What is an intervertebral hernia and how to treat it? Intervertebral hernia: symptoms, causes, treatment

A herniated disc is a pathology that occurs due to degenerative processes in the spinal column that last for more than one year. Patients with a vertebral hernia note that they had felt it for a long time, but did not attach any importance to it until the critical moment of the disease arrived.

A herniation can form in any spinal disc. Pressure on the spinal cord causes constant suffering and interferes with the normal functioning of internal systems. To regain health, you need to reconsider your regimen and change your lifestyle.

A person with a predisposition to hernia may long months avoid heavy loads, but just one significant effort - and the fibrous ring will shift or rupture.

general information

Intervertebral discs in humans are strong, but still some anatomical features lead to a hernia. Firstly, they lack any blood vessels. Second, nutrients come from the tissue surrounding the disc. That is why we can name several reasons for rupture of the fibrous ring:

1. Little movement. It is during movement that the greatest amount enters the disks. nutrients. And their lack leads to both a decrease in the strength of the disc and its rupture.
2. Carrying heavy objects. This also includes one-time lifting of an object. large mass.
3. Working in a position that is incorrect for the spine.
4. Genetic factor.
5. There are other reasons: smoking, excess body weight, high growth

Unfortunately, it is not possible to immediately identify a hernia - people mainly come when pain appears, that is, at the second stage of the development of the disease.

What are the symptoms of the disease:

• Pain in the leg, as well as weakness in moving it (first of all, it is difficult to move the foot, straighten/bend the knee).
• (basically it is the one that occurs first, and sciatica occurs after a few weeks, or even months).
• Wrong gait.
• Disturbed urination.
• The perineal area is slightly numb.

Symptoms vary depending on where in the spine the hernia occurs.

A hernia does not immediately make itself felt, so it is often discovered for the first time during an MRI. For diagnosis, the neurosurgeon refers to CT and radiography.

Treatment

A hernia can be treated, you just need to follow your doctor’s recommendations. After all, it is mainly treated conservatively, and only in severe cases surgery is needed.

For effective treatment, it is first necessary bed rest or at least without heavy loads for 8–10 weeks. You will also have to use NSAIDs (although the course does not exceed 20 days). This could be Movalis, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Olfen, Voltaren, Dikloberl, etc. But the drugs only relieve pain, and do not treat.

Effective therapy would be:

1. HILT therapy – it helps to reduce a hernia.
2. Hiwamat.
3. Laser therapy MLS.
4. Massage.

But treatment must be accompanied by exercise therapy (if the pain is not very severe). Since they can be done at home, it is worth talking about these methods in more detail.

You need to pay attention not only to complex and expensive procedures, but also to recommendations that seem simple.

Gymnastics

Severe, all-consuming back pain after physical activity is the main symptom of the spine. It is typical that the patient is worried not only about the damaged area, but also about the arm or leg. It seems that something is hurting in my leg too, although it is not clear what or why. This is an illusion that arises due to the characteristics of the transmission of nerve signals to the brain centers.

A lumbar hernia does not harm the leg. But the pain can be debilitating. Therefore, after the completion of the first painful impulse, you need to start doing it.

Observe the following rules:

1. Do not try to start traction until the pain in the affected part of the spine has passed.
2. Until your doctor determines the direction of the annulus fibrosus displacement, be extremely careful. Pay more attention to exercise, not causing pain. If it’s too difficult to do, don’t be zealous, put it off for later.
3. Do not twist the body. Movements along such a complex amplitude are contraindicated in case of a vertebral hernia.
4. You should not do more than one or two exercises at a time. A damaged spine needs rest. But treatment also requires periodic training, so distribute the movements that suit you into three to six approaches and practice several times a day.

Any exercise, be it exercise therapy, fitness, aerobics or even regular running, can not be started immediately, but only a couple of weeks after the pain first appears.

Exercises for pain relief

Leg pain does not usually occur with injury cervical region spine. - a characteristic sign of lumbar hernia. Let's consider movements that will help immediately get rid of pain in the leg or arm:

1. Lie on your back on a straight, hard, inclined surface. The best choice is a wide, strong board, the top edge of which is set at about a hundred centimeters from the floor. You can lean the board against a stable table or windowsill. For reliable fixation, you can attach straps to the board, focusing on the width of your shoulders. Place your hands through the straps and relax. Place a rolled blanket or pillow under your knees. Maintain this position for five to twenty minutes. Make sure that the stretching does not cause pain. If the position increases leg pain, try placing the board on a lower support (such as a bed or coffee table).
2. Lie on your stomach on a low stool so that part of the shoulder region and pelvis are suspended. Transfer the weight of your body to your arms and legs. Try to relax completely; your muscles should not feel tense. Breathe slowly and deeply, making the most of your upper section respiratory system. Maintain this position for at least five minutes.
3. If the pain is limited to one leg, try lateral traction. Lie down on healthy side, placing a blanket roll under the area parallel to the site of the hernia. Slightly stretch your upper body back and push your lower body forward, as if you were going to roll over onto your stomach. Avoiding twisting, find the optimal stretching position and relax. Maintain the pose for up to fifteen to twenty minutes. If the limb still hurts after the fifth minute, stop and move on to the next exercise.
4. Gently squat down, then straighten your arms and get on all fours. Straighten your back and make several circles around the room without bending your elbows. Look strictly straight, follow the sensations. If the pain begins to radiate into the limb again, stop immediately and stretch out on your back.
5. Lie on your back on a flat, straight surface. Straighten your arms and legs. Start stretching your toes towards you, at the same time stretch your chin and reach it towards your chest. Hold for as long as you can, then relax for five to ten seconds and repeat, reducing the time you hold the tension by at least half.

Each movement from this complex (both active and passive) is involved in straightening the spine. In the first days after the injury, these exercises will bring relief and significantly reduce pain.

Complete treatment of a hernia requires comprehensive measures. If you do only the simplest movements, the spinal column will not be able to begin to recover.

General exercises

Treatment of a hernia is impossible without strengthening the back muscles. An injured spine needs all the support it can get. But going to the gym on the first day after an injury will not work. If you do not want to harm yourself, follow these precautions:

• Don't try too hard. Treatment should proceed gradually. If you overdo it, the injury will make itself known, and you will not be able to exercise for several more weeks. During this time, the muscle fibers will weaken, and achieving results will be even more difficult.
• Increase the load gradually during one session. Even if the exercises are easy for you, start with an extremely short amplitude. This will help you warm up and replace the warm-up that you can't do yet.
• Avoid putting stress on damaged areas of your back. If you feel tension and pain when performing a movement, it is better to remove it from the program (or consult your doctor). Perhaps you are doing the exercise incorrectly, or perhaps this type of load is contraindicated for you. Exercise with caution so as not to aggravate existing problems.

Treatment should alternate between muscle tension and complete rest. The spine recovers faster if it does not receive stress during the day in addition to therapeutic exercises. Why is this happening? To restore blood circulation in a sore spot, you need to make special movements. But daily overloads exhaust the daily resource of internal systems, and effective recovery there is no more energy left.

The following exercises provide effective hernia treatment:

1. Lie on your back and pull your legs towards you with your knees bent. Transfer your body weight to your shoulder blades and feet. Start doing slow, smooth lifts of the pelvis up. Avoid jerking. Repeat 4 times.
2. Get on your knees, stretch out your arms and lean on them. Relax your body as much as possible, then stretch forward and up with your left arm, back and up with your right leg. Do five repetitions on each side.
3. Lie on your stomach and place your hands under your head. Stretch your shoulders upward without lifting your legs and abs from the floor. Hold for five counts, then lower. Repeat three times. Those who find the exercise too simple should do a more complicated version. Straighten your arms and stretch them along your body. As you rise and inhale, stretch your palms back.

Complex loads will help you cope with a hernia faster. After just a couple of weeks, your doctor may recommend swimming as your main exercise.

Remember that the spine is only extended into its natural position when swimming on the backstroke or crawl. Other styles require muscle tension and twisting, which is very harmful for spinal injuries.

Recovery

In order for the spine to have the opportunity to recover, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for it. Hernia of the spine is associated with excessive physical activity, but professional athletes encounter this problem much more often than patients who neglected exercise. Spinal discs heal better when the following conditions are met:

1. Drink plenty of fluids. Doctors recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of clean water a day, but rarely does anyone follow this recommendation. Coffee and sugary sodas do not sufficiently replenish the natural loss of moisture during the day.
2. . A spinal hernia makes it difficult to maintain a straight back position, especially if the lesion is in the lumbar region. But it is still necessary to try to straighten your shoulders. It is important to monitor the position of the spinal column throughout the day. Some patients with a hernia have a beautiful, trained gait, but as soon as they sit down at the table, their posture literally falls apart before their eyes. By allowing the spine to curve, you increase the affected area. An upright position helps your back heal without having to lie in bed for weeks.
3. Exercises. In the first hours after injury, movement is contraindicated for the patient. But then a long recovery process begins, during which the body needs periodic exercise.

Treatment of a hernia requires strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations and a responsible attitude to the daily routine. Lumbar injuries are not fatal, but many patients suffer from a hernia for years because they do not monitor their body position during the day and do not drink enough fluids.

Neglecting the basic rules for recovery from a lumbar hernia can aggravate existing problems and lead to a new injury.

Diet

Balanced diet can work wonders in treating the cervical and lumbar spine. Recovery processes proceed faster if you consume enough “fuel”. Active consumption of food rich in beneficial microelements gives the body a signal about the possibility of switching to accelerated recovery mode.

• Calcium is the main building element of vertebral discs. When a hernia occurs, you need to consume more calcium than usual, as it is used to heal the spine. If the microelement supplied in food is not enough for the construction of new tissues, then the body itself will get what it needs from its own bones. This will make them brittle and brittle. Calcium is found in abundance in dairy products, seaweed, eggs, oatmeal and buckwheat. It should be remembered that if there is a lack of magnesium or phosphorus in the body, calcium from food is not absorbed.
• Phosphorus is another one important mineral, consumed in large quantities during the “repair” of damaged tissues. Phosphorus is found in milk, cheese and eggs. Eating these foods increases the efficiency of calcium absorption. There is also a lot of phosphorus in fish and legumes.
• Magnesium helps bone tissue form and is involved in ensuring their strength. Beets, bran and many cereals contain increased amounts of this important trace element. If you don’t like beets or cereals, then try to eat more chicken meat or add it to daily diet a handful of pine nuts and dried fruits.
• Potassium is especially important in the treatment of a hernia, as it prevents calcium from being washed out of the bone tissue. Thinning of bones, leading to injury, is often associated with a lack of potassium, which blocks the irrational consumption of calcium. To recover, you need to eat more potatoes, fish, spinach and rye bread.

Try to avoid overeating. It is difficult for the digestive system to absorb nutrients if the stomach is overloaded. Make a nutrition map and divide your daily diet into four to five meals.

A hernia is a protrusion of internal organs through the resulting hole. It can be acquired or congenital. The latter is found in young children due to developmental disorders connective tissue, but is acquired as a result of heavy physical activity, when the muscles are weaker than the internal pressure.

