A herniated disc occurs when the spongy inner material of the disc pokes out of the tough outer disc shell. This issue can cause pain and other symptoms, and it’s a common neck injury. For example, car accidents and sports impacts can lead to herniated neck discs. Fortunately, there are three herniated neck disc treatment exercises that could help decrease your symptoms.
1. Neck extension
One of the biggest issues when you need herniated neck disc treatment is the pressure being placed on the injured disc. There are several exercises that can help relieve this pressure, and one of them is the neck extension. By doing this exercise, the goal is to lengthen your neck, and this can help relieve pressure on the damaged neck disc. To do this exercise, you’ll need to lie on a bed or table so that your neck can hang over the edge.
Once you’re ready, let your head slowly drop back, but be sure to stop if your pain gets worse. If you aren’t feeling pain, go ahead and let your head hang for about a minute. Then, slowly raise your head back up. Rest your neck for another minute, and then, repeat the steps until you’ve completed the exercise five to 10 times.
2. Chin tuck
You can also relieve pressure on the herniated disc with the chin tuck exercise. This herniated disc treatment exercise is designed to target the muscles in the front of your neck. Strengthening these muscles is important because it can help them provide better support to the neck vertebrae.
Begin this exercise by lying down on a flat surface. You can use a yoga mat on the floor for this exercise, but you may be more comfortable on the bed. After you lie down, place your hands by your sides. Then, slowly tuck your chin to your chest, and hold this position for about 10 seconds. After the 10-second hold, allow your chin to return to the starting position, and repeat the exercise until you reach 10 to 15 reps.
3. Lateral bend
Another herniated neck disc treatment exercise that can be helpful is a stretching exercise called the lateral bend. For some people, tense neck muscles can cause more pain than the herniated disc alone. This stretch is designed to help stretch the muscles and reduce this pain.
Begin with your head centered above your shoulders. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and you’re sitting up straight. Then, slowly lower your head to the right until you feel a stretch in the left side of your neck and your left shoulder. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds before returning your head to the centered position. Then, repeat these steps to stretch the other side of your neck.
Panther Physical Therapy offers other forms of herniated neck disc treatment
There are some cases where you may need some outside help with herniated neck disc treatment. If this is true for you, Panther Physical Therapy is here to help. Our team performs free screenings designed to reveal the source of your pain. With this information in hand, we’ll create a personalized treatment plan designed to meet your needs. Your plan can include several different therapy techniques, like:
Don’t wait to get our help with your herniated neck disc. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.