Can I still lift with a hernia? (2023)

Can I still lift with a hernia?

When you have a hernia, you should avoid certain exercises and activities: Avoid heavy exertion exercises, such as weightlifting, that cause you to strain.

Do NOT lift anything heavier than 15 pounds for a minimum of two weeks (or as instructed by your surgeon). Do NOT engage in strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least four to six weeks (or advised by your surgeon). Lifting too soon after hernia surgery can cause a hernia reoccurrence and other complications.

Due to the nature of a hernia and the cause, heavy lifting should be avoided wherever possible, weightlifting could potentially cause further herniation and deterioration of your condition so it would be better not to weight lift whilst you have the hernia.

You can exercise if you have a hernia. The key is focusing on exercises that won't strain the area where your hernia is located. For abdominal hernias, this means exercises or lifting routines that involve straining or pulling in the abdominal area are not recommended.

Regulating your breathing will not only decrease the amount of pressure in your abdomen, but it will also help eliminate exercises that cause you to strain. Heavy weightlifting exercises, such as the deadlift, cause an increase of abdominal pressure and ​should be avoided​ if you're worried about your hernia.

Use natural remedies to relieve hernia symptoms.

Although there is no natural cure for hernias, you can talk to your doctor about natural remedies — such as aloe vera, castor seed oil, and vegetable juice –which are sometimes used to relieve hernia symptoms because of their anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.

Absolutely Yes! If your hernia is not causing pain or discomfort – it is possible to live with your hernia. One must remember that there is a risk of an emergency (incarceration or strangulation) from any hernia.

A hernia usually does not go away without surgery. Non-surgical approaches such as wearing a corset, binder, or truss may exert gentle pressure on the hernia and keep it in place. These methods may ease the pain or discomfort and may be used if you are not fit for the surgery or awaiting surgery.

You should feel better after a few days and will probably feel much better in 7 days. For several weeks you may feel discomfort or pulling in the hernia repair when you move. You may have some bruising around the area of the repair. This is normal.

Hernias are less common in women than in men, however hernias in women can cause chronic pelvic pain, and hernia repair is very effective at eliminating the cause of this pain. The main types of hernias that can develop in women are – indirect inguinal hernias, femoral hernias and umbilical hernias.

What can make a hernia worse?

Certain activities tend to make hernia symptoms worse. These may include prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, coughing, laughing, sneezing, straining during a bowel movement, sexual intercourse, getting in and out of a car or bed, bending forward, or crossing legs.

Answer: Hernias

If the hernias have been solidly repaired and have healed normally, you should be able to exercise and work on developing your "6-pack". Often, significant dietary efforts are needed to get slim enough for the muscle development to show up.

The hernia won't heal on its own. If your hernia does not bother you, most likely you can wait to have surgery. Your hernia may get worse, but it may not. Over time, hernias tend to get bigger as the muscle wall of the belly gets weaker and more tissue bulges through.

After any kind of hernia, walking can help keep your muscles strong and help reduce your risk of complications. This is especially true of surgeries on your abdomen. Walking helps your organs return to their proper place.

You cannot push the hernia back into place with gentle pressure when you are lying down. The area over the hernia turns red or becomes tender.

While you may experience pain before and after hernia surgery, you will likely be asleep during surgery and will not feel any pain. In most open, laparoscopic and robotic hernia repairs, your hernia surgery will use general anesthesia during the procedure.

If this condition is left untreated longer than 6 hours, incarcerated hernia can cut off blood flow to part of the intestine, resulting in strangulated hernia.

What is the best treatment for a hernia? Hernias will not go away with time, nor can they be treated with exercises or medication. According to Dr. Sherman, surgery is really the only treatment to repair a hernia.

Patients without severe pain can have urgent surgery within a few weeks. Patients with severe pain often need emergency surgery and are best evaluated in an emergency room.

Is it safe to delay hernia surgery?

Unless a hernia is causing you distress or limiting your activities, you can safely delay repair. A dull ache and a lump in the groin or scrotum—these are the typical signs of an inguinal (groin) hernia.

While it may not be causing trouble now, it is very likely that it could lead to more serious complications later if it is not repaired. One of those complications is strangulation. This occurs when the bulging tissue is squeezed by the muscle wall. As a result, the blood supply is cut off and the tissue begins to die.