Umbilical hernia

The pathology involves the exit of part of the intestine or omentum beyond the abdominal wall through the umbilical ring.

A protrusion appears, which disappears in a horizontal position. The first signs are a reason to visit a surgeon.

The congenital cause of the formation is weakness of the umbilical ring; in adulthood, the provoking factor is pregnancy, obesity, injury and others.

Parents are not always able to understand how painful an umbilical hernia is in babies, since in some cases it may not bother him and will go away on its own over time. However, this does not mean that the condition can be left to chance; indications and contraindications for surgery are determined exclusively by a specialist.

Symptoms

In children, an increase in formation is observed while crying, in adults it can be seen when lifting heavy objects. The disease is determined by pain in the area of ​​its formation or by other external manifestations; a person develops:

• nausea;
• constipation;
• heartburn.

With tension, the discomfort becomes stronger; in children this happens after screaming or prolonged laughter; they begin to cry during bowel movements. Having understood how an umbilical hernia hurts in an adult or child, and how it manifests itself, you need to know ways to temporarily alleviate the condition.

How to help?

If your stomach hurts due to an umbilical hernia, it may be caused by strangulation, which leads to gangrene of the contents of the sac. A sign of this is the inability to independently reduce the protrusion. Helping the patient consists of the following procedure:

1. The first thing to do when a hernia hurts - this is call an ambulance, the sooner she arrives, the greater the chance a person has of maintaining the normal functioning of the organs in the hernial orifice.
2. If you cannot tolerate the pain, you should put ice on the abdominal area.
3. Taking painkillers and laxatives is prohibited.
4. At severe nausea you can eat some ice.

If the pathology formed a long time ago, then the formation of adhesions is possible. The hernia should not be allowed to grow. If for some reason a person did not undergo surgery and his umbilical hernia hurts, what to do in such a situation is decided by the doctor, from whom you need to get recommendations in advance.

Spinal hernia

The formation can be localized in the cervical, lumbosacral and thoracic region. The spinal discs consist of the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus. At pathological changes the hard shell ruptures, through which fluid leaks, pressing on the nerve endings.

Causes

Often, pain returns after removal of a spinal hernia, this happens because the root cause has not been eliminated. Many factors can contribute to the formation of pathology; it often develops against the background of other diseases or injuries. Among other things, in the absence of sufficient load, the power supply of the disks is disrupted, as a result of which they become fragile and easily susceptible to destruction.

You can determine how painful a vertebral hernia is by partial stiffness at the location. Men and women over 30 years of age are equally susceptible to the lesion; the root causes are considered to be:

• excessive physical activity or inactivity;
• hypothermia of the back;
• excess weight;
• incorrect posture and stooped gait.

In the absence of timely intervention, it can disrupt the functioning of the heart muscle, cause a stroke, and contribute to the appearance of gastritis, radiculitis, and bronchitis. Often, a hernia causes severe pain in the leg; this can be a harbinger of paralysis of the limbs.

How to relieve pain?

Surgical intervention is not carried out immediately; at the first stage, conservative methods are used, which include: physiotherapy, acupuncture and traction. For back discomfort, it is recommended to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with a duration of action of up to 24 hours: ceberex, ketoprofen, piroxicam, sulindac and others, which will be prescribed by a specialist.

Medicines relieve pain and inflammation, but have a number of side effects such as irritation of the gastric mucosa, which can result in gastritis or ulcers. You can protect yourself from side effects by taking medications after meals and choosing those drugs that dissolve not in the stomach, but in the intestines.

How to avoid pain after surgery

It is not uncommon for patients to experience back pain after removal of a hernia in the spine. This happens due to non-compliance with the recommendations of the rehabilitation period, which includes a gradual recovery process. The duration depends on the individual characteristics of the body, on average 6 months. During this time, a person should not:

• sit for 30 days;
• make sudden movements of the back;
• lift more than 4 kg.

Every hour you need to lie down for 15 minutes and wear a rigid corset for at least 3 hours a day. If some time after removal of the intervertebral hernia the leg hurts, an MRI should be done to confirm or refute the occurrence of a relapse, which may pinch the nerve. To alleviate the condition, it is recommended to lie on one side with the sore leg bent.

Lumbar hernia

It is not easy to understand why the legs hurt with a spinal hernia; the manifestation is typical when the lumbar region is affected, it is complemented by numbness of the limbs, but the sensations can arise for other reasons, which an experienced surgeon can determine.

Patients are often interested in: can a herniated spine cause stomach pain? This happens due to girdling pain, which makes it difficult to determine its specific location.

Symptoms

You can determine how much a lumbar hernia hurts by the accompanying symptoms:

• the pain that occurs may go away after a few minutes or last more than a week;
• radiates to the buttock or other area of ​​the leg;
• stiffness appears when bending and turning the back;
• in advanced cases, problems arise with the functioning of the intestines and urination, and atrophy of the leg muscles.

Pathology, due to circulatory disorders, leads women to gynecological problems and menstrual cycle disruptions. As a result of decreased mobility, scoliosis forms.

Help with pain

If your lower back hurts, and a hernia was previously diagnosed, what to do in this case is explained in advance by the doctor, who prescribes medications based on tests, due to contraindications and side effects. As a rule, problems with the spine begin and last for several years, and provoke sharp pain possible when lifting weights.

To quickly relieve pain, you need to immobilize your back and apply ointment: Voltaren, emulgel and others. They are based on diclofenac, which is considered a strong pain reliever with virtually no contraindications. Natural remedies use Kalanchoe, remove the film from the plant and attach it to the sore spot overnight with an adhesive plaster.

Thoracic hernia

It is difficult to determine how painful a hernia of the thoracic spine is because it often radiates to the stomach area, after which patients suspect gastritis, ulcers, or pancreatitis. Often unpleasant sensations appear in the area of ​​the heart and lungs. Some people do not go to the hospital for diagnosis and self-medicate non-existent diseases, greatly straining the body.

Symptoms

The pain syndrome spreads to the chest and shoulders and intensifies with movement. Concomitant manifestations that determine how a thoracic hernia hurts depend on the degree of compression of the nerve roots or spinal cord and can be as follows:

• numbness;

• lack of air due to apparent pressure in the chest area;
• stiffness of movements of the upper shoulder girdle.

Sometimes the protrusion does not appear and is discovered by chance during an MRI.

Pain relief

Surgery is indicated if conservative methods do not help the patient. The person is advised to reduce physical exercise, if pain occurs, use non-steroidal painkillers, massage manually or with vacuum cups.

Schmorl's hernia

The pathology is formed as a result of a disc being pressed into a vertebra; it can be congenital or acquired. Often asymptomatic, if a Schmorl's hernia of the thoracic region hurts, it is probably greatly enlarged or another form of the disease has formed.

Symptoms

As it was written, pain syndrome not a constant companion of the disease, if it occurs, it is dull, aching character and manifests itself after prolonged walking or standing, in addition to which a person feels:

• back fatigue;
• decreased flexibility of the spine;
• numbness of the limbs.

As a rule, after resting in a horizontal position, the manifestations disappear, so people are in no hurry to go to the hospital. For this reason, the disease is more often detected by chance, on an x-ray.

What to do if you have pain?

If a Schmorl's hernia is detected, the doctor will tell you how to live without getting sick, whose recommendations are as follows:

• reduce weight and control it;
• perform therapeutic exercises;
• get rid of bad habits.

Treatment boils down to strengthening the back muscles in order to reduce the risk of intervertebral hernia. Painkillers are prescribed, ketanov, nise and others are used. If signs of arthrosis appear, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed: diclofenac, ibuprofen, voltaren. Ointments should be applied to the skin without damage.

Among other things, the following help relieve unpleasant sensations: baths with pine needles, alcohol compresses of chestnut and dandelion tinctures, cinquefoil, rubbing the sore spot with fir essential oil and honey.

Cervical hernia

It is not easy to distinguish the pain of a cervical hernia from the manifestations of osteochondrosis; they are often accompanied. The formation of pathology is facilitated by the structural features of the spine, age-related changes, obesity, etc.

Manifestations

The main manifestation is pain in the neck, radiating to the shoulder, shoulder blades and arms or fingers, intensifying when the head moves. Depending on which disk is affected, cervical hernia often causes bleeding from the nose, diseases of the ears and eyes, throat, and lungs. Other manifestations include:

• numbness, tingling and burning of hands;
• sometimes losing weight in one upper or lower limb;
• fingers bend heavily.

A person feels relief when raising his hands. According to doctors, people starting at the age of 20 can feel the warning signs or understand how painful an intervertebral hernia is.

What to do if you have pain?

In most cases, protrusion can be treated without surgery. Discomfort is eliminated in the same way as in vertebral, lumbar and thoracic pathologies. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen, Celebrex and others are used. They relieve pain well and have virtually no contraindications.

To relieve spasms, they also use: a compress of garlic and vodka, infused for 10 days, warming the sore spot with warm badger fat, which is covered with film and insulated, massaged and rubbed with fir oil.

Inguinal hernia

The intestinal loops or omentum exit into the opening formed in the groin area. This happens due to weak muscle tissue in the abdominal region and high internal pressure. The pathology is dangerous due to strangulation; surgery is the only treatment. In case of contraindications to surgical intervention, conservative methods are aimed at relieving pain and reducing the risk of strangulation.

Symptoms

The protrusion is visible visually; when a person exerts himself, a swelling appears in the groin area; in a horizontal position it may disappear; other manifestations include:

• feeling of heaviness in the abdomen and pain;
• discomfort when walking;
• formation of constipation;
• increased pain during menstruation in women.

In men, the disease appears more often, so they should pay more attention to their health.

How to relieve pain?

Sharp pain may occur during strangulation, which is dangerous due to tissue necrosis in the hernial sac, as a result of which the functions of the organs will be impaired. Calling an ambulance late can be fatal.

Before the doctor arrives, you need to take a warm bath and try to reduce the protrusion on your own. If all else fails, you should lie on your back with both legs bent and wait for the doctor to arrive. Taking painkillers is prohibited.

After operation

If in men in the first days after inguinal hernia the testicle hurts, this may be normal, but in some cases the possibility of strangulation of the spermatic cord cannot be ruled out, which leads to infertility. Fears can be confirmed only after Doppler sonography.

In the case when the testicle hurts after an inguinal hernia, and the removal was carried out a long time ago, inflammation or relapse is possible, which often occurs if the patient does not follow the recommendations of the rehabilitation period: restrictions on lifting weights and sexual contact, wearing a bandage, diet, etc.

The cause of hernias may be non-compliance with the rules of work and rest. By bad habits and ignoring symptoms, people wear out the body, which subsequently complicates treatment or leads to complications.

Spinal hernia is a rather dangerous disease. Ignoring it can lead to complete paralysis. With timely diagnosis, the pathology responds well conservative treatment. Patients should reconsider their physical activity and diet. After treatment it is necessary to follow preventive measures to avoid relapse.

