Swimming for herniated discs is a gentle and pleasurable form of exercise therapy often recommended by doctors and physical therapists alike. Swimming combines non-jarring movement with an full body workout, with the additional benefit of reduced gravitational effects on painful spinal joints while in the water. As an avid swimmer, I can not help but endorse this healthy activity for virtually everyone.
This article will profile the many benefits of swimming when used to treat back or neck pain. We will also look into the shortcomings of any form of exercise therapy for chronic pain sufferers.
Swimming for Herniated Discs Program
Swimming as a herniated disc treatment option can be formal or informal. One does not need to adhere to simply swimming laps in order to benefit from time in the water. Any type of swimming will provide good cardiovascular exercise, along with targeted toning and natural resistance training for the body.
Swimming is a great way to increase circulation and oxygenation to painful parts of the anatomy, speeding the healing response for structural injuries and warding off the effects of regional ischemia.
Swimming can be done at a public pool, therapy pool or even a private pool, if you are lucky enough to have one available for your own use. Swimming in the ocean or other rough water might not be advised for people with chronic pain concerns; at least not right away.
Benefits of Swimming for Disc Pain
Remember that herniated discs are not often the actual source of pain for many patients with long standing symptomatic complaints. Ischemia is certainly also a prevalent source of chronic neck and back pain.
Structural herniated disc conditions are likely to feel better in the water, but activity, such as swimming, may not provide any additional relief. In some patients with actual structural pain, any form of herniated disc exercise can be very painful and swimming is no exception to this rule. For patients who enjoy exercise and find significant, but temporary, pain alleviation from physical therapy, general exercise or swimming, there is a very good chance that the diagnosis is incorrect.
Ischemia, and many soft tissue conditions, will respond to any type of physical exertion positively, but the psychosomatic source of most ischemia pain will never be defeated by athletic activity. For long-term relief, knowledge therapy should be added to the care program to address the emotional issues which may be driving the symptomatic expression.
Swimming for Herniated Discs Guide
I highly recommend swimming as perhaps the very best form of exercise therapy. I have been swimming much of my life and still find a certain joy that is uniquely linked to the water. That being said, there were many times during the decades that I have endured horrific back pain when I could not even imagine swimming. My suffering was far too severe.
I never enjoyed lasting relief from any form of exercise, since my pain has proven to be an enigmatic blend of mind and body causes. All the medical and complementary treatments I attempted were a complete waste of time and money.
Since I gave up treating my chronic pain in any traditional sense, I now love swimming more than ever. I always feel better after a good workout in the pool and credit swimming as one of the activities which is crucial to keeping me functional in my present state. I hope you can be so blessed as to find the same pleasure in this wonderful activity.
Herniated Disc > Herniated Disc Exercises > Swimming for Herniated Discs
