Before answering this question, it is customary to know some basic concepts, which is also theoretical knowledge. We need to know what it is and why it is, so as to completely solve a problem and a doubt; Only in this way can we draw inferences from others and know how to solve similar problems next time.
Part I: Some basic theoretical knowledge.
1, the structure of lumbar intervertebral disc,
Lumbar intervertebral disc actually belongs to cartilage and is elastic. It consists of the nucleus pulposus in the middle and the fibrous ring outside. The outer fibrous ring is a closed tissue that completely wraps the nucleus pulposus inside. When the spine is under pressure, the lumbar intervertebral disc will become thinner and the nucleus pulposus inside will become larger, because it will also become thinner and spread outward. underneath
The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. We can regard the lumbar intervertebral disc as a moon cake filled with egg yolk. The outer layer of the moon cake is equivalent to the fiber ring, and the yolk filling inside is the nucleus pulposus. If you press two plates on the moon cake, the whole moon cake will become thinner, and the yolk in the moon cake will also become thinner.
2. What is lumbar disc herniation?
At this time, because the outer layer of the moon cake is sealed, although the yolk becomes thinner, it will not flow out (normal intervertebral disc).
As the pressure you put on the moon cake increases, the spreading area of the yolk becomes larger and larger. At this time, if the pressure exerted on the moon cake is uneven and concentrated at a certain point, or the pressure at a certain point is the greatest, the outer layer of the moon cake will be deformed, or even a little crack will appear, but it has no substantial effect on the yolk inside, and the space is still sealed (Figure 1, intervertebral disc bulging);
Continue to apply pressure, and the outer layer with small cracks will slowly expand and deform inward. Although the space of egg yolk is still sealed, the sealed space is not round, and the egg yolk will flow to the deformed place (Figure 2 below, disc herniation);
Continue to press, and finally rupture, the egg yolk space is no longer sealed, and the egg yolk runs out of the crack (Figure 3 below, disc herniation).
The process of intervertebral disc from bulging to prolapse is shown below. You can imagine it as a moon cake.
The second part: Several poses of yoga around the spine and the stress on the intervertebral disc in these poses.
There are four postures around the spine in yoga: forward bending, backward bending, lateral bending and torsion.
Now let's take a look at the state of stress on the intervertebral disc when our spine is doing these exercises.
1, when bending forward, as shown below.
In the picture, the red circle is the intervertebral disc, the green line is the direction of pressure, and the yellow dot is the place where the outer layer of the moon cake is a little broken.
When we do forward flexion, if you don't bend down from the hip joint, the protruding part of the intervertebral disc will be pulled more severely, which is equivalent to the outer layer of the moon cake being pulled thinner, causing disc damage.
This is not the worst. Worst of all, if you bend forward and get up quickly, it will be too late to rebound behind the intervertebral disc and the yolk inside will not drip back. At this time, the damage to the intervertebral disc is even greater. underneath
Look at this picture and imagine: if you suddenly let go and you slowly let go, the stress on the intervertebral disc will be.
Summary: Forward flexion must start from the hips and get up slowly. It doesn't matter if you bend forward from the hip joint, but if you do something wrong, bending down will put a lot of pressure on the intervertebral disc, and if you come back soon, the pressure will be even greater.
2. When doing lateral bending, as shown below.
The intervertebral disc is relatively safe, but we should pay attention to the equal length of the waist on both sides, that is to say, we should not pursue the amplitude, but must bend to one side on the basis of spinal extension.
Conclusion: Scoliosis can be done, and it should be done within its own scope on the basis of spinal extension. It is not only suitable for people with poor lumbar spine, but also suitable for everyone.
3. When doing the back bend:
The same red circle is the intervertebral disc, the green line is the stress direction, and the yellow point is the protruding position.
Observe this picture and bring it into your body to think about it. Slight flexion of muscle strength at first is good for disc herniation.
The yellow spot is the position where the nucleus pulposus protrudes, and slight retroflexion will not let the nucleus pulposus continue to protrude backward; At the same time, a slight hunchback can provide nutrients to the area with disc problems. As we said before, there are no blood vessels on cartilage, that is, there is no blood supply, and its nutrition depends on synovial fluid.
We know through various channels that people with lumbar disc herniation should do Yin Fei (that is, locust style in yoga) and bridge section to exercise their waist and abdomen strength. These two movements are actually slight back bends.
Grasshopper style, below.
Bridge types, as follows
Conclusion: dorsiflexion is OK. Start muscle strength, do what you can, don't try to be brave.
4. When twisting,
The red circle is the intervertebral disc, the green line is one force and the light blue line is another force. These two forces are alternately applied to the intervertebral disc. I don't care where the disc is protruding, just think about the way the towel is twisted, the pressure on the disc, and some places have been damaged.
I don't know if you have eaten that kind of popsicle that looks like a gourd with thick ends and thin middle. I used to eat it when I was a child, and then I would divide one into two parts, and two people would share it, or lick one part with one hand and lick it there. It was also quite fun. How to divide it into two sections? If you just fold it, you can't stop. Just twist it, grab a head in one hand and twist it like a towel, and it will be interrupted soon. Please think of that popsicle as your intervertebral disc.
When we twist, the intervertebral disc bears the greatest pressure. This is why many people, in their lifetime, have the greatest probability of twisting their waists. Next,
To sum up, the intervertebral disc bears the greatest pressure in torsion. People with disc herniation should not do torsion, especially flexion and lateral bending.
Torsion during lateral flexion, below.
See the figure below for the torsion in the buckling state.
Part III: Summary.
Can people with lumbar disc herniation practice yoga?
1, you can do slight flexion, but you must make sure that you do it correctly, starting with the hip joint. 2. Lateral bending can be done, but attention should be paid to the stretching of the spine, and the stretching on both sides of the waist should be uniform. 3. Slight retroflexion can be done, which is good for lumbar disc herniation. 4, torsion can't be done, lateral bending plus torsion and forward bending plus torsion can't be done.