A spinal hernia often forms in the lumbar or cervical region, less often in the thoracic region. Timely diagnosis and specialist assistance increase the effectiveness of treatment. In severe cases, doctors prescribe surgery. Often degenerative changes are irreversible. However, proper treatment can relieve pain and other symptoms that cause discomfort, and stop the displacement and destruction of the disc.

What is a herniated disc?

The pathology is associated with displacement of intervertebral discs. It causes numbness, pain and weakness. The anatomical task of the discs is to absorb the load on the spinal column during movement. Any deformation in it causes discomfort in a person.

The intervertebral disc consists of a fibrous ring, the outer side of which consists of collagen fibers, and the inner side of the nucleus pulposus. The ring limits the core, but if this function is disrupted, it is displaced and an intervertebral hernia is formed. The pathology develops gradually. Long-term disc degeneration occurs due to loss of fluid and increased fragility. A hernia is formed in several stages:

Protrusion– a protrusion appears, the internal fibers of the ring are damaged, but the rupture has not yet occurred. The corpus pulposum is kept within certain boundaries, which makes it possible to cure the disease using conservative methods.

Entrusion– the outer fibers of the ring are damaged, which allows the nucleus pulposus to extend beyond the boundaries of the disc.

Disease catalysts include:

• physical damage, microtrauma;
• infections;
• improper metabolism;
• obesity;
• engaging in heavy physical labor;
• pregnancy;
• birth defects spine;
• low physical activity;
• lordosis, scoliosis, osteochondrosis.

Note!

Statistics show that pathology is diagnosed in men much more often than in women.

Doctors use the classification of spinal hernias according to their location:

• cervical – 4% of all cases of the disease;
• chest – 31%;
• lumbar – 65%.

Symptoms of pathology

A herniated disc occurs when there is pressure inside the disc. Neurological disease manifests itself when the fibrous ring is stretched due to breaking load, which causes compression of nerve branches and blood vessels. Until this point, symptoms are often attributed to another disease. In the later stages, pain is constantly present and does not depend on physical activity.

Primary signs of a spinal hernia:

• Acute pain in the spine area, which disappears with rest.
• Unnatural swelling and muscle tension.
• Kyphosis or scoliosis of the spine.
• Burning, tingling, “goose bumps” - paresthesia, turning into paresis.

Many patients experience hormonal imbalance– impotence or cessation of menstruation.

Patients complain of sharp and severe pain. It is associated with compression of a nerve root by a prolapsed disc, which is responsible for the functioning of some organ. Pathology causes disruptions in the functioning of the organ. Symptoms depend on the location of the pathology:

Cervical region

Decreased performance, sleep disturbance, neurasthenia, headaches, increased fatigue, vision problems, hypertension, epilepsy, inflammation of the tonsils, nausea, numbness of the fingers, pain in the limbs, tinnitus, loss of taste, increased intracranial and blood pressure.

Thoracic region

Thyroid dysfunction, discomfort in the shoulders and shoulder blades, pain and burning in the chest, decreased sensitivity skin with damage to nerve endings.

Lumbar

Diarrhea, hemorrhoids, cystitis, pelvic inflammation, numbness of the lower extremities, muscle atrophy, stone disease in the bladder, unnatural sweating or dry feet.

People with unfavorable heredity and whose family members have degenerative spinal diseases should pay more attention to prevention.

If symptomatic neurology of a spinal hernia appears, you need to contact a surgeon or neurologist who will diagnose and determine treatment.

Diagnosis of the disease

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the investigative causes of the pathology using laboratory diagnostics. Only a specialist can determine the presence of swelling using x-rays and MRI.

Upon visual examination of the patient, a distortion of posture will be noticeable, and the sensitivity of some areas will be lost.

The doctor must feel the spine to determine the degree of pain and localization of the pathology, and to identify unnatural tension in muscle tone. During flexion and extension, the limitation of mobility and range of motion are determined.

MRI allows you to determine:

• size
• localization.

With a hernia, a protrusion appears in the interdiscal space of the nucleus:

• protrusion – up to 3 mm;
• prolapse – 3-5 mm;
• developed hernia – 6 mm.

With hardware examination, the directions of protrusion can be identified.

Additional studies are prescribed depending on individual characteristics.

Treatment

Correct treatment can only be prescribed after full examination taking into account the stage of the disease and type of pathology. For example, in the absence of complications, action to relieve large disc damage is sufficient.

Conventionally, there are three stages of treatment:

• pain relief with medications and complete rest;
• massage and complex therapy;
• rehabilitation, recovery.

Treatment begins with over-the-counter medications; if there is no result, they switch to strong analgesics (codeine). At the initial stage, it is recommended to ensure rest and maintain bed rest, take painkillers, engage in exercise therapy, and undergo physical therapy. If after 3 months the condition worsens (neurological deficit syndrome, decreased potency, numbness in the limbs, increased pain), then surgery is prescribed - the last resort of treatment due to the increased risk of complications.

Video

Professor I.M. Danilov will talk in detail about the correct treatment of a spinal hernia.

Non-surgical methods

After a complete examination, the initial stage of the hernia can be treated at home using medicines(painkillers, blockers), therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy.

The following methods show good effectiveness:

Manual therapy – a specialist performs special manipulations to eliminate pathology. Course duration is 2-10 sessions.

Hirudotherapy

Treatment with leeches. The saliva of worms contains an enzyme that provokes the resorption of the fallen fragment and improves blood circulation.

Cryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen is applied to the problem area to increase blood circulation.

Osteopathy

With light movements and pressure, the doctor eliminates pathological changes.

Acupuncture

Impact on active points to irritate nerve endings. The effect is similar to a massage, when the massage therapist touches these points tactilely.

Physiotherapy allows you to relieve pain without taking medications, as well as speed up the recovery process. Patients are recommended:

• manual therapy;
• massage;
• exercise therapy;
• UHF;
• electrophoresis;
• phonopharesis;
• reflexology.

Each method has its own indications and limitations. Only the attending physician will select the exact complex.

Drug treatment

First of all conservative therapy necessary to eliminate pain neurological reflexes. Patients are prescribed anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs:

• diclofenac;
• indomethacin;
• ibuprofen.

Note!

In the presence of chronic pathologies The gastrointestinal tract approaches the choice of anti-inflammatory therapy more carefully.

At the first signs of improvement, they move on to complex therapeutic and preventive treatment. Subsequently, the patient must undergo monthly preventive examination from a neurologist or therapist.

Muscle relaxants, such as Mydocalm and Sirdalud, are prescribed to relieve spasms. It is worth remembering the side effects:

• absent-mindedness, decreased performance;
• nausea;
• decreased blood pressure;
• loss of sensation;
• urinary and intestinal disorders;
• psychological problems.

To protect the gastric mucosa, drugs are used that cover the stomach with a protective film:

Almagel.

• almag;
• Almagel;
• gastal;
• phosphalugel.

When treating a hernia, chondroprotectors are used to restore cartilage tissue:

• structum;
• teraflex;
• alflutop.

The course of treatment with chondroprotectors should be more than 3 months.

To improve blood circulation in the problem area, the following is prescribed:

• trental
• pentoxifylline.

Patients must take vitamins B, D, A, E to restore damaged tissues and reduce pain.

Use a deep penetration transdermal ointment. It is produced immediately before use, as it contains a lot of organic matter, which completely eliminates factory production. The ointment should be applied with light movements, kneading should be completely avoided, so as not to cause major damage.

Among pharmaceutical ointments we can highlight:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Fastum gel, Ketonal, Nurofen, Voltaren);
• combined effects – pain relief and swelling relief (Dexpanthenol, Dolobene);
• irritating effects (Nicoflex, Capsicam);
• chondroprotectors (Chondroxide, Arthrocyte).

When prescribing an ointment, the likelihood of an allergic reaction to the components should be taken into account.

Blockade

If painkillers are ineffective, then an X-ray-controlled blockade is performed. A needle with a hormonal solution is inserted into the area of ​​compression of the nerve roots. Local administration ensures maximum effectiveness. The injection can be given at the exit site of the nerve processes, between the vertebral processes, or into the intervertebral area. A contrast agent is often used to determine the route of penetration of the drug.

The procedure is done under local anesthesia and X-ray control. Practice shows that in 50% of cases patients recover.

Manual therapy

Manual therapy is preferable to massage. With the help of sliding and stretching it is released pinched nerve. Manual therapy can be used as a pain reliever without taking various medications.

Manual therapy should be performed only in specialized clinics. It can only be used for hernias of a certain size and location.

Manual therapy does not treat pathology, but only relieves symptoms for a while. Patients should in the future exclude the convergence of the vertebrae and increased pressure on the disc.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies should be used with caution. You can reduce symptoms with the help of bee products, herbal infusions, and horse fat.

Note!

General rules of use folk remedies: Avoid heating the surface and avoid heating substances.

In the east they believe that daily consumption of prunes, figs and dried apricots strengthens the spine and increases healing effect other conservative remedies.

A compress of honey and potatoes will help reduce pain. Raw potatoes are grated and mixed with honey. Apply to the area of ​​pain, cover with film, and wrap. Leave for 2-3 hours.

You can also make a cake 1 cm thick from honey and flour, which is applied overnight and tied with plastic wrap.

A compress of Kalanchoe and burdock and fir leaves has a local effect. But all remedies should be used only after consultation with your doctor.

Fine shavings from horse fat are covered with plastic film, and the top is covered with natural fabric. The compress is tightly secured with a bandage and worn throughout the day. Instead of horse fat, you can use badger or dog fat. Patients note a decrease in pain within 2 hours after application. Horse fat accelerates the synthesis of ceramides, which increases the body's protective functions. Additionally, it has regenerating, moisturizing properties and contains the necessary Omega-3.

Surgery

• severe pain for a long time;
• severe neurological disorders;
• impotence, urinary incontinence.

There are several types of surgical intervention, the exact type is determined by the attending physician.

Discectomy

The nucleus pulposus is removed through an open incision. In severe cases, it is necessary to remove the disc and replace it with a titanium implant. The long recovery period and the risk of infection with pathogenic microflora forces doctors to resort to this method in rare cases.

After surgery, it is important to follow preventive measures, as the disease can recur. Patients should regularly perform exercises to strengthen muscles, undergo physical therapy, and take vitamin and mineral supplements. If you are overweight, switch to special diet with restrictions on fats and “fast” carbohydrates, increasing the consumption of fiber, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.

Endoscopic surgery

A camera and instrument are inserted through the puncture. The method is considered gentle, since the muscles are almost not damaged. The hernia is removed and the disc is corrected. Positive dynamics are observed in 80% of patients.

Microsurgical laser surgery

Laser treatment, like surgery, is considered a last resort. But unlike the latter, it is considered more gentle. A puncture is made to the patient to insert a needle with a light guide. Next, a laser is used to relieve pressure in the disc. Soft tissues have a high permeability for targeted radiation, which makes it possible to treat pathology with a laser without damaging the tissue. At elevated temperature damaged areas are evaporated. The symptoms of a hernia immediately disappear as the pressure on the nerve endings is reduced.

