Herniated Disc Pain Relief: Simple Test and 3 Exercises to Recover Faster
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
If you're dealing with lower back pain that shoots down your leg, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the term disc herniation.
For many people, hearing that diagnosis can feel scary. Some are told they need surgery, while others are told to stop exercising or lifting weights forever. A common question many people ask is “Do herniated discs heal on their own?”, especially when they are trying to understand what recovery might look like and whether long-term limitations are necessary.
But here’s the reality:
Most herniated discs do not require surgery and can improve significantly with the right movement-based approach.
In fact, the majority of people with a herniated disc or sciatica recover with conservative treatment, targeted exercises, and proper rehabilitation. While some individuals worry about long-term pain from a herniated disc, the right rehab strategy can often help reduce symptoms and support a gradual return to normal activities.
In this article, you’ll learn:
• How to test for herniated disc at home?
• 3 best exercises for herniated disc lower back
• Why these movements help reduce nerve irritation and lower back pain
Let’s start by understanding what a herniated disc actually is.
What Is a Disc Herniation?
A disc herniation occurs when the soft inner portion of a spinal disc pushes outward through the tougher outer layer.
Inside each spinal disc is a gel-like material called the nucleus pulposus, which is surrounded by a strong outer ring called the annulus fibrosus.
When pressure builds over time, the inner gel of the disc can begin to push outward. This can lead to two common spinal conditions: a bulging disc, where the disc protrudes outward but the outer layer remains intact, or a herniated disc, where the inner gel pushes through the outer layer.
These types of changes in the disc can irritate nearby tissues or place pressure on a nerve root. When this happens, people may begin experiencing bulging disc or herniated disc symptoms, which often include lower back pain, radiating leg pain, numbness, tingling, or sciatica. Because these conditions are often discussed together, many people also try to understand the difference between a herniated disc versus a bulging disc and how each one may affect symptoms and recovery.
Many people also wonder how long disc herniations take to heal. Recovery time can vary depending on the severity of the injury, the level of nerve irritation, and whether the right movements and rehabilitation strategies are used during recovery.
Why Disc Herniations Cause Sciatica
If a disc bulge or herniation presses on a nearby nerve root, it can irritate the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body.
This can cause symptoms that travel along the nerve pathway, including:
• Pain in the lower back
• Pain radiating into the glutes
• Tightness in the hamstrings
• Burning or tingling in the calf or foot
• Numbness in the toes
Some people describe this sensation as:
• A burning pain
• Electric shock-like symptoms
• A tight rubber band feeling down the leg
Because the sciatic nerve travels from the lower back all the way to the foot, irritation in the spine can cause pain far away from the original source.
What Causes a Disc Herniation?
Disc injuries usually don’t occur because of a single event. In most cases, they develop gradually over time as the spine experiences repeated stress and strain from daily activities and lifestyle habits.
Several factors can contribute to the development of a disc herniation. These may include spending long hours sitting, poor movement patterns, limited spinal mobility, weak or tight hip muscles, inadequate sleep, chronic stress, and poor nutrition or recovery habits.
Over time, these factors can place increasing pressure on the spinal discs. As this stress builds, the discs may become more vulnerable, and eventually even a small movement, extra load, or stressful moment can trigger noticeable pain or symptoms. Because of this, many people begin exploring different treatment options and often ask questions such as whether a chiropractor can help with a herniated disc and what type of care is most effective for recovery.
For example, many people report feeling symptoms after:
• Deadlifting in the gym
• Squatting heavy weight
• Lifting something awkwardly
• Twisting while carrying weight
This often leads to sudden back pain and difficulty standing upright. During this stage, many people also begin asking questions about safe activity levels during recovery, such as whether walking is good for a herniated disc and what types of movement can help reduce symptoms rather than aggravate them.
A Simple Test to Check for Disc Herniation
One quick way to see if your symptoms may be related to a disc issue is the Seated Compression Test.
This test compares how your back feels in neutral posture versus a flexed posture.
How to Perform the Seated Compression Test:
Sit tall on a chair while holding the sides of the seat.
Keep your spine completely neutral and upright.
Pull yourself down into the chair to create compression in the spine.
Notice if this causes pain.
Now repeat the same compression while rounding your lower back forward.
What the Results May Indicate
If pain significantly increases when your spine is rounded, this may indicate a disc-related problem.
This is because bending forward increases pressure on the posterior portion of the disc, which is where most herniations occur.
