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Your disc, explained

Why every block in your program is doing real work.

L4–L5 herniation

A pressure problem, not a damage problem.

Lumbar spine showing a herniated disc compressing a nerve root
Your L4–L5 disc has a small tear in its outer ring. The inner gel pushes backward onto a nerve root — pain comes from pressure & inflammation, not fragility.

The fix is to offload the disc with a stronger core and stronger hips, while restoring gentle motion that pushes the disc back to center.

How your program targets the injury

Deep core (dead bug, bird dog)

Builds the internal pressure system that braces your spine. With every step the disc carries 30% less load.

Glute strength (bridges)

Hips do the heavy lifting so the lumbar spine doesn't have to. This is the #1 predictor of avoiding re-injury.

Hip mobility (90/90)

Stiff hips force the low back to compensate. Restoring rotation removes a daily aggravator.

McKenzie extension

Low-grade extension nudges the disc nucleus back toward center, away from the nerve.

Rules of thumb for pain

  • Green (0–2): push within target strain.
  • Yellow (3–5): we modify — same blocks, slower tempo, less load.
  • Red (6+): decompression + walking only. We notify your PT.
  • Leg pain easing into the back? Good — that's centralization.

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