Duration of the procedure– 10-40 minutes, local anesthesia is used. After a couple of days the person is transferred to hospital treatment. The technique is used in the absence of disc destruction, mainly in patients under 40 years of age. With age, the disc dries out, which makes the use of laser impractical.

Physical exercise

Patients are advised to adhere to a regime of rest and control of physical activity. It is necessary to avoid increasing tension in the spinal column: jumping, lifting weights. A person must control movements, excluding sudden movements, strong bends, and twisting.

Exercise therapy

A doctor and a trainer with a medical background should select exercises. During exercise, the load on the spinal column should be completely eliminated, which completely eliminates exercises in a vertical position.

Simple and effective exercises:

• Walk around the room on all fours, keeping your back and arms straight.
• In the same position, simultaneously extend your arm and leg from opposite sides. If possible, hold the position for a couple of seconds to strengthen the ligaments.
• Hanging on the bar.
• Lie on your back and pull your knees to your chest.

Yoga

At the initial stage of the disease, yoga is not prohibited. The only restriction is not to do the exercises in bed. If pain or discomfort occurs, it is recommended to stop exercising.

Allowed exercises:

• To stretch the ligaments and muscles of the back, lie on your back, pull your knees to your chin and roll to the sides.
• Lie on your back, bend your knees and clasp your shins with your hands. Try to straighten your spine as much as possible.
• Get on all fours and bend over like a cat. You need to look at the ceiling, and then at the floor.
• Lie on your back, bend one leg and try to reach your knee with your forehead. Change leg.

Exercise training

A properly selected simulator and the supervision of a qualified instructor will become effective means. Exercise is allowed only during the period of remission and according to an individually designed program.

It is important to control your breathing: when tension increases, inhale strongly, and then exhale slowly. This will avoid the negative effects of increased load. After each approach, take a short break. In total, the duration of the lesson is 3 hours, but active activities are only 1 hour.

There are different exercise machines depending on the method of creating the load. Weighting is achieved using body weight or a system of blocks. For example, horizontal bars and parallel bars provide load using body weight and can only be used by people with good physical fitness.

Rules for using simulators:

• if there is pain, use pain-relieving exercises;
• eliminate axial loads;
• avoid shock loads;
• do not perform barbell presses;
• Kettlebell lifting is prohibited.

Sport

A herniated disc is a limitation for some sports. All exercises in a sitting or standing position are completely excluded.

Prohibited species are:

• race walking;
• Weightlifting;
• active species sports that involve running or standing for a long time (football, skiing, basketball);
• body-building;
• partial restriction on athletics with jumping.

Gymnastics

The gymnastic complex for treatment can be performed using several methods: Bubnovsky, Pilyuiko, Dikul. The purpose of the complex is to strengthen the muscle corset to prevent pinched nerves.

Gymnastics is necessary for patients due to reduced mobility. It is necessary to speed up metabolism and blood circulation, activate the muscles, which will allow the vertebrae to take a natural position and the hernia to resolve. The course should be selected individually, taking into account physiological characteristics the patient and the location of the pathology.

Rehabilitation

After a full course of treatment or surgery, the patient must undergo a rehabilitation period. Patients must follow all doctor's recommendations to avoid complications and relapse. In most cases, patients are recommended to wear a special corset, undergo a series of physical procedures, and control their body weight.

Corset

Orthopedic devices reduce the load on the spine. The corset should be flexible, but have a dense base. It is especially necessary for people who do not monitor their posture during the day. The corset allows you to fix the spine.

Some models have straps to secure the structure on the shoulders. The front part covers the area from the pelvis to the chest, the back part covers the area from the shoulders to the buttocks. Increased pressure is transferred from the spine to the abdominal cavity.

When choosing a model, pay attention so that the corset does not compress the spine. You cannot wear it all the time, as this will cause degradation of the back muscles. Exact time determined by the attending physician.

Spinal traction

Extraction can be dry or underwater. In the first case, special simulators or weighted loads are used. In this case, the patient can be in a vertical or horizontal position. Underwater spinal stretching is considered more gentle: in water, body weight is significantly reduced, which makes the procedure less painful.

During the procedure, there is a risk of pinching a large hernia. The method has contraindications:

• acute pain;
• oncology;
• kidney stone disease;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• osteoporosis.

After traction, it is mandatory to wear a corset and perform a series of physical therapy exercises. This is necessary to prevent the vertebrae from returning to their original location.

Nutrition

Diet is important for overweight patients. Obesity provokes pathology and aggravates the course of the disease. Normal weight will be a condition for successful treatment. To lose weight, you need to introduce restrictions on the calorie content of foods and consume more fiber.

• smoked meats,
• alcohol,
• spicy dishes,
• pickled products.

Getting a disability

Many patients are interested in obtaining disability, since the disease affects their standard of living and ability to work. The group is given to following cases:

• the occurrence of complications after surgery;
• long course of the disease;
• late diagnosis.

Often people with a herniated disc do not even try to get disability, although they are entitled to it by law. It is mandatory to give a group in case of complete or partial loss of independent movement and ability to work.

1 First group issued if a person cannot cope without outside help in Everyday life– cannot move on his own, diagnosed with paralysis.

2 Second group can be obtained with intense pain, impaired motor ability, or after surgical intervention in case of loss of ability to work.

3 Third group It is prescribed to patients with increased muscle tension and intense pain, with frequent exacerbations of the disease due to work activity.

Hernia during pregnancy

It was previously mentioned that pregnancy can cause a herniated disc. The fetus increases the load on the spine, and the normal distribution of the load is disrupted. If pathology appears during this period, it is necessary to begin treatment.

The main difficulty is the restriction on taking medications and exercise therapy, so as not to harm the child. Doctors recommend gentle treatment based on folk remedies.

During childbirth, the doctor must take into account the mother's illness and exercise maximum caution. After the birth of a child, it is recommended to eliminate the advanced form of the disease by surgical intervention.

Army for spinal hernia

Intervertebral hernia is considered a contraindication to military service. Pathology is often accompanied by complications that lead to complete disuse. The disease is especially dangerous in the later stages.

To defer, a doctor’s opinion is required after a man’s treatment for back pain. Be sure to include the results of the above examinations.

For a mild hernia, a delay of 6-12 months is given, as it can be treated conservatively. The reasons for failure may be:

• atrophy, muscle paresis;
• hernia more than 8 mm;
• decreased sensitivity in the absence of natural tendon reflexes;
• congenital pathologies spinal column;
• intensive development of the disease;
• change in the dural sac;
• indications for surgical intervention if the patient refuses surgery or has a number of contraindications to it.

An advanced form of spinal hernia leads to severe complications. The main danger is damage to nerve endings and the spinal cord, which can lead to paralysis, loss of skin sensitivity, and disruption of normal limb mobility. Treatment without preliminary diagnosis will aggravate the situation and lead to irreversible consequences.

Questions - Answers

The hernia is very severe sacral region, I had an MRI and a blockade, but I still miss my leg. What to do?

You did not describe the MRI results (what kind of hernia) and symptoms: do you have pain, movement disorders, loss of sensation in the leg, etc. This is important for deciding treatment tactics. If there are motor or sensory disturbances, it is necessary to discuss the issue of surgery with a neurosurgeon. If there are no absolute indications for surgery, you need to contact an osteopath who will help you cope with the pain and select the right exercises for your back muscles.

What effect does tebantine have on treating the spine?

Tebantine is an anticonvulsant drug, but it is also used for back pain due to compression of nerves and roots. In this case, it acts as a pain reliever by altering signal transmission in nerve endings. It does not affect the cause of pain and inflammation. Therefore, if you want not only to relieve pain (remove symptoms), but to work with the cause of the disease, you need to use other methods (osteopathy and, if necessary, surgery).

(Total 14,781, today 35)

Tom 03/03/2018 at 10:37

I had a herniated spine. I already thought that I would remain semi-paralyzed forever. I tried everything: neurologists - ours and Russian ones, injections, acupuncture, chiropractors, massages, healers, I was in the hospital. For six months I relied on doctors and massages. It got worse. I could barely walk, the pain was tormenting me - I saved myself with painkilling injections. Having exhausted all means and having lost hope in anyone, I began to study the nature of my sore. I came across a doctor's book on this topic - everything was explained well there. What causes a hernia, what happens to the vertebrae and discs. I realized that the root of the pain is the compression of the discs between the vertebrae, and I need to pull them out. It turns out that in this case a vacuum effect occurs in the discs, the squeezed hernia is retracted back and their restoration occurs. And I went (crawled) to the sports field of the nearest school. And she began to hang on the crossbar. At first it was possible only for a few seconds - my hands couldn’t stand it. I had to hang there slowly, slowly pulling my knees up. Already on the third day I felt relief, the pain began to go away. A few days later I started jogging carefully. In general, the crossbar turned out to be the most effective remedy. Since then I really respect this sports equipment. And plus yoga, later. My back didn't bother me anymore. P.S. Maybe my experience will be useful to you.

Azat 03/03/2018 at 10:46

People! Just don’t do the operation!.. There is a special home exercise machine for hanging upside down, which stretches the vertebrae. Order as soon as possible. My wife uses it all the time; she also had a very advanced and bad spinal hernia. And the vertebrae stuck out like a hump like a dinosaur’s (not anymore, pah-pah-pah). Kazakh folk chiropractors they straighten it very well with the help of horse fat (they lubricate it for several days, it smells terrible, but the bones soften, then a special massage, she went through all of this as well), but the fat is also special from a certain place - Kazakh doctors know... Then you must definitely do a set of Chinese exercises Qigong. This is also important.

Mukhtar 03/03/2018 at 11:38

Professor Bubnovsky's method helped me. 2014. An MRI showed I had a 5 mm hernia. In 2015 I bought inversion boots for the horizontal bar. I also ordered an inversion table. You hang upside down and do exercises. The effect is excellent. Now I'm lifting weights. Manual massage helps.


Alya 09/08/2018 at 21:22

I myself know first-hand what discomfort and pain intervertebral hernias cause. I have 2 in the lumbar region. I suffered for 5 years until I found ways to get rid of the pain. Acupuncture, manual therapy and massage helped me. all this was done at the Paramita clinic. Plus, yoga exercises became mandatory for me, I do it almost every day, at first I worked with a trainer, the girl also has a medical education in the field of rehabilitation. So don’t give up, everything is in your power, fight for your health and try to avoid surgery until the last minute, there are ways to deal with this disease without surgery. I wish everyone good health!

Lyubov M. 09.25.2018 at 20:18

My mother has been walking only with a cane for six months now - she was diagnosed with a hernia. Before that, there was just some minor pain, I thought it would go away on its own. In winter, the pain became wild, the pills didn’t help, maybe my body just got used to them. I had to call an ambulance again. The doctor who arrived injected me with an analgesic and advised me to drink Sustalife. We obeyed. Now my mother’s condition is much better - she only hurts due to the weather.

