Is it effective to overcome the pinched nerve by swimming?

Did you know that swimming is a sports activity that can be part of your treatment plan for a pinched nerve? Reporting from Livestrong, swimming is a type of exercise that can be used to help you stay active without aggravating pain in people with pinched nerves.

What is a pinched nerve?

A pinched nerve is a condition caused by a nerve disorder that causes the protrusion of the layer or bearing of the surface of the vertebrae of the vertebrae between the bones. The bulge can press on the nerves and cause excruciating pain. A pinched nerve or in medical terms is called a hernia nucleus pulposus (HNP) usually occurs in the part of your spine from the neck to the lower back.

As with low back pain, 90 percent of cases of pinched nerves occur in the lower back or lumbar HNP. In general, the pinched nerve can improve within days to weeks. However, if your symptoms do not go away, you should ask your doctor or trusted therapist for advice on further treatment that needs to be done.

How does swimming treat a pinched nerve?

Swimming is often recommended by doctors and physical therapists as a therapy for people with pinched nerves. Usually, in the early stages of suffering from this disease, you may not be able to do anything other than lie in bed. However, bed rest overdoing it actually weakens your muscles and makes joints tense.

Floating on the water can reduce your load when you want to move. Compared to just lying on a bed, floating in a pool makes your back more relaxed. So if you have access to a swimming pool, it's a good idea to give this a try.

When you are in the water, you will notice less weight, which will reduce the amount of weight you are carrying when moving. Apart from being a physical therapy, swimming is also able to strengthen the spinal muscles and strengthen the injured cushion. Swimming does not cause impact or pressure to the injured bearing so it can reduce the pain that is felt due to a pinched nerve.

The Mayo Clinic recommends limiting your time in bed to no more than 30 minutes at a time. You can consult your doctor and therapist about how long it is recommended to do this exercise.

What should you pay attention to before doing this exercise?

Before you start swimming activities to deal with a pinched nerve, it's a good idea to consult a doctor first. If the doctor allows and even recommends swimming, then you can start this activity. If you are afraid to start swimming, try taking a slow walk in the pool first.

Don't try a stroke that puts a strain on your back, for example the butterfly stroke. This swimming style requires greater strength than other swimming styles. So instead of overcoming the pinched nerve, what happened was the opposite, namely aggravating the condition.

You can ask a physical therapist to help you out and become a temporary instructor if you are too scared to start the sport. Choose movements that are gentle and don't require too much energy. Previously, you can ask your doctor or therapist a suitable swimming style.

Routine swimming as recommended by your doctor can strengthen your stomach and back muscles. In addition, it helps stabilize the spine and reduces the chance of slipping other bearings.