Lumbar spinal stenosis occurs due to age-related wear and tear. It is an inevitable condition that is bound to occur after a certain age, no matter how much you try to prevent it. While you cannot eliminate the possibility of lumbar spinal stenosis, you can take certain steps to get relief from the symptoms.
While a person may not even want to move their body while in spinal stenosis pain, exercising is the most beneficial thing for your body. The key to curing lumbar spinal stenosis in Huntington is finding exercises that you will enjoy doing and that does not increase the pain.
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The Importance of Exercising for Spinal Stenosis
Before starting with what exercises can be beneficial for you, you must understand how exactly these exercises will be helping you:
- Exercising can help you stay flexible and fight the symptoms of spinal stenosis.
- Exercising makes your muscles strong and takes the pressure off your backbone.
- Exercising releases endorphins and thus promotes better mental health.
- Exercising increases blood flow to the back.
- Exercising can help you lose weight and help maintain a healthy weight.
Exercises That Can Relieve Spinal Stenosis Pain
Walking
If you are going to start exercising, let’s start with the basics instead of jumping to strenuous exercises. Walking is a great and easy exercise for patients with spinal stenosis. It helps destress your mind and lose a few calories.
Swimming
Many people find swimming to be a refreshing and positive activity for your back. Swimming allows you to use water’s buoyancy to your advantage. Any kind of water activity is easier on your spine. Additionally, the resistance in the water helps you strengthen your muscles.
Physical therapy
You can hire a physical therapist to create a workout plan for you tailored to your needs. These exercises can be done inside your home and without the need for any equipment. These may include stretching, education on how to improve your posture, massage therapy, various exercises, etc. The exercises are simple and may include pelvic tilt, knee to chest, and lower trunk rotation.
Can Exercising With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Be Harmful to Me?
Although exercises are recommended for everyone, there are certain conditions when a person should refrain from them. Remember to speak with your doctor about whether it would be safe for your health to exercise and ask them what exercises you should perform. Even if the doctor has approved exercise, you must pay attention to how you feel after exercising. If your body pain keeps worsening, you should probably not do it.