Dear readers!

Today I will introduce you to a system of exercises with the help of which a muscle corset is created using decompression, that is, increasing the height of the intervertebral discs. There is no axial load here for diseases such as protrusions, hernias and back pain.

We will also talk about how we acquire these diseases. Because sometimes we don’t think about how we sit, what we sit on and how long we sit. How we eat and how much we eat. How, how much and - most importantly - what we sleep on. My many years of experience: I collaborated with many specialists in different fields, created armchairs, chairs, mattresses.

The more a person sits in one place without moving during the day, the greater the load on the intervertebral discs.

The appearance of hernias and protrusions means that the muscle corset does not correspond to the stress of life. You can answer me this way: my work is not hard, I don’t experience any super loads. But it is when we sit for a long time without moving, in front of the TV or at the computer, that this is the most colossal load, the muscle corset is relaxed and “landing” occurs - that is, the flattening of the intervertebral discs, which leads to the occurrence of hernias and protrusions. These diseases are accompanied by back pain, radiating to the buttocks or legs, depending on the level of the spine at which it occurred. The sooner a particular disease is noticed, the easier it will be to cope with it. Therefore, do not wait until the pain becomes unbearable or if you have the slightest discomfort, seek help from a doctor, be sure to do an MPT (magnetic resonance tammography) and if it reveals one of the above diseases, you need to take serious care of yourself, otherwise surgery will be inevitable. Many people are mistaken that if the operation has already been done, then nothing else needs to be done. All the same, after 3 months you will need to undergo a rehabilitation course aimed at creating a muscle corset for decompression.

I really want to help you get rid of pain, because when there is no pain, a person becomes kinder and more joyful. He sees a blue sky, a bright sun, and not everything in gray color and fog. Therefore, I want you to smile more often, look into each other’s eyes and speak kind words. And then there will be less evil in the world. I believe in it.

Valentin Dikul

WHAT DOES YOUR BACK HURT?

Recently, the incidence of intervertebral hernia has almost tripled. The main reason for the development of this serious disease is metabolic disturbances in the intervertebral disc. The flow of water into the core of the intervertebral disc decreases due to genetic predisposition, metabolic disorders, and age-related changes.

Support human body- the spinal column located in the center of the body. This is a segmental organ that consists of bony vertebrae:

Seven cervical

Twelve breasts

Five lumbar

Five sacral (fused)

Three or four coccygeal (fused).

The bones of our body living, they are abundantly supplied with blood and penetrated by nerves, in them there is a continuous and rapid exchange of nutrients, especially the minerals calcium and phosphorus, as well as vitamin D. In the bone marrow, which is located in larger bones, blood cells are formed, which play a vital role role in immune reactions and oxygen transport throughout the body. Bones, connected by systems and ligaments, form the skeleton, which supports and protects soft tissues.

The seven cervical vertebrae support the head and ensure its balance. Upper two vertebrae at the base of the skull - atlas and epistropheus– act as a universal connection, allowing you to turn your head to the sides, tilt it back and tilt it forward.

Twelve thoracic vertebrae connected to the ribs, together they form chest, which provides the lungs with sufficient freedom of movement during entry and protects many vital organs.

Five lumbar vertebrae form the lower spine - the lower back. They are connected to the sacrum.

Sacrum consists of five fused bones, which, together with pelvic bones form a container of bones to protect the reproductive organs and bladder.

Coccyx at the base of the spine it represents the remains of the caudal skeleton. It consists of three to four fused bones.

Between the bony vertebrae are cartilaginous discs, which give the spine elasticity and flexibility. A vertebra consists of a vertebral body, arches and spinous processes. Located one above the other, the arches and processes form a bone canal. In the bone canal of the spinal column there is a spinal cord with nerve processes - roots, which, branching, go to all parts of the body and internal organs. The spinal cord guard connects the brain to the peripheral nervous system and carries sensory impulses from the body to the brain and, in the opposite direction, “instructions” for the muscles and their actions. If any part of the nervous system is disrupted, a “failure” occurs in the functioning of the organ that was innervated (that is, supplied nerve cells) this area, and this will lead to disease of this organ. Most often, disorders occur in various parts of the spine.

Spinal cord- part of the central nervous system. Its length is about 45 centimeters - from the brain to the lumbar vertebrae, where the nerves branch. This lower part is called cauda equine, which is translated from Latin as “horse, or horse, tail.” The spinal cord is cylindrical in shape and consists of blood vessels and a core formed by nerve fibers. The spinal nerves branch off from the spinal cord at regular intervals and pass through the gaps between the articular surfaces and the vertebral body. Then they branch, forming a network of small branches that penetrate certain areas of the body.

Throughout its entire length, the bone marrow is protected by a bone tube formed by vertebrae, small ligaments and muscles. It is washed by cerebrospinal fluid. The fluid absorbs shocks, protecting the spinal column from pressure.

So, the spine plays a key role in health.

It is the basis of the skeleton, it gives the body the desired shape, layers of large and small muscles and ligaments of the back and abdomen are attached to it. If the spine is curved, then this affects the bones of the entire skeleton. Muscles and ligaments are shortened, internal organs are displaced, which leads to illness throughout the body.

The spinal cord can stretch to accommodate changing body positions and is difficult to damage. The spinal nerves are made up of millions of individual nerve fibers, or neurons. Each spinal nerve has a specific part of the body within its range of action, and the nerves can be accurately assigned to different parts of the body.

The nerves emerging from the cervical spine primarily innervate the arms, shoulders and head.

The nerves emerging from the thoracic spine innervate mainly middle part torso.

Nerves emerging from the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine innervate mainly the lower torso and legs.

Table

Consequences of impaired innervation of spinal segments

The Latin designation of the letters corresponds to: C – cervical; D – thoracic region; L – lumbar region.

After analyzing the data in the table, we can conclude that the spine is a thin and high-precision structure, but it is because of these qualities that it becomes vulnerable to various loads, injuries and stress. We can also say that most diseases are associated with diseases of the spine, and the main disease of the spine is osteochondrosis.

A healthy spine is the key to success

Modern children spend most of their time sitting - at the computer, and not on sports fields. They seem strong and agile when fighting virtual opponents. In reality, these are weak teenagers with almost completely atrophied muscles. If parents do not distract their children from computer slavery, then neither will their healthy image life" is a big question. We often sit hunched over, crossing our legs. We have weak legs and arms, we don’t need daily jogging to get food. We sit all the time: dining table - car - computer - sofa in front of the TV.

Remember the last time you went for a run? A long time ago, in school! And perhaps never! So is it any wonder that not only older people have been suffering from spinal diseases for a long time? Slouching today is primarily a sign of illness, not old age, because a sedentary lifestyle leads to a weakening of the muscle corset. And along with the muscles of the back and abs, the joints and blood vessels weaken, the whole body as a whole weakens. The subsequent obesity further increases the load on all organs.

We earn money without thinking whether the amount we earn in the end is enough to restore our lost health? But health never returns in full! But just an hour a day is enough to support the body, ensuring both a good mood and normal health.

A healthy spine is the concern of parents

The formation of the spine occurs in childhood and continues into adolescence. Therefore, if a child sits incorrectly for a long time, then by adolescence he will have visible problems with the spine.

10% of five-year-old children are at risk because they lead a sedentary lifestyle (more girls than boys).

The most dangerous age is considered to be from 10 to 14 years, when the skeleton has not yet fully formed, and the child has to sit at the table preparing homework or spend time at the computer more than before. Diligent “home” children, overloaded with schoolwork, often develop spinal diseases. This is facilitated by incorrect posture, leading to uneven load on the spine and muscles. Subsequently, a change occurs in the ligaments of the spine, deformation of the vertebrae themselves - as a result, persistent lateral curvature and pain are formed.

Early diagnosis of the disease is the key to success in treatment, so parents should make every effort to not miss the onset of the disease.

Watch how your child sits and what he sleeps on. Make him take a break every 15-20 minutes, during which you can do a back massage and exercise. Workplace It is necessary to organize it so that the child does not slouch. When the child is sitting, make sure that the back of his head is slightly raised and slightly back, and his chin is down. This position of the head straightens the entire spine and improves blood circulation to the brain. Feet should be flat on the floor, with the knee angle at approximately 90%. The shoulders are lowered, the hands rest freely on the table, the distance from the table surface to the eyes is approximately 30 cm.

The bed should be comfortable, the pillow should be small. During sleep, physiological deflections should not be eliminated, but maintained. A soft, sagging mattress cannot provide good support for the heaviest part of the body - the pelvis, and this bends the spine in the direction on which the child sleeps. Teach your child to move more. Let your child help you around the house or in the country more often. Runs, walks, swims. The more movements, the better. Lack of active movement inevitably leads to underdevelopment of intervertebral discs and joints. No matter how gifted and capable your child is, no matter what heights he reaches, his entire life may turn out to be to one degree or another defective due to insufficient mobility in childhood.

WHAT IS A HERNIA?

A spinal hernia is a displacement of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc with rupture of the fibrous ring.

The most common herniated discs are the lumbar spine. (150 cases per 100,000 population per year), Hernias in the cervical and thoracic regions are much less common. In 48% of cases, hernias are localized at the L5-S1 level, at the L4-L5 level - 46%, the remaining 6% - at other levels or at several levels of the lumbosacral region.

The etiology of intervertebral hernias is degenerative-destructive lesions of the spine with subsequent involvement of adjacent vertebral bodies, intervertebral joints and ligaments. Dehydration, hyalinization and fiberization of the fibrous ring and hernial protrusion of the nucleus pulposus occur. A bulging disc without rupture of the annulus fibrosus is referred to as disc protrusion. In cases where there is a breakthrough of the fibrous ring with the exit of the nucleus pulposus beyond its limits, they speak of prolapse, or herniation, of the disc. Anterior or lateral hernias, as well as Schmorl's hernias, in which the nucleus pulposus invades the vertebral body, are usually asymptomatic. The direction of the disc herniation posteriorly - towards the spinal canal, or dorsolaterally - towards the intervertebral foramen, causes pressure on the spinal cord and its roots, thickening of the ligamentum flavum and reactive inflammation of the membranes. It has been proven that hernias can occur in both degenerative lumbar stenosis, aggravating clinical picture, and without it. Factors contributing to the occurrence of disc herniations include hereditary predisposition, which is confirmed by the higher incidence of disc prolapses in children and adolescents; parents and close relatives had similar diseases. An undoubted role in the formation of hernial protrusion is played by chronic injury of the lumbar spine, as well as the congenital narrowness of the spinal canal, which occurs with early closure of the growth zone between the vertebral body and the root of the arch.

Cause of spinal hernia

The risk also increases:

– carrying heavy objects in an inclined position,

– prolonged sedentary work,

– chronic exposure to vibration,

– incorrect posture, including while driving a car.

Complications of herniated disc

Complications of a herniated disc can include paresis or paralysis of the muscles of the lower extremities, sensitivity disorders, and dysfunction of the pelvic organs. If a hernia is not treated, it can lead to disability.

