Here's My Best Hip Mobility Exercises For Herniated DIscs
I hate stretching, and I hate the fact that stretching is one of the most overprescribed low back pain treatments you’ll find on the internet.
It’s not entirely because f the fact that stretching doesn’t work for back pain relief. It’s more about how stretching is used for back pain relief.
More often, stretching is given to the tight areas of our body as a relief strategy, but it’s only ever short-lived and becomes something you have to commit to doing every day from here on out to repeat that level of relief.
In this video, I’ll break down my thought process and strategy with a herniated disc, bulging disc, and even a post-spinal surgery hip mobility routine.
In this video, you’ll discover
- The critical first step of any mobility routine.
- A sneaky trick that I do to help protect my sensitive area before I start.
- My mandatory hip ROM drill that makes your hips feel like butter
- The 3 simple hip opening/mobility exercises that are safe for disc injuries and post-spinal surgery.
Remember: The content on this site is only for those who have been cleared to exercise by their trusted provider. This is not medical advice, nor should it be taken as such. Listen to your body and only do what YOU know is right for you.
If you want to know more about how I use exercise and movement to beat chronic back pain and overcome the fear of exercise post-injury be sure to grab my Pain-Free Training Blueprint.
It’s totally free and is a wealth of actionable steps for you to build strength with less pain.
Will Hip Mobility Help With Lower Back Pain
The best way to look at hip mobility for herniated discs, bulging discs, or any spinal injury is that you’re not looking to bring length to the tissues at the actual injury or sensitive area.
It’s the opposite.
You want to use hip mobility exercises to open up space for the hips to move freely and not call on joints/muscles above and below the site to compensate or do more work than necessary. This often causes tension or “fatigue” in the areas where the pain is present. It can also be responsible for the “tightness” you feel in the sensitive area.
So instead of stretching the sensitive area, creating more painful tissues and lack of stability, you want to work on the joints above and below the site to have the most impact possible.
What Is the Best Hip Mobility Routine For Herniated Discs, Bulging Discs or Post Surgery?
Hip Mobility For Back Pain Step ONE: Warm-Up
The best way to know I you have spent enough time warming up is whether or not you have broken a sweat. You can do this by a simple walk, job, or even a series of exercises (one of my favorites is core exercises).
If I add core work to my warm-up, I like doing the front Plank to Side Plank Exercises since each round hits the entire core.
Hip Mobility For Back Pain Step TWO: Hip ROM Drill
The next step is to get the hips moving. There are a few different ways you can do this for those who have been fused; you can do this standing while holding on to something for balance.
If you feel comfortable on your back, try the exercises I show in the video!
With this exercise, all you’re doing is taking the hip through its full range of motion and allowing both the weight of your leg and gravity to “stretch” the tissues gently.
Hip Mobility For Back Pain Step THREE: 90/90 Hip Stretch/Hold
It’s not so much about really digging into this for the stretch. SImple holding the 90/90 without having to support or prop yourself is a great goal to have.
The best way to work on this is to sit in this position and remain as upright as possible while taking deep, slow breaths.
The second portion of this (if you choose to) is gentle leans over the knee in different directions.
Don’t rush into this too much, and respect your body and the condition that it’s in.
Hip Mobility For Back Pain Step FOUR: Weighted Leans
This is an excellent overall hip stretch that hits the inner thigh and groin area well. The key is to not push too much into the end ranges so you can keep the low back in a healthy spot.
Take deep breaths and move in and out of the position after a few seconds of being in the forward lunge.
Hip Mobility For Back Pain Step FIVE: Bodyweight Squat Holds
This hip mobility drill is straightforward and can be done just about anywhere.
Grab a pole or a doorway and get into a squat position holding for 25-35 seconds at a time.
Check out the full video to see the step by step and tricks I use to maximize this exercise.
The most essential part of any mobility drill to get back pain relief from a herniated disc, building disc, or post-fusion is to go SLOW and respect your threshold.
You don’t want to chase the feeling of tight muscles because it is typically a false sense of tightness.
Instead, focus on the joints around the surrounding painful area and see how it goes.
