Relieve Your Pinched Disc: 4 Spinal Decompression Exercises

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Hello, my name is Anas, I am a physiotherapist and today I am going to introduce you 4 Spinal Decompression Exercises which can provide you with quick relief if you are suffering from disc pinching.

These exercises will bring you a immediate relief by reducing pressure on your spinal discs and the nerves surrounding them. People who suffer from pinched discs know how much this condition can affect their quality of life, causing pain lumbar ou cervical, sometimes accompanied by sciatica,numbness or tingling in the legs or arms.

Let's start with a short explanation before diving into the exercises.

What is a pinched disc?

Un disc pinching occurs when the discs between the vertebrae collapse or lose their ability to absorb shock properly. This can create a nerve irritation surroundings and cause pain that can radiate into the legs (for a lumbar pinch) or in the arm (for cervical pinch).

You may have discovered this condition following a medical examination (MRI, X-ray, CT scan) which revealed the collapse of your discs.

Bonne nouvelle! The exercises I'm going to show you are designed to reduce inflammation, decrease the pressure on your discs and help you regain a better quality of life, even if disc collapse remains present.

Exercise 1: Lumbar decompression using a stick

Goal :

This exercise aims to create a spinal traction to relieve pressure on your lumbar discs.

How to do :

  1. Lie on your back with your head and feet on either side of a door.
  2. Take a stick (like a broom) and place it horizontally, holding it against the door frame.
  3. Push on the stick with your arms while pulling your body up, creating a traction at the level of your spine.
  4. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then release.

Repeat this exercise 20 times to create a spinal decompression effect and reduce pressure on your lumbar discs.

Exercise 2: Pull-ups with chairs

Goal :

Using two chairs allows you to create a gravity traction by slightly lifting the body, thus reducing pressure on the spinal discs.

How to do :

  1. Place two chairs on either side of you and sit between them with your feet on the floor and your hands on the chairs.
  2. While leaning on the chairs, push with your arms to lift your knees slightly and create a decompression at the level of the spine.
  3. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then go back down.

Repeat this exercise 20 times. Be careful if you have pain in your wrists or elbows and use cushions to cushion the descent if necessary.

Exercise 3: Decompression on the stomach

Goal :

This exercise uses the severity to create decompression by allowing the legs to naturally pull the spine down.

How to do :

  1. Lie down on a bed or sofa, placing a pillow under your pelvis to slightly elevate your hips.
  2. Let your legs hang in the air, your feet not touching the ground.
  3. Hold this position for 2 to 3 minutes. You should feel an effect of decompression on your lumbar vertebrae.

If this exercise is well tolerated, you can do it 2 to 3 minutes several times a day.

Exercise 4: Reverse decompression

Goal :

This variation of the previous exercise is done by reversing the position, with the hanging trunk to create decompression in the upper body.

How to do :

  1. Place your legs on the bed or sofa and let your trunk hang down towards the floor.
  2. Use your elbows or arms to hold yourself in position.
  3. Hold this position for 2 to 3 minutes, feeling the decompression in your lumbar vertebrae.

To progress, you can extend your arms forward to create an even deeper decompression.

Why do these exercises work?

These exercises work mainly by spinal traction, which helps to reduce pressure exerted on the vertebral discs and to eliminate theinflammation in the affected region.

They allow a immediate relief by reducing compression on the nerve roots, thus helping you to reduce symptoms related to a pinched disc.

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Conclusion

These 4 Spinal Decompression Exercises will bring you a immediate relief if you suffer from a pinched disc. By practicing them regularly, you will reduce the pressure on your discs and help relieve your symptoms.

References

Michel Benoist (2002). Natural history of lumbar disc herniation and radiculalgia. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1169-8330(02)00302-2

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