Living Healthy

stretching exercises for a bulging disc in the neck are very important when it comes to healing any disc problem in the cervical spine. This article will discuss a few very simple exercises you can do at home for relief.

Before we discuss the exercises, though, it’s important for you to realize that there are three major issues that you will face when trying to heal your neck disc problem.

The first issue is that most people with a disc condition in the cervical spine will have a straightened cervical curve. This is really important to realize, because the disc condition will tend to be at the back of the disc. When the curve in the cervical spine is straight, it puts more pressure at the back of the disc, which dramatically slows the healing process.

The second issue is that the discs of the spine do not receive very good blood supply. This is significant because the body normally uses blood to transport oxygen and nutrition to an injured area for quicker healing. Because the discs do not receive very much blood flow, healing can be very slow, and may never happen if you don’t do the right things.

The third issue is that the muscles in the neck will become weaker with this condition. This is also a major issue because if the muscles are not strong enough, they will not maintain the proper alignment of your neck, which adds more pressure to the disc and slows its healing.

So, what can you do about these three issues? Well, there are three herniated neck disc exercises that you can use to address these issues.

The first exercise I’ll teach you is actually more of a stretch, and will help with the straightened curve in the neck. What you want to do is to roll up a hand towel and place it under your neck while lying down. Try to lie on this for at least 15 minutes a day.

This will encourage a more normal curve to develop in the cervical spine over time if done consistently. Also, when you’re sleeping at night, it helps if you have a good pillow that supports the normal curve. I really like the Tempur-Pedic pillows, but any good orthopedic pillow will do.

The second exercise will address the issue of blood supply. You will need a therapy ball for this exercise, which is one of those large balls you see people using for stomach exercises.

All you need to do is to sit on the ball and gently bounce up and down for 5 minutes every day. The bounce should be so gentle that your buttock does not even come up off the ball.

You may be wondering how this exercise could help you – especially if your problem is in the cervical spine. Well, although the discs do not receive oxygen and nutrients from blood supply, what does happen is that each disc will store oxygen and nutrients in the center of the disc. The only way to replenish this oxygen and nutrient supply is to physically pump the disc, which is what this exercise does.

This exercise will pump every single disc in the back, so it doesn’t matter if your problem is in the cervical spine or anywhere else in the spine.

The final exercise I’ll teach you requires a mini-trampoline, and it will address the issue of muscle weakness. All you need to do is stand in the center of the small trampoline and march in place for 5 minutes each day.

This exercise requires you to balance, which will re-strengthen all of the muscles that surround your spine – including the neck muscles.

If you would like to learn more about the most effective stretching exercises for a bulging disc in the neck that you can do, in addition to other treatment methods that are very beneficial, please click the following link (exercises for a herniated cervical disc).

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