrome, weaken the inflammation processes, and have a beneficial effect on the general condition.

With intervertebral hernia of the lower back:

• electrophoresis with karipain and papain - act on the body with constant pulses of electricity, which accelerates drug penetration;
• mud treatment - applied to the lower back or wrap with a film, carry out the procedure for two weeks, the course is repeated after a two-week break;
• exposure to ultrasound - through sound waves the necessary drugs are introduced into the body;
• EHF - extremely high-frequency therapy - uses electromagnetic current, which is characterized by a high frequency;
• interstitial electrical stimulation - an electric current is released through the skin cover to the intervertebral discs, which helps to relax muscles;
• phonophoresis - drugs are applied to the skin, then they are affected by ultrasound to accelerate the ingress of active ingredients into the patient's body;
• magnetotherapy - a magnetic field is applied, which can penetrate into the cells;
• shock wave therapy - direct acoustic (shock) waves to the body, which find damaged cells in the body and remove calcium salts from there;
• laser therapy - the radiation of light coming from the laser heats the tissues that surround the affected area.

Physiotherapeutic procedures are performed at home, but for this you need to purchase the necessary equipment.

Massage

Massage is done only during remission, using essential oils with a calming effect. It activates the blood movement, relaxes and stretches the muscles. All movements should be gentle and careful. Sharp pressure is contraindicated.

Alternative treatment of a hernia of the lumbar spine

Drug treatment can be supplemented with folk remedies: tinctures, decoctions and compresses.

Outdoor use. One gram of mummy, previously dissolved in boiled water, is mixed with 100 grams of honey. The body is rubbed with fir oil and after that the honey mass is applied with patting movements. It is advisable to treat the skin with Finalgon. Then they go to bed and wrap themselves well. The procedure is repeated twenty days.

Three kilograms of birch leaves are poured with olive or corn oil (one liter). The can is tightly closed and placed in a warm dark place (preferably near the battery) for two weeks. The mixture is shaken from time to time. The infusion is filtered and used as an ointment for hernia.

What else involves the treatment of a hernia of the lumbar spine without surgery?

Internal application

Rosehip is brewed with boiling water, leaving to infuse for 30-40 minutes. You need to drink 120 milliliters before eating.

Twenty grams of bran is poured with water in an amount of 800 milliliters, then boiled for forty minutes. Every day they drink everything, dividing into three parts. It must be heated before use.

Greens and chamomile flowers in an amount of 20 grams need to be steamed with 200 milliliters of boiling water. Insist for an hour. Before meals, drink three times a day. The broth will eliminate inflammation of the affected area.

What exercises for a hernia of the lumbar spine can be done?

Physiotherapy

All physical exercises are allowed to be done only a week after the elimination of acute symptoms. Movements should be smooth and slow. Excessive exertion and jerking should be avoided.

The most effective effect on a lumbar hernia is swimming. If you can’t visit the pool, you can do it at home. A set of exercises is selected individually by a physiotherapist.

Exercise complex

In order to develop and strengthen the functional abilities of the spine, the following set of exercises was developed for a hernia of the lumbar spine:

• Lying on your back, bend your legs slightly and extend your arms along the torso. Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• As in the first paragraph, take the starting position, but extend the legs. Raise the body without lifting the legs off the floor, lower the body.
• Bend your legs, lie on your back and stretch your right arm forward, putting a brush on your left knee. Holding the hand with resistance, bend the left leg.

Bubnovsky exercises

What exercises for a hernia of the lumbar spine according to the Bubnovsky technique are shown?

Specialist-kinesiologist Bubnovsky created his own set of exercises. The goal is to eliminate the consequences of a hernia of the lumbar spine.

1. Birch - lying on your back, raise your hands up. The specialist fastens the legs with a cable to the MTV simulator, the patient raises the pelvis and legs to a position perpendicular to the head.
2. The same birch, just the opposite. Everything is done as in the first position, but it is necessary to turn the legs on the simulator.
3. Frog - the patient lies on his stomach, stretches his arms forward, the doctor fixes the simulator with a weight on one leg. Bend the lower limb, making movements like a frog.
4. An exercise in which one leg is fixed - lift the leg without bending.
5. With the use of the block - the patient lies on his back and moves down and up with his straight leg, lifting weight.
6. Elastic bandage in an exercise for the spine. For training to strengthen the muscles of the lower back during the treatment of hernia of the spine, elastic bandages are used. They are fixed to the latch, then they are taken by the free ends with their hands and do a series of exercises:

- Stand in the middle of the bandage and hold its ends in your hands. Raise your arms to your shoulders, trying to overcome the resistance.

- The patient sits on the bench and fixes his legs under it, the bandage is fixed on the belt. Then it unbends back, bends the elbows, leads them behind the back.

- The bandage is fixed below the waist, the patient leans forward and holds his back straight. Hands are pulled back, the back does not bend.

