Lumbar Spine Disc Injury Rehab

Stage Pre-requisites
1) Able to complete all Stage 2 exercises with confidence, no pain and competently; 2) Have done the required number of days of exercises that is set as the minimum. You may have done less reps and sets for each exercise, but you must have done enough days in total. If not, continue another week in Week 7-8 to complete; 3) Full pain free extension (stiffness only) and minimal pain or no pain on flexion; 4) Able to hold a side plank and front plank on your knees for 1min without loss of form or pain; 5) No loss of neutral or compensation on all Set A exercises in Weeks 7-8.

WEEKS 9-12
WEEKLY INSTRUCTIONS You are now entering the third stage, and it's the turning point in your rehab and recovery. The stage spans 4 weeks and the strengthening work starts increasing so you start really developing a more stable and stronger spine. It is crucial now that you have less pain, that you keep on the wagon of strengthening to continue to get better, as you will easily slip backwards at this point if you slacken off. The disc has a long way to heal and strengthen, and the gains you are experiencing are probably more muscular than they are lumbar disc. So don't be fooled, the core strengthening is so important to continue the increase in quality of life, prevent set backs and part of ongoing injury prevention. There are 10 exercises in the mobility section in this stage so bring the volume down to 3 x per week, so you can cover all the 10 exercises 3 times. Maybe split up the exercise into groups of 5, either morning and night, or 5 exercises 6 times per week. The inner core exercises go to the next level with some challenging movements to teach you to keep your spine in neutral and start adding a little load and difficulty. In Set B, the focus is on outer core global bracing with planking movements, as well as glute and lower leg work including light loaded squats, in preparation for returning to lifting down the track.
SPECIAL NOTES For the repeated flexions mobility exercise, you need to start with one leg first for week 9-10 and do 2 sets of 10 reps on both legs. Then progress to 2 legs in weeks 11-12, doing 3 sets on two legs You will start forgetting about your posture and to sit up straight as you have less and less pain and symptoms to remind you! So make sure you also are in a life-long habit now of standing more and sitting less. Don't go and lift anything heavy, rearrange the lounge, start that lawnmower or landscape the garden.