Comparing surgical repair options

Open hernia repair is a major surgery that's performed with the aid of general anesthesia or local anesthesia and sedation. It's done through one or two standard-sized incisions (three to six inches in length) that allow the surgeon to fully visualize and access the problematic area.

This is a true medical emergency and can even be fatal. The hernia will not heal by itself, but surgery to repair hernias is common. (To learn more about hernias, check out our post.) But if the hernia grows too large, surgery gets much harder and less likely to succeed.

In your hospital room. Most people are in the hospital for 2 days after a laparoscopic surgery and 5 days after an open surgery.

Cough and Sneeze Carefully

It turns out that if you have an abdominal incision, you can do some serious harm to your incision if you cough or sneeze the wrong way. A new incision isn't very strong and a violent sneeze can actually cause a surgical incision to open.

But not every hernia needs immediate treatment. It depends on the size and symptoms. If it doesn't become symptomatic, it may not need treatment at all. A surgical hernia repair involves pushing the bulge back inside the body part that should contain it using mesh, and keeping it there.

Strangulated inguinal hernia

Strangulated inguinal hernias are a more serious medical condition. This is when an intestine in an incarcerated hernia has its blood flow cut off.

When might I need emergency surgery? Seek immediate medical attention if there are signs that your hernia has become stuck or strangulated, which can be life-threatening and usually requires emergency surgery. Signs of this condition include: A hernia bulge that is suddenly larger than before.

For most people, the biggest issue with their hernia is that they start to hurt. The pain associated with an inguinal hernia is usually a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin region, often made worse when you bend over, lift anything heavy or cough.

How do I know if my hernia is getting worse?

1. Sudden or worsening pain. Some hernias cause pain or sensations like aching, heaviness, or weakness. If you notice sudden pain or pain that's gotten significantly worse, it could be a sign of a severe hernia complication called strangulation.

Hernias happen. They happen to people who are overweight and out-of-shape, and they happen to highly trained athletes. They happen to people who strain too much while lifting, and they happen to those who merely sit in a chair. While they are more common in men, they also occur frequently in pregnant women.

An inguinal hernia isn't necessarily dangerous. It doesn't improve on its own, however, and can lead to life-threatening complications. Your doctor is likely to recommend surgery to fix an inguinal hernia that's painful or enlarging. Inguinal hernia repair is a common surgical procedure.

Such swelling or bloating should decrease during recovery as the body heals and adjusts to any medical devices, usually days or a few weeks later. Larger hernias and surgical areas will result in more swelling that may take a few months to subside.

Not only will it decrease the chance of a hernia recurrence, but will improve your core strength, stop post-pregnancy bulging due to abdominal wall laxity, and create a flatter, more functional muscular abdomen.

Fluid retention. The most common cause of weight gain after surgery is fluid retention, also known as postoperative edema. Edema occurs when extra fluid builds up in your body to respond to inflammation and promote healing. It may also be caused by intravenous (IV) fluids given during surgery.

A few days before surgery, your surgeon may order a pre-op exam consisting of blood tests, an EKG (electrocardiogram), and a chest X-ray to be sure your heart and lungs are in good condition.

Yes, although it is rare, an internal hernia can rupture internally. A spontaneous rupture can be caused by coughing, lifting weights, straining with defecation, or under other circumstances that increase intra-abdominal pressure.

The most common issue experienced by patients with mesh repairs is a sensation of “feeling” the mesh after certain types of hernia surgeries (different surgeons use different techniques), along with pain and discomfort in the days after surgery.

After surgery, most patients will be asked to avoid lifting anything heavier than 15 pounds for the first two weeks, though more complicated patients may have differing limitations. Different patients will have individual restrictions, but in general, you should be as active as your provider permits.

How much weight can I lift with a hiatal hernia?

There are no restrictions on the exercise at all if you have a hiatal hernia. Exercise not only helps you lose weight but also helps in maintaining the overall health of your body and avoiding the development of certain symptoms.

How Much Weight is Considered Heavy Lifting? In general, anything above 200 lbs for upper body exercises is considered heavy, and. anything above 300 lbs for lower body exercises can be considered heavy for most people.

(d) Heavy work. Heavy work involves lifting no more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 50 pounds.