If you've ever had a back problem, PLEASE read this

[Slyder190]

I just spent a half hour using the SEARCH engine to see what everyone had to say about back injuries. My back hurts right now after lifting again after 2 weeks off and I go for an MRI on Sunday. Here's the deal boys, I WILL NOT give up the gym. If you want to tell me otherwise, please don't bother posting - no offense to anyone. I might take one more week off for good measure before I go back, but that's it. After that, no matter what the MRI says, I'm headed back. I will change exercises, stances, positions, whatever. I WILL keep going. I will find the ways to do what I love and what I'm addicted to. I'm not huge, but working out is a huge part of my life. I will stretch, walk, get massage, continue chiropractic care, use ice, heat whatever it takes. I wish I could tell you what the MRI will say, but I don't know yet. What I'm asking is for anyone else who has ever found the way, or found methods that help pave the way or who have defied what the dr.'s said, and defied the limitations that they were suposedly handed, please respond to this post or e-mail me at [email protected]. I read about guys who had to take off 3 months, 6 months, years, etc...NO FUCKIN WAY. If there are any "limitations" on the physical aspect, I don't care because there are no limitations on my mind and my mind set will get me through no matter what. Thanks for reading this post, and if you respond or can help me out, I thank you.

 

[hookuprx]

Umm.. Thats the spirit.. Hope everything works out for you.

 

[Delinquent]

Same here. I had what I thought was a spasm on the lower right side of my back. Some said it was probably a pinched nerve. Still had a little discomfort so I went to get a massage. Well that didn't help and now the left side of my back is hurting so it's off to the doc. Hopefully it's nothing bad. There's no way I could just stop going to the gym

 

[the_only_sepe]

your doc will not do shit but give you pain killers, best to go to a sports injury doc

 

[KA-BAR]

http://www.denverback.com/active_release.htm

Check out the part that talk about ART

GL!

 

[ragin']

i actually cracked a vertabrae my last year of HS football and couln't lift for a while.... there was no way i could, the pain was too great. i ended up being layed up in a back brace for about a year.... not fun, bros. when i got my brace off, it was still difficult to lift but did it. just took it easy on my back (especially lower back excercises) and eased my way back into it full swing. i'm now 25 and my back is stronger than it ever was before. BUT, i believe i'm still lifting today and look and feel the way i do today because i EASED back into it. slyder, bro.... dont EVER stop doing what you love, especially something for your body, but keep in mind, you dont have to go back full swing.... take care of your body and it will take care of you, bro. trust me. now get well and get your ass back in the gym...... carefully.

peace,
ragin'

 

[vtec96]

Bro, what kind of excersises are you doing Deadlifts, Legpresses, squats? Do you possibly remember what may have caused it?

I have a similar prob with my back and was out for like 2-3 weeks!!! I felt like this was forever... But i agree with you - I WAS NOT LEAVING THE GYM... just found a way to work around and be carefull of form and excersises..


post your routines and maybe I, or anyone else, can help.....

 

[ragin']

btw, how old are you?

 

[NY1Muscle]

an epidural injection may be the way to go for you (if you have back pain that radiates down your leg.)

there's no reason you can't lift no matter what you have.....just substitute leg presses for squats and lighten up your back workout with lighter weights and higher reps so you strengthen the stabilizer muscles while your injury heals. don't do anything that causes sharp pain. be cautious with your delt workout since some of the most popular exercises stress the lumbar muscles while you're doing the movement.

don't forget to hit your abs hard....they are the best spinal stabilizers that people always forget about.

take your recovery period as an opportunity to focus on arms, chest, triceps, abs, and calves. go easy on your back and hams. and try to do as much as possible in a supine position. isometrics are always safe and even though they won't give you size they'll keep you strong - i'm not sure what good isometrics are for the back but maybe someone else knows.

calm down....over 90% of backpain gets better within 6 weeks. you're not going to shrink away to nothing in that time.

 

[Slyder190]

Info

I'm 27. I will definately give up squats for a while. Back extentions are probably out as well. Hams are gonna be a prob as leg curls tend to hurt. Not sure about shoulder presses. I will go slow with leg curls and probably switch to hammer strength machines for many back and chest exercises. Shoulder presses went okay this week, but I will be careful while doing them. I'll find the ways. I appreciate the replies.

 

[vtec96]

What I did was to try the excercise with little or no weight:
try to squat down to your normal depth in front of a mirror. If you feel no pain, try it with the bar doing sets of 10 or so. Next if still no pain, try adding a 25 ea side... if no pain try a 45... work up to your 60-70% of your max. Every week try to increase the weights slowly 2.5-5lbs. If you get where you feel any pain, try reducing the weight 25lbs or so. Dont go past that weight if you feel any pain. Its like your doing a periodization... start with 12 reps and go until you get up to 1-3 WITHOUT ANY PAIN. Worked for me.
Just do the same with the other excersises.
For me I dont do the leg press anymore since I feel this was causing me prob's! Everyone is different. Also carefull doing DL's.. Start very light.. then same as above. If you have to stop one excersise for a while to get your back stronger agian, thats fine, you will be better in the long run.... Hope this helps...

 

[crimson coal]

I had a skydiving accident which screwed my lower back for the rest of my life. Doctor said all I could do is live with the pain or go under the knife and fuse. For six months I just got fatter and fatter cuz I couldnt do anything remotely close to moving around in any way. I ended up reading up on Growth Hormone and what it can do for you. I ended up purchasing GH and got a personal trainer who I told about my injuries and how we could work around it. Within a month of taking the GH I felt fantastic. Now a year later I am pushing heavy weight, wrastlin with friends, and doing whatever the hell I want. Only thing I make sure of is every morning upon waking I stretch for about 15 minutes. Check into GH if you can afford it. It changed my life.

 

[StoneColdGold]

I have degenerative disc disease. Herniation at L4/L5 and disintegration at L5/S1. I've basically been in constant pain since i was 16. I'm now 24. I played five years of college football and I'm about to start my first season of pro ball.

For me, its basically like this. I hurt all the time. The pain ranges from minor annoyance (which after 8 years basically means i don't notice it) to severe and somewhat debilitating. At its worst, I get sharp shooting pains and numbness down my right leg and sharp pinching pain across my hips. Deciding to live the lifestyle I do (football and weight training) means for most of the day I move like I'm 90 years old. I have basically trained myself to be able to take 3 hours a day where I ignore the pain to go through a practice, game, lift, etc. The rest of the time, I struggle to lean over and pick up something off the floor.

Point being... you better just decide what life you'd rather lead: one where you can train hard and be in pain, or one where sacrifice something you enjoy to be pain-free.

Of course, if you're just having a minor twinge that could be resolved with ART, then you don't need to worry.

 

[NY1Muscle]

the growth probably helped you heal and fuse faster - and thus avoid a chronic pain syndrome.

i don't think anyone has used it to promote bone healing, but it's an interesing idea....i'm going to look into it....it may be good for short term use in other people too.

not sure it'll help him if it's just soft tissue and disc/nerve issues though.