Additional signs that suggest a disc issue include:
• Pain increasing the longer you sit
• Pain when bending forward
• Symptoms when coughing or sneezing
• Sciatica symptoms traveling down the leg
If these symptoms sound familiar, targeted exercises can often help reduce pressure on the disc and nerve.
3 Exercises That Can Help Disc Herniation Recovery
The goal of these exercises is to:
• Reduce pressure on the spinal disc
• Improve hip mobility
• Build stability around the spine
These three movements address those goals directly.
Exercise 1: Reverse Lumbar Extension
This movement helps reverse the stress caused by prolonged sitting and forward bending.
Many disc injuries are flexion intolerant, meaning bending forward increases symptoms.
Extension exercises move the spine in the opposite direction.
How to Perform Reverse Lumbar Extension
• Place your upper body on a chair for support
• Step your knees back behind you
• Slowly push your hips forward and downward
• Allow your lower back to gently move into extension
• Keep the glutes and lower back relaxed
Repeat this motion slowly while gradually increasing your range of motion.
Why This Exercise Helps
Reverse lumbar extension can:
• Reduce pressure on the posterior disc
• Encourage disc material to move away from the nerve
• Improve spinal mobility
• Decrease sciatic nerve irritation
For many people, this movement can quickly reduce back and leg symptoms.
Exercise 2: 90/90 Hip Mobility Circles
Tight hips force the lower back to work harder during movement.
Improving hip mobility can significantly reduce stress on the lumbar spine.
How to Perform the 90/90 Hip Exercise:
• Sit on the floor in a 90/90 hip position
• Lean back slightly using your hands for support
• Rotate your knees upward toward the ceiling
• Move your hips in a large circular motion
• Rotate to the right and then back to the left
Try to sit as tall as possible while making the biggest circle your hips allow.
Why This Exercise Helps
This movement helps:
• Unlock tight hip joints
• Improve hip rotation mobility
• Reduce compensatory stress on the lower back
• Improve overall movement mechanics
When hips move better, the lower back doesn’t need to compensate as much.
Exercise 3: Kneeling Airplane Exercise
The final exercise focuses on hip strength and stability, especially around the piriformis and glute muscles.
These muscles play a key role in controlling pelvic and spinal movement.
How to Perform the Kneeling Airplane Exercise:
• Place one knee on the ground while using a chair for balance
• Extend the opposite leg straight behind you
• Keep your spine neutral like a tabletop
From here:
• Rotate the floating hip down toward the floor
• Then rotate the hip up toward the ceiling
Think of opening and closing your hips like a book.
Why This Exercise Helps:
This movement:
• Stretches the piriformis muscle
• Strengthens the glutes
• Improves hip control
• Reduces tension around the sciatic nerve
It combines mobility and strength, which is essential for long-term recovery.
The Most Important Part of Disc Herniation Recovery
Exercises alone are helpful, but the most important factor in recovery is choosing the right movements for your specific condition.
Not everyone with back pain needs the same exercises.
Some people respond best to:
• Spinal extension exercises
• Hip mobility work
• Core stability training
The key is identifying which movements reduce symptoms instead of increasing them.
This is known as the centralization process.
Why the Centralization Process Is So Important
The centralization process plays a critical role in identifying the movements that are most beneficial for your specific condition. It helps determine which movements reduce nerve irritation, which ones increase your symptoms, and what types of exercises your body actually needs for recovery.
When applied correctly, this approach can lead to faster symptom relief and provide a clearer direction for your rehabilitation plan. Instead of relying on general exercises that may or may not help, the centralization process helps guide treatment based on how your body responds.
Over time, this targeted approach supports long-term recovery rather than temporary relief, allowing you to address the root of the problem instead of just managing the symptoms.
What is the Next Step?
This can vary from person to person but in my experience with online clients around the world there is a similar pattern among many individuals with disc herniation that is commonly missed.
The majority of my clients in the RehabFix Online Low Back Program have had herniated disc issues for years and have tried Chiro, PT, medication, injections, orthopedists - you name it! It seems like they all were missing some key components.....
✅ What they were missing is the Centralization Process which helps us immediately determine the right exercises for your situation!
✅ See on average a 37% reduction in symptoms in the very first session to avoid surgery!
✅ Get a free demo with us following the link below!
Thanks for reading! -Dr. Grant Elliott
Comments