Most often, a hernia of the spine is caused by metabolic disorders, hereditary causes, injuries, and infections. Common osteochondrosis increases the risk of intervertebral hernia.

Symptoms of a spinal hernia

The main symptom of a spinal hernia is pain that occurs during physical activity and uncomfortable body position when working. A hernia of the spine can develop when bending over while simultaneously turning to the side, or when turning the body while lifting weights. There is a sudden, not particularly severe pain in the lumbar region. Then, within 24 hours, pain and weakness appear in one of the legs, sometimes with loss of sensation on the inside of the foot and lower leg or on the outside of the foot and inside of the leg. When moving, coughing, sneezing or straining, the pain in the back and leg intensifies and often recurs, so the patient needs bed rest. Some relief can be achieved while lying down by elevating your legs or placing them on a pillow.

What should you not do if you have a herniated disc?

1. Lift weights

2. Warm up the area of ​​pain

3. Get hypothermic

4. Sitting in one place for a long time

5. Make sharp turns of the head and body

6. Self-medicate

7. Knock out a wedge with a wedge

Treatment of spinal hernia

At the initial stage of treatment of a spinal hernia, it is necessary to relieve pain. For moderate pain, the patient is recommended bed rest and painkillers until the condition eases, or at least for 3-4 weeks.

The spinal traction method can also be used to quickly relieve pain from a herniated disc. If the pain is still unbearable despite bed rest and medication, mechanical stretching may help. However, if the pain is unbearable, despite repeated traction and complete rest, surgical intervention cannot be ruled out.

After an acute period of illness, to strengthen weakened back muscles and return the spine to normal mobility, you should begin doing therapeutic exercises.

There are two main directions in the treatment of patients with spinal hernia - conservative And operational.

Surgical treatment of spinal hernia – The destroyed disc is removed and conditions are created for the fusion of two vertebrae. The operation is aimed only at eliminating the consequences, but does not eliminate the causes that provoke the development of a herniated disc.

Conservative treatment of spinal hernia depends on the position of doctors in relation to the mechanism of development of spinal hernia, ways to resolve the pathology and their own preferences in choosing methods of influencing the patient.

Three main conservative trends can be distinguished.

Motor techniques force the patient to actively transform his muscular torso and stimulate the immune system. This is the realm of heavy physical exercise “to the point of a sweat.” There is a risk sharp deterioration condition, due to sudden compression of the nerves by a new herniated disc of the spine (with increased pressure on the destroyed disc). In this case, there is a need for emergency surgery (ambulance mode). The effectiveness and durability of results vary.

Manual techniques(manual therapy, chiropractic and others) are aimed at changing the tension of the spinal muscles and reducing the load on the disc. They may provide relief, but do not affect the elimination of the destroyed disc and do not eliminate pathological process leading to the formation of hernias. The risk of complications depends on the professionalism of the specialist.

Physiotherapeutic techniques represent a huge range of (mostly passive for the patient) methods. Includes several main areas: reflex (classical, traditional and modern reflexology, massage), field and vibrational (electric, magnetic, electromagnetic fields, ultrasound, light) and mechanical (traction, physical education). Efficiency depends on many factors and features.

However, full recovery from a spinal hernia is only possible with an integrated approach.

INTERVERTEBRAL DISC PROTRUSION

Protrusion of the intervertebral (intervertebral) disc– protrusion of the intervertebral disc beyond the spinal column without rupture of the fibrous ring, disc and ligaments surrounding the spine.

Protrusions occur at a certain stage of development of osteochondrosis and are a consequence of a degenerative-dystrophic disorder of the structure of the intervertebral discs, as a result of which the disc becomes dehydrated, its elasticity decreases, its height decreases, and cracks appear in the fibrous ring. The fixation of the vertebrae among themselves worsens, and instability develops in the affected motor segment of the spine.

The intervertebral disc is a cartilaginous connection between the vertebral bodies; they perform a shock-absorbing function, having in their composition a slightly compressible nucleus pulposus and a fibrous ring that prevents it from going beyond the disc. When the annulus fibrosus ruptures, part of the nucleus pulposus comes out under pressure and forms a protrusion in the spine - the so-called disc herniation.

But there are conditions in which the fibrous ring does not rupture, but only becomes thinner and protrudes beyond the posterior contour of the vertebra into the spinal canal (approximately 1–5 mm). This condition is called disc protrusion. Over time, the protrusion can develop into a disc herniation.

Causes of disc protrusion

Disc protrusion occurs against the background of metabolic disorders, in the presence of hereditary features of the structure of the spine, after suffering infectious diseases, with incorrect posture and undeveloped muscle corset, with heavy physical activity, sudden turns of the body, injuries, falls, and so on. Disc protrusion can occur with spinal osteochondrosis.

How does disc protrusion occur?

Disc protrusion causes narrowing of the spinal canal, compression of the nerve roots and membrane of the spinal cord, inflammation and swelling of surrounding tissues. The person feels severe pain in the area of ​​the bulging disc and along the nerves extending from the spinal cord. In addition, the pain will be in the area that the pinched nerve innervates; coordination of movements and muscle strength may also be impaired here.

Symptoms of the disease depend on the size of the protrusion and its location. So, with protrusion of the lumbar spine, numbness in the groin and pain in the lumbar region first appear. Then numbness of the toes may appear, the pain spreads from top to bottom along the back of the leg.

Protrusion of the lumbar and thoracic spine are quite treatable.

The presence of protrusion in the cervical spine can lead to rapid disability of the patient. Such protrusion rarely causes neck pain; dizziness, headache, surges in blood pressure, shoulder pain, arm pain, and numbness in the fingers often appear.

Diagnosis of disc protrusion

In addition to examination by a specialist, to confirm the diagnosis, instrumental diagnostics. An x-ray of the spine will show bone changes in the spine, when computed tomography(CT) in addition to changes in bone tissue, you can see changes in soft tissues, but they are not clearly visible, so CT is often combined with myelography (an X-ray of the spine after the injection of a contrast agent into the spinal canal). And the best way to see changes in the bone and soft tissues of the spine is with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Functional diagnostic methods are also carried out, which make it possible to identify the disease at the initial stage. Thus, electromyography examines the functions of peripheral nerves, neuromuscular junctions and muscles. Based on this study, one can judge the conductive capacity of nerve fibers.

Treatment of disc protrusion

Treatment of disc protrusion can be conservative or surgical. Currently, preference is given to conservative treatment methods and only if they are completely ineffective, surgical treatment is performed.

Conservative treatment is a set of measures to relieve pain and swelling of surrounding tissues, restore spinal function, movement and sensitivity in the affected areas.

First, fixation and traction of the spine are performed to relieve the load on the altered disc. At the same time, drug treatment is carried out in order to eliminate swelling and inflammation, and then complexes of physical therapy, massage, and reflexology are added (the Chinese method of treatment is an effect on special points on the surface of the body), manual therapy, hardware physiotherapy. All these techniques allow you to remove increased load on the altered disc, restore the tone of the surrounding muscles and the correct functioning of the entire spinal column.

One of the modern treatment methods is treatment using the DRX 9000™ system. The essence of the technique is that the device allows you to move two vertebrae apart, creating a space between them into which fluid flows to nourish the disc. The disc swells and restores volume. The vacuum effect that occurs causes the disk to be pulled back into place. As a result, the hernia stops putting pressure on the nerve roots, and the pain goes away.

Surgical methods of treatment are used only in extreme cases, as they give quite a lot of complications and frequent relapses. Surgeries are performed to partially or completely remove the altered section of the intervertebral disc.

How to prevent disc protrusion

Prevention is early correction posture in children, strengthening the trunk muscles, combating in a sedentary manner life.

Nutrition and spine

Nutrition plays a very important role in a healthy back. Vitamins, calcium, and minerals are needed.

The more weight a person has, the more difficult it is for him to move and live, the more more load receive intervertebral discs and joints. But it’s not diets that are needed! And proper, competent and healthy nutrition!

But you need to be able to control yourself and eat in moderation. You don’t need to eat once or twice, but a lot, or better yet, five or six times little by little. And you should eat your last meal three hours before bedtime.

So, of the main nutrients for the spine, proteins and fats are important.

Sources of animal protein: eggs, milk, fish. High-quality vegetable protein is found in the following products: seeds, beans, nuts, corn, buckwheat.

Modern man eats a lot of fats, but, unfortunately, these fats are of poor quality, they worsen the condition of the spine and the body as a whole. Quality fatty acid can be obtained from the following products: walnuts (walnut oil), flaxseed oil, hemp oil, fatty sea ​​fish. The most important minerals for the spine are: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. The source of calcium for the body is: hard cheese, liver, nuts, cottage cheese, fresh eggs, cabbage. Phosphorus is found in bran, peas, natural cheeses and fish. Enough magnesium is found in sunflower seeds, raw spinach, and cucumbers. Manganese enters the body through seaweed, bananas, onions, potatoes, and animal kidneys.

Table

Calcium rich foods (calcium and calorie content based on 100g serving)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXERCISE SYSTEMS

From simple to complex

Most patients who want to get rid of back pain begin exercising immediately. And some of them are surprised: “Such easy exercises?” Many people ask permission to move straight to more complex exercises. But this is absolutely forbidden! The exercise system suggests that you need to start with the basics. The muscles and the body as a whole must be prepared for correction. It is extremely important to strictly maintain the selected system, starting the course with a gentle regimen (no matter how well you are physically prepared), through the intermediate stage and only then proceeding to a complex block of exercises!

Until you have mastered simple exercises, you cannot move on to more complex ones. If you feel that performing some exercise is easy for you, you need to additionally load the muscles, that is, start doing the same exercises, but with an additional load: rubber band, dumbbells.

Only after you begin to perform the exercises of the first cycle very easily (with full amplitude and with additional load!) can you move on to the next stage. Listen to your feelings, consult your doctor and don’t rush. There are no specific periods of work in one of the modes and there cannot be - everything is strictly individual. For example, we can say: most often, children are given from six months to a year to fully master the gentle regime, and only then are they carefully transferred to a more complex program.

The most important thing in classes is consistency. You need to exercise three times a week. Only following these rules will allow a person to help his spine.

Self-control

On some days the exercises may be easy to perform, but on others the same movements will be difficult for you. Especially with a load - a dumbbell, disks or rubber band. There is no need to panic, just reduce the load so that the exercises are performed not through force, but with force. moderate severity. The reasons for sudden weakening can be very different: weather changes, poor mood, weakness after illness, and so on. Under no circumstances should you perform exercises if you have any diseases - respiratory (especially if high temperature), dizziness and weakness. First, take measures for the child’s complete recovery and only then begin to work gradually. Gradually! No three sets of eight repetitions! You need to start with one approach and again with the first system. Don't worry - you will quickly catch up and approach the next level of difficulty much faster than at the beginning of classes. There will be no need to devote months or half a year to the first gentle regime system.

