What to expect from exercise therapy for degenerative disc disease

Disc changes can appear with or without pain, so the therapist focuses on your symptoms, movement and function rather than an image alone. They may assess bending, walking, lifting, hip movement, trunk endurance and nerve-related symptoms. The programme is designed to improve confidence with safe movement and support tasks you need at home or work.

Exercises may include gentle spinal mobility, abdominal and back strengthening, hip work, walking or another comfortable aerobic activity. Education about positions, lifting and pacing can be as useful as the exercises themselves.

Practise the prescribed movements with steady breathing and controlled technique. Change position regularly instead of remaining in bed or one chair position for long periods. Increase repetitions, resistance or walking time only as agreed, and tell your therapist if symptoms spread into a limb, become more intense or last longer after exercise.

A useful sign of progress may be easier dressing, walking, sleep or lifting rather than the complete disappearance of back discomfort. Keep taking prescribed medicines as directed and bring any scan reports or symptom changes to review.

Seek urgent assessment for new loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the inner thighs or saddle area, or worsening weakness in a leg. Contact a clinician promptly for fever with severe back pain, unexplained weight loss, major trauma, or pain that is rapidly worsening. Pause an exercise that causes sudden severe pain.

Ask which movements and lifting methods suit your symptoms, how to respond if pain travels down a leg, and how progress will be reviewed. Ask whether your work setup or sleep position needs modification.