Forbidden exercises

Although physical training seems extremely simple, some exercises can harm a patient with an intervertebral hernia in the lumbar segment. General principles of physical activity that are prohibited:

• sharply move the body;
• to do weightlifting;
• run with decelerations and accelerations;
• sharply load the lower back;
• raise sports equipment that weigh more than five kilograms;
• take part in sports competitions;
• bend over without bending your knees.

Manual therapy for hernia of the lumbar spine

If there is a lesion in the spine, traditional manual treatment is contraindicated. To achieve a positive result, reflexology, kinesiology and osteopathy are used. An osteopath exerts an influence on the central nervous system with the help of hands. The session lasts thirty minutes. The treatment course is from 10 to 12 days.

What other methods of treatment for a hernia of the lumbar spine are popular?

Acupuncture

This technique combines ancient knowledge and the latest technology. Very thin medical needles are installed in biologically active points during the procedure, which are connected to a special device that produces electrical impulses. Thanks to this, the effectiveness of acupuncture is greatly enhanced.

Treatment of an intervertebral hernia of the lumbar spine should be timely.

Spa treatment

Sanatorium-resort treatment has a beneficial effect on the body, but only during remission.

In sanatoriums, most often patients are offered:

• massage;
• preventive physical education;
• oxygen cocktails;
• mud baths.

During all procedures, medical personnel monitor the condition of patients.

According to reviews, surgery for a hernia of the spine of the lumbar is very effective.

Surgical treatment

In the treatment of vertebral hernia, surgery is an extreme measure. It is prescribed in case of partial or complete paralysis with a defect in the activity of internal organs, including the spinal cord. In addition, the operation is performed if the conservative therapy is ineffective or the patient's condition worsens, and muscle weakness increases. There are two ways to perform operations on the vertebral hernia of the lumbar region:

• Diskotomy is an easy non-traumatic operation when the surgeon cuts a hernia from a damaged disk.
• Laminectomy is a more complicated operation, when the region of bone vertebral tissue is removed, the canal of the spinal cord or a narrowed opening between the vertebrae expand. It features a long rehabilitation period.

Rehabilitation with a hernia of the spine of the lumbar is of great importance.

Rehabilitation

Surgical intervention eliminates the source of symptoms that appear in the patient and forces him to consult a doctor. But eradicating such signs of all problems does not solve. It is necessary to deal with the consequences of the main disease. Rehabilitation techniques are aimed at this very task. It is important to return a person to an active working and everyday life.

The period after surgery is divided into the following stages:

• the first two weeks - the early period after surgery;
• from the 14th to the 32nd days - the postoperative late period.

From two months after the operation, a delayed period begins. It is very important during rehabilitation for a hernia of the lumbar spine to be under the strict integrated control of a neurologist, surgeon, rehabilitologist and other narrowly specialized doctors according to the patient’s testimony.

A hernia of the intervertebral disc causes the patient great discomfort due to significant pain syndrome and limited mobility. After surgery, he will feel pounded and helpless (following the schedule of medical examinations and rules, taking medications, etc.), which may lead to a state of depression. In such a situation, it is impossible to do without a therapist.

It is necessary to use a special corset after the operation, which will be an excellent prevention of the occurrence of a relapse of the disease.

A course of physiotherapy, massage and physiotherapy exercises is prescribed to the patient.

Gymnastics is done from the first day after the operation. Individually select a set of recovery exercises, which is performed under the supervision of a doctor or instructor.

The basic principles of physical education in the period after the operation - a gradual increase in load and regularity.

It is contraindicated for the patient to lift weights weighing more than 2-3 kilograms with one hand for three months after surgery.

Limit prolonged sitting for three months after the intervention.

It is necessary to exclude outdoor games in which there are sharp movements.

It is advisable to refuse from smoking and alcohol for the entire rehabilitation period.

Below we consider reviews of a hernia of the spine of the lumbar spine.

Prevention, reviews

With the effectiveness of the treatment of vertebral hernia of the lumbar, it is important to adhere to a number of recommendations of doctors in order to prevent exacerbations, complications and relapses: avoid strong stress on the back; control changes in the spine; Do not sit for long and monitor your posture; slowly and smoothly sit down from a lying position, get up - from a sitting position. Get out of vehicles without sudden shocks. Sleep on a wooden board with a simple mattress or on an orthopedic mattress. Wear a special orthopedic corset and belt made of dog hair. Prevent hypothermia.

According to reviews, a hernia of the spine of the lumbar can cause very great discomfort.

To prevent the appearance of a vertebral hernia of the lower back, experts advise observing a number of recommendations:

• do sport;
• walk more often;
• control posture;
• at the computer work, sitting on a chair. If forced to sit for a long time, get up and take breaks;
• do gymnastics;
• evenly distribute weight when lifting weights;
• include fish, beef, chicken and dairy products in your diet. Do not eat spicy, canned, fried;
• give up cigarettes.

Treatment of lumbar hernia, therefore, should be comprehensive. It includes both the use of medicines and massage, exercise therapy, manual procedures.Of great importance belongs to a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and rational stress. Patients say that only the combined influence of these factors helped them quickly get rid of the pathology without relapse.

We examined the signs of a hernia of the lumbar spine and methods of treating pathology.