According to the Mayfield Clinic--one of the largest neurosurgical practices in the world--a herniated cervical disc occurs when the gel-like substance at the center of an intervertebral disc protrudes from a tear in your disc's wall, known as your annulus. The pressure exerted by the displaced disc material causes inflammation and swelling of your spinal nerves, which in turn causes pain in your neck and possibly your arm. Exercises targeting your cervical disc herniation can provide you with relief from discomfort and speed your healing.
McKenzie Method Exercises
According to Spine-Health.com, the McKenzie Method--named after its founder, Robin McKenzie, a physical therapist--focuses on the classification of your spinal disorder or condition based on your symptoms and your response to specific evaluation procedures.
The three principle classifications of neck pain causes include the following: postural syndromes, dysfunction syndromes and derangement syndromes. A cervical herniated disc falls under the classification of a derangement syndrome, as your neck pain is caused by the repositioning of your disc's fluid nucleus. Once your neck problem is classified as a derangement syndrome, a practitioner using the McKenzie Method will give you detailed instruction on specific exercises that will centralize your pain--bring your pain back to its point of origin--or abolish your pain entirely. The Cleveland Clinic, one of the top hospitals in the United States, states that the McKenzie Method of physical therapy is particularly effective in treating herniated discs.
Home Traction Exercises
According to a 1996 study published in "Spine," an international peer-reviewed medical journal, many cervical disc herniations can be treated successfully using aggressive non-surgical interventions, including neck traction. Not a single participant in the study experienced progressive neurological loss, and the majority of patients were able to perform their pre-injury activities of daily living without complications. Participants also reported high levels of satisfaction with their non-operative care.
Traction is a therapy commonly performed in the offices of chiropractors and physical therapists, but numerous home traction devices are available to consumers and patients in need. The purpose of home traction units is to improve the blood supply to your neck muscles, tendons and ligaments while inducing muscle relaxation by relieving pain, pressure, stiffness and stress in your neck, shoulders and upper back, according to NeckSolutions.com.
Gentle Stretching
According to Princeton Brain & Spine Care, gentle stretching exercises, along with maintaining a healthy posture and good body mechanics, can be a helpful, non-operative method of reducing the pain associated with your cervical disc herniation. When you experience a cervical disc herniation or other disc problems, you lose flexibility and mobility in your neck. It's important to begin a gentle neck stretching routine by incorporating simple range of motion movements, such as neck flexion (bringing your chin to chest), extension (tilting your head back so that you're looking at the ceiling), rotation (turning your head from side to side) and lateral flexion (tilting your head from side to side so that you're bringing your ear toward your shoulder).
Practice deep nose breathing while performing your range of motion exercises, and never stretch beyond your pain threshold. To augment your stretch, consider using the fingertips of one of your hands to add slight pressure in the direction you're stretching.
References
- Mayfield Clinic: Herniated Cervical Disc
- Spine-Health.com: The McKenzie Method For Neck And Back Problems
- Cleveland Clinic: Herniated Disc
- Princeton Brain & Spine Care: Cervical Disc Herniation Symptoms And Treatment
- "Spine;" Nonoperative Management of Herniated Cervical Intervertebral Disc With Radiculopathy; 1996