Always monitor how your body reacts to exercise. The optimal load for each person is individual. They depend on the condition of both the ligamentous and muscular systems, as well as the cardiovascular system. Constant self-control is necessary. In a special diary you should record your condition after classes: sleep, feeling tired, appetite, performance, pulse before and after classes. Self-control indicators can be divided into two groups: subjective and objective. Subjective ones are sleep, appetite, muscle discomfort. You need to listen carefully to yourself. Objective indicators are heart rate and blood pressure. Normally, at rest, the heart rate is 70–75 beats per minute. Any physical activity, even a small one, causes an increase in this indicator. Thus, the heart tries to deliver to the working muscles more blood, and with it oxygen and nutrients. An increase in heart rate to 140 beats per minute is considered acceptable. If the heart beats faster, the load needs to be reduced. U healthy person The pulse after physical activity returns to its original values ​​after 10 minutes. Slow heart rate recovery indicates excessive stress. In this case, the loads also need to be reduced.

The blood pressure value is expressed in two numbers. For example, 120 to 70.

The larger value is systolic pressure. The smaller one is diastolic. During physical activity, systolic pressure initially increases, then stabilizes at a certain level. Diastolic pressure may not change during moderate exercise and increases only during intense exercise (by 10 mm Hg). Symptoms of increased blood pressure are headache, tinnitus, heaviness in the back of the head, and spots in the eyes. When these symptoms appear, as well as when the pressure rises above 150 mm Hg. Art. the lesson must be interrupted, and then the intensity must be reduced.

Enter all subjective and objective readings in the diary, and in the last line put your assessment of the effectiveness of the classes - how your well-being and condition have changed.

Rules for performing exercises

1. Exercises cannot be swapped - perform them in the strictly specified order.

2. You cannot perform more repetitions than indicated. If you feel that some exercise is easy for you, then you need to additionally load the muscles, that is, start doing those exercises, but with additional load.

3. Weight and counterweight should be performed depending on how you feel. It is very important to accustom your body to stress gradually; in no case overload yourself. To begin, choose a weight with which you can easily perform the exercises.

4. Listen to your feelings, consult a doctor and take your time. There are no specific periods of work in one of the modes and there cannot be - everything is strictly individual.

5. Do the exercises constantly. Do not take long breaks: exercise three times a week, every other day or two.

Sets and reps

1. Each exercise has a certain number of approaches and repetitions. If it is written that you need to do 3 sets of 8 repetitions, this means that this exercise must be repeated 8 times, then rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat the same exercise 8 times again. And again rest for 2-3 minutes, and again perform the exercise 8 times. You will get 3 sets of 8 repetitions.

2. If it is difficult for you to perform the required number of approaches, then to begin with you can do only 1 approach, but exactly the number of repetitions indicated in the program. Thus, the exercises must be performed until it becomes easy.

3. Exercises cannot be summed up. Many patients, having inattentively read the rules for performing exercises, without understanding what an approach and a repetition are, begin to perform exercises in a row without rest, or resting, but when it is convenient for them. It is not right! You need to rest for exactly 2–3 minutes to restore breathing, pulse, and blood flow to the muscles.

Movements

1. It is necessary to perform movements with full amplitude, as stated in the condition. Listen to your body - perform exercises using the muscles you are working on. Ask your loved ones to watch you from the side. They should make sure that you do the exercises exactly as indicated in the book.

2. The speed of movement should be the same, both during relaxation and tension. Do not perform exercises at a fast pace. Movements should be slow and smooth.

3. You cannot perform exercises sharply or jerkily.

Warm-up

Before starting the exercise, you need to do a warm-up to warm up your muscles and prepare them for good work. To do this, you need to make smooth tilts to the sides, back, forward. Do everything smoothly and slowly.

Breath

1. Breathing should be smooth and shallow.

2. You cannot hold your breath during exercise.

3. At the highest tension, we exhale; when relaxing, inhale.

Lying and hanging exercises

1. You should not hang on the bar if you have acute pain. The spine may be further injured.

2. At the initial stage, some exercises are done lying down, then on a board at a certain slope, gradually increasing the angle until it is transferred to a vertical position. You can adjust the angle of the board using either a wall bars or a regular chair. He is placed with his back to the wall, and a board is installed on it - first on the seat, then on the back.

3. You can make exercises on the wall bars easier with the help of special loops with hooks (sold in stores): the loops are put on your hands, and the hooks cling to the bar.

4. When performing hanging, you cannot jump or jump onto the bar. Slowly put the weight on your legs and step down, and also slowly put the weight on your arms and hang.

If it's very easy

If the exercises are very easy for you, you should not increase the number of repetitions. You need to increase the load on additional equipment: rubber bandages, dumbbells, weights. When performing the exercise, you should feel the load all the time.

If it's very difficult

1. If the exercises are difficult, it is enough to perform only 1 approach.

2. When performing lying down, when movements of the body on some plane (sliding) are difficult, you cannot raise the body. Lay down double cellophane to ensure slipping.

IF YOUR NECK HURTS

The systems are created for people who already have dizziness, headaches, pain in the shoulder, arm, numbness of the fingers, and circulatory problems. I gave a system to create a muscle corset for decompression - to increase the height of the intervertebral discs. All exercises must be performed smoothly, slowly, without overpowering the pain. That is, until the pain touches. The first exercises you see are done lying down. You cannot perform 3 approaches at once. Repetitions must be performed in the quantity that we need. And all exercises must be performed in one approach. And for a month, two or three, until you feel that the exercises are easy and do not cause pain. And then you can move on to two approaches, and then three. Be sure to control yourself - keep a diary. Write down your blood pressure, pulse, and breathing. I will constantly remind you about breathing. Breathing should be done calmly. Do not hyperventilate, that is, deep breathing. In a relaxed state, inhale and when tense, exhale. Then you won't be suffocated. You cannot swap exercises. Perform them in the order indicated.

What do we need?

To complicate the exercise, we need to sew a loop (the sketch of the loop is shown in the photo). Top part loops - the holder can be an ordinary hanger.

You also need a rubber band for this exercise. When you perform exercises lying on the mat, you need to secure a rubber bandage to the leg of a table, table, cabinet, which is located opposite your head. And thus the tension of your bandage is obtained individually for each person. Exercises should be performed comfortably. If the exercises are very easy, we must make it more difficult. We tighten the bandage tighter or put two or three bandages - then it will be more difficult to perform this movement. The load must constantly increase.

You can't do it every day. Three times a week. It's enough.

We will also need the machine shown in the photo. Its likeness can be made at home (look at the photos). This machine is very easy to make. It hangs on any door, and you can immediately work with it. We will need: any door, a mop, hinges, a hanger. And also a five-liter bottle of water, which will act as a load.

This exercise can be performed without a counterweight. A loop is put on, hung on a hanger, and we tie a rubber bandage to this fastener. The hanger is tied at any height - about one and a half meters from the head. And the load of two, three, four bandages depends on your capabilities.

The number of approaches indicated is performed.

Attention! We must remember that all disorders in the functioning of the spine take decades to form, and do not think that in a month or two you will be cured and everything will be fine. This treatment must be carried out long time. Even when the pain decreases, the treatment does not end. This is exercise for life.

Exercises for the cervical region (sitting)

Exercise 1

I. p.: We sit on a chair, pressed straight against the back, the loop is on.

We make a smooth tilt to the right - try to reach the shoulder with our ear. We hold for 2-3 seconds and just as smoothly return to the starting position. We took a breath and leaned to the left - we try to reach the shoulder with our ear. We hold for 2-3 seconds and just as smoothly return to the starting position.

Let's watch our breathing.

We count the repetitions.

Exercise 2

I. p.: sitting on a chair, your back is pressed against the back of the chair, the loop is on, there is a weight at the other end of the rope.

We make a smooth turn to the right side, as if we are trying to reach our right shoulder with our chin. We pause for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position. Then we repeat the exercise on the left side. We also fixate for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position.

Let's watch our breathing. Let's not detain him. In the starting position – inhale, reaching the moment highest voltage- exhale.

We count the repetitions. We perform 8 repetitions in each direction, this will be 1 approach. We do 3 approaches with breaks of 2-3 minutes of rest between approaches.

Exercise 3

I. p.: sitting with the emphasis on the back of the chair, the loop is on. We throw the rope over two blocks, with a weight suspended at the other end.

Move your head forward - pull your chin forward. We look straight ahead. Then we smoothly lower our chin down, as if trying to reach our chest. We hold for 2-3 seconds, then raise our heads and return to the starting position. We make all movements smoothly.

Let's watch our breathing. Let's not detain him. In the starting position - inhale, reaching the moment of highest tension - exhale.

We count the repetitions. We perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions. With breaks of 2-3 minutes of rest between approaches.

Exercise 4

I. p.: sitting on a chair, your back touches the back of the chair, the loop is on, there is a weight at the other end of the rope.

We try to smoothly move our head back, throwing it back as much as possible. We fixate for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position.

AGAINST LOWER PAIN

Exercises for the lumbar region (with additional equipment)

We perform exercises with retraction, that is, with traction, to increase the height of the intervertebral discs. This requires rubber bandages and leg loops. The bandages are tightened so that the tension does not cause pain. That is, if it is easy and comfortable for you to perform exercises with one bandage on your leg (as in the photo). Your bandage should be tied at a distance of one and a half to two meters so that the bandage pulls on your legs. If the exercise is easy to perform, then you can use a double and triple bandage.

And also tighten the single one less or more.

Important! For this exercise we will need to make loops that will be attached to the legs and arms, as well as rubber bandages. Look carefully at the photographs to see how the loops are attached and how the exercises are performed.

Also, when we need dumbbells and a barbell, they can be replaced with elastic bandages, expanders, and water bottles.

Exercise 1

I. p.: lying on your back, legs apart, feet at shoulder level. Loops are attached to the legs, thanks to which they remain motionless.

Without lifting your shoulders and the back of your head from the floor, slowly turn your left thigh as far to the right as possible. We hold this position for 2-3 seconds and just as slowly return to the starting position. Then slowly turn the right thigh as far as possible to the left. We hold this position for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

Counting repetitions: 8 one way, 8 the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing!

Exercise 2

I. p.: lying on your back, legs apart, feet at shoulder level. The arms are crossed on the chest and also secured with rubber bandages. Loops are attached to the legs to help keep the legs motionless.

We inhale and, as we exhale, make a smooth turn of the body as far as possible to the right, lifting the left shoulder off the floor. In this case, the pelvis remains motionless. We remain in this position for 2–3 seconds, then return to the starting position. Then we make a smooth turn of the body to the left, tearing off the right shoulder. We remain in this position for 2–3 seconds, then return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 3

I. p.: lying on your back, legs together, toes pointing towards you, arms slightly spread to the side, palms down. There are loops attached to the legs that allow them to remain motionless. Hold the rubber bandages with your hands.

Without lifting your shoulders and the back of your head from the floor, move both legs to the left, sliding along the floor. We try not to exert any effort on the muscles of the left side. We hold this position for 2-3 seconds and just as slowly return to the starting position. We inhale and move both legs to the right, sliding them along the floor, trying to make efforts with the muscles right leg. Then we linger in this position for 2-3 seconds and also slowly return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Exercise 4

I. p.: lying on your back, legs apart, feet shoulder-width apart, holding rubber bandages with your hands. There are loops attached to the legs that allow them to remain motionless.

Without lifting the body from the floor, with a sliding movement, while exhaling, we tilt the body to the left as much as possible. The pelvis and legs remain motionless. We stay in one position for 2-3 seconds, and just as slowly return to the starting position. Then we inhale and as we exhale, with a sliding movement we make a maximum tilt of the body to the right. At the same time, the legs also remain motionless. After holding for 2-3 seconds, we return to the starting position and inhale.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 5

I. p.: standing straight with a straight back, looking ahead, holding a stick in your hands.

Slowly bend over with your back straight, arms down and knees bent slightly. We hold the tilt for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 6

I. p.: lying on your stomach, hands on your hips, chin touching the floor. The legs can be secured with weights or tied with a loop to a bedside table, closet or any other convenient item in the house.

We lift the body high off the floor and pull it straight. We look straight ahead. We freeze for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 7

I. p.: standing, we hold one end of the rubber bandage in our left hand, and stand on the other. Feet shoulder width apart. Right hand on the back of the head.

Slowly tilt the body to the right, hold for 2-3 seconds and also return to the starting position. We take the bandage in our right hand and secure the other end with our foot. Slowly tilt the body to the left, hold for 2-3 seconds and also return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 8

I. p.: lying on a chair on the right side, the body is stretched out. Both legs are secured in loops, tied to the leg of a chair (or cabinet). Arms crossed on the chest, hugging the shoulders or thrown back behind the head, palms to the back of the head.

Slowly make side bends down, then just as slowly rise up. The pelvis remains motionless. Then we turn over onto our left side and just as slowly lean down. Then we also slowly rise up, the pelvis remains motionless.

We count the repetitions.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 9

I. p.: lying on a hard surface - on the floor, couch, bed. Hands along the body. The legs are already bent at the knees.

We count the repetitions.

Let's watch our breathing. Let's not detain him. In the starting position - inhale, reaching the moment of highest tension - exhale.

Exercise 10

I. p.: lying on a hard surface - on the floor, couch, bed, arms along the body, knees bent.

Slowly raise your legs from the floor, slowly raise your arms from the couch. We try to bend forward, hunch our shoulders and try to connect our knees to our chest. That is, we simultaneously raise our legs and lift our shoulders off the floor. We hold this position for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

Let's watch our breathing. Let's not detain him. In the starting position - inhale, reaching the moment of highest tension - exhale.

We count the repetitions. We perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions. With breaks of 2-3 minutes of rest between approaches.

Attention! If at any level you feel pain or discomfort, do not continue the exercise, but return to the starting position.

HANGING EXERCISES

You need to approach this system prepared. We learn how to do hangs. Some are overweight, others have weak arms and cannot hang as they should. And hanging exercises are necessary to stretch the distance between the intervertebral discs. Therefore, I provide a special loop that will be suspended from the crossbar. The crossbar can be any strong stick attached to the doorway. Thick fabric, such as a sheet, is rolled up. You can stitch it, and put foam rubber or an old blanket inside to make it comfortable to do the exercises. It is firmly attached to the crossbar. In the photographs you can see how it is made, how it is secured and how to perform exercises on it.

If you work out at the gym, they have the machines you see in the photos. But all this can be done at home. You can make special trestles from boards, cover them with foam rubber or an old blanket. Make a frame like this. Or put two bedside tables or a chest of drawers on which you can lean. If height does not allow, bend your knees. And I repeat - in your home you can find all the necessary equipment for training: a table, a bedside table, dumbbells, water bottles, an expander, a rubber bandage.

Exercise 1

I. p.: We hang on hinges, our feet do not touch the floor.

Slowly turn the pelvis to the left, twisting the body. The shoulder girdle and head remain motionless. We remain in this position for 2-3 seconds and slowly return back. Slowly turn the pelvis as far as possible to the right, twisting the body. The shoulder girdle and head remain motionless. The legs rotate following the pelvis. We hold this position for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 2

I. p.: hanging on hinges.

We very smoothly move both legs to the right, the pelvis and body remain motionless. We hold for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position. Then we move both legs to the left, and also hold for 2-3 seconds. We return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 3

I. p.: hanging on hinges.

Slowly move both legs back, simultaneously bend your back and move your head back. We hold for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 4

I. p.: standing straight with a straight back, looking in front of you, holding a barbell in your hands.

Slowly lean forward with a straight back, lowering your arms down and bending your knees slightly. We hold the tilt for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. We do 3 sets of 8 repetitions.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 5

I. p.: lying on your stomach (on a chair), hands on your belt, chin touching the floor. The legs are secured with weights or a loop to a nightstand, closet, or any other convenient item in the house.

We lift the body high off the floor. We look straight ahead. We freeze for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 6

I. p.: standing, hold a dumbbell in your left hand, feet shoulder-width apart, right hand on the back of your head.

Slowly tilt the body to the right, remain in maximum tension for 2-3 seconds, and also slowly return to the starting position. Then slowly, without jerking, we tilt to the left. And again we return to the starting position. Transfer the dumbbell to the other hand and repeat the bends.

We count the repetitions. 8 tilts in one direction, 8 in the other. This will be 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 7

I. p.: lying on a chair on the right side, the body is stretched out. Both legs are secured in loops, tied to the leg of a chair or cabinet. Hands clasped at the back of the head.

Slowly make side bends down, then just as slowly lift up as much as possible, the pelvis remains motionless. Then we turn over onto our left side and just as slowly lean down. Then we rise up just as slowly, the pelvis remains motionless.

We count the repetitions. 8 slopes are 1 approach. You need to perform 3 approaches, resting 2-3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

Exercise 8

I. p.: lying on a hard surface - on the floor, couch, bed. Hands along the body. The legs are already bent at the knees. The heels are pressed to the buttocks.

Slowly pull your knees to your chest and slowly lower your legs to the floor - to the starting position.

Let's watch our breathing. Let's not detain him. In the starting position - inhale, reaching the moment of highest tension - exhale.

We count the repetitions. We perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions. With breaks of 2-3 minutes of rest between approaches.

Exercise 9

I. p.: lying on a hard surface - on the floor, couch or bed, arms along the body, legs bent, slightly away from the buttocks.

Slowly lift your upper body off the floor and stretch your arms to your knees. We stay in this position for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position.

Let's watch our breathing. Let's not detain him. In the starting position - inhale, reaching the moment of highest tension - exhale.

We count the repetitions. We perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions. With breaks of 2-3 minutes of rest between approaches.

Exercise 10

I. p.: hanging on hinges.

Slowly pull your knees towards your chest. We hold for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

We count the repetitions. 8 - one way, 8 - the other. This will be 1 approach. We perform 3 approaches, resting 2–3 minutes between them.

Watch your breathing! He cannot be detained. In the starting position – inhale. At the moment of highest tension, exhale.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Life has prepared for him a difficult path, full of dramatic events. He was orphaned early and spent his childhood in an orphanage in Lithuania. The environment for the development of his character is eternally hungry, abandoned, early-matured children and indifferent, sometimes monstrously harsh adult educators. His early years also included his passion for the circus. The circus replaced his family, but one day a tragedy happened: the aerialist Dikul fell from under the circus dome from a great height. Compression fracture of the spine, severe traumatic brain injury - wheelchair.

But it was this tragedy that prompted Dikul to study the human body. By researching special literature and training, he actually created his own recovery system. The work of muscles and the development of their strength capabilities - this is the direction in which Valentin Ivanovich worked.

Dikul went through hell, but found the strength not to despair and after several years of hard training, he not only got back on his feet, but also returned to the circus as a power juggler, in order to eventually become the best in this role, in order to receive recognition of his talent in everything world. Dikul is the only power juggler who received the honorary title “People’s Artist of Russia”, then his unique experience was recognized by the Order of “Conquerors of Fate”.

Dikul received public recognition for his many years of hard experience, achieving everything literally with sweat and blood. Share your discoveries on the path to recovery with fellow sufferers,

Dikul began while still in a hospital bed. As he gained experience and got good results, he felt it was his responsibility to help people in similar situations. His example gave hope to others.

He has developed many programs that are prescribed to the patient strictly individually, taking into account his illness and related ailments. Of course, no two patients are the same, only the same names of diseases exist. This means that people need to be treated individually, so everyone has their own treatment program and their own time frame for recovery.

The most dangerous thing in the development of an intervertebral hernia is the patient’s inaction. The point is that when untimely treatment one of the most unpleasant consequences of this disease is radiculitis. When the nucleus pulposus is displaced, it may occur inflammatory process nerve fibers. The result is a herniation that puts pressure on the nerve roots that exit the spinal cord at the site of the disc displacement.

Important! The main symptom of radiculitis is the presence severe pain when turning the body and physical activity.

With late treatment of intervertebral hernia, a number of more serious problems may arise. dangerous complications. These include:

• Paralysis.
• Paraplegia, which is a muscle disease. The main symptom of the disease is severe muscle weakness.

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Paralysis can develop due to long-term damage to nerve fibers. As a result, muscle damage can become so severe that they no longer perform their functions correctly. The effects of paralysis can be observed in any part of the body, but most often they are reflected in the muscles of the face and limbs.

If a hernia in the lumbosacral spine is ignored for a long time, the pathology increases in size and can affect urination and defecation, sometimes causing numbness of the genitals.

Indications and contraindications

After diagnosing the disease, the doctor determines the range of acceptable and unacceptable actions for the patient. For a complete cure, the patient needs:

• Rest. Muscles need as much rest as possible. Also, the patient must comply with all contraindications for lumbar intervertebral hernia, which will be discussed below.

• Physiotherapeutic procedures. They help reduce the load on the spine.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs. Nonsteroidal medications help reduce inflammation and reduce pressure on compressed nerves.

Important! All medications in the treatment of intervertebral hernia should be used only under the strict supervision of a specialist.

A very important technique in the treatment of intervertebral hernia is physical therapy. However, such exercises should be used with great caution. In particular, in case of aggravated symptoms of the disease or the presence of severe pain when performing exercises this technique is cancelled.

Let's consider the main contraindications for hernia of the lumbar spine:

• Lifting weights. Patients are not recommended to lift weights exceeding 3-5 kg. But even when lifting small loads, you must follow the rules by keeping your back straight. This is especially true for lifting loads off the ground.
• Mobility and swimming. Sudden movements and any activities associated with increased activity are prohibited.
• Physical exercise. General physical activity is also contraindicated.

Important! In some cases, contraindications depend on the specific part of the spine in which the pathology is detected. Therefore, contraindications for each patient are determined by the doctor individually.

Intervertebral herniation is a very serious disease, the symptoms of which cannot be ignored. When you consult a doctor, be sure to follow all his recommendations, only in this case you will be able to forget about the disease once and for all.