Is L4L5 (I think) impinging slightly on the spinal cord? Could result in some numbness in the foot.
Im not the best at reading MRI s tho.
Looks like you have an alien arm floating around inside you in the left picture.
Seriously?
L5/S1 on the fluid sensitive image looks as though it is protruding posteriorly along with abnormal disc space, we have not done MRI yet so I could be way off, but you already know whether or not something is wrong so why put it up, to see what dumbasses say? Let me know how off I am.
Well yeah, something is obviously wrong. I don’t go back to the doc until wednesday so I was just throwing it up to see what people thought; assuming that many lifters here have had back problems.
Rugby_Owns:
What are your smyptoms?
[quote]Rugby_Owns wrote:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/Tyga00/Untitled-4.jpg [/quote]
You have some posterior bulging at L5/S1 and a slighter posterior bulgfe at L4/L5. It’s hard to tell from that view if there’s any lateral bulging. You’d need to see the other views cutting across as opposed to up and down.
Just got back from the follow up. l5s1 herniation and signs of degenerative disc disease or something. No squatting for 6 months and no deadlifting ever again ;(
This is coming from the #2 orthopedists for the Minnesota Twins and the #1 guy for the Minnesota Wild. 
[quote]Rugby_Owns wrote:
Just got back from the follow up. l5s1 herniation and signs of degenerative disc disease or something. No squatting for 6 months and no deadlifting ever again ;(
This is coming from the #2 orthopedists for the Minnesota Twins and the #1 guy for the Minnesota Wild. :([/quote]
I’m just a small town chiropractor, but I don’t buy no deadlifting ever again. There is loading on your spine at all times. Just differently. While you heal you must minimize it.
But the squat and the deadlift both load your spine pretty heavy in that area. why would the squat be okay, but not the deadlift. You can squat in 6 months if things go well according to these fellows. I assume they mean over 50 pounds or so, as long as your progress.
So what is the upper limit they suggested. Because if you can’t ever deadlift, what anything, How could you squat 315 x 5? Or can you only do 225 x 5? But you can’t deadlift 225?
I’ve almost never hurt my back deadlifting. Most often it’s been suspended GMs and squats. now I’ve never had an MRI. 2 reasons : 1. many people have bulging discs with no active symptoms and I don’t want to freak myself out. 2. I’ve always recovered very quickly. But I’ve done it over 25 times in 30 years.
I don’t know what you lifted before, but if he thinks you can squat, you can deadlift. I can’t see you working up to say a 600 pound squat, but you can’t deadlift the bar? HUH?
Now, you must be careful as you work your way back into good health. Just don’t rush this to fast and you’ll be happy down the road.
[quote]Rugby_Owns wrote:
Just got back from the follow up. l5s1 herniation and signs of degenerative disc disease or something. No squatting for 6 months and no deadlifting ever again ;(
This is coming from the #2 orthopedists for the Minnesota Twins and the #1 guy for the Minnesota Wild. :([/quote]
Then he is over-rated.
Make sure you are lifting right for your body type.
Use relatively lighter weights for a while.
Eat right.
Whenever you do lifts that cause compression (dead lift) you should do an equal amount of traction (hang on a bar). And do traction throughout the day. Also West Side make a contraption to help rehabilitate that area.
Doctors are specialists at diagnosing an injury. Not always so when helping a patient recover or heal from an injury. Don’t get me wrong – they have their place. But just make sure you can tell when they are talking science and when they are talking opinion.
[quote]mmllcc wrote:
Rugby_Owns wrote:
Just got back from the follow up. l5s1 herniation and signs of degenerative disc disease or something. No squatting for 6 months and no deadlifting ever again ;(
This is coming from the #2 orthopedists for the Minnesota Twins and the #1 guy for the Minnesota Wild.
Then he is over-rated.
Make sure you are lifting right for your body type.
Use relatively lighter weights for a while.
Eat right.
Whenever you do lifts that cause compression (dead lift) you should do an equal amount of traction (hang on a bar). And do traction throughout the day. Also West Side make a contraption to help rehabilitate that area.
Doctors are specialists at diagnosing an injury. Not always so when helping a patient recover or heal from an injury. Don’t get me wrong – they have their place. But just make sure you can tell when they are talking science and when they are talking opinion.[/quote]
Exactly. You can come back from almost anything if you take you time, proceed carefully, and use your head a little.
[quote]Rugby_Owns wrote:
Just got back from the follow up. l5s1 herniation and signs of degenerative disc disease or something. No squatting for 6 months and no deadlifting ever again ;(
This is coming from the #2 orthopedists for the Minnesota Twins and the #1 guy for the Minnesota Wild. :([/quote]
You have my sympathy, I was diagnosed with a prolapsed L5S1 disc (around 8 years ago), had bad symptoms: pain (LOTS!) numbness from knee to toes an couldn’t lift my toes off the floor. I was off work for 9 weeks and out of the gym for 14 weeks. I still do my back extensions every morning and after each training session. I was told not to squat or deadlift. I managed to live quite well with it, through being back aware. I dont classify myself as having a bad back, more “at risk”.
I helped myself by doing the physio exercises and working out what I could do in the gym.
As a powerlifter to be told not to DL or SQ again really hit you in the balls.
Some things i have done that I feel helped:
Avoid sitting for prolonged periods (includes driving).
Try strengthening low back / core VERY carefully. Starting off with rediculously light weights (or NO weight) holding on to the thought that as I train in the evening I’ll only find the result in the morning (discs are bigger in the morning and therefore give worse symptoms then). An example of this is the 45degree back raise (aka ‘hyperextension’- though you dont hyperextend). I started this with just 3x8reps bodyweight only working up to 3x 25(I used to hold a 90lb DB doing these for 8) I’m now using an 80lb DB and doing 3x 8-10.
I’ve also managed to work up to 275lb in the BB row (45deg. style) this beats previous best of 250lb. I’m planning in a rest from these as I can feel I may be getting some low back irritation.
Things I still can’t do: DL even off blocks (tried it and had pain for a month) SQ. I also find that oblique training (side bend type movement) is a big no-no.
I’m concentrating on my worst lift now, the bench (now I seem to have cleared up various shoulder issues).
Oh the joy of getting older! LOL
I wish you all the best, remember you can train around the problem and may be able to strengthen (and stretch- think hamstrings & glutes) the supporting structures, allowing you to train areas / exercises you cant do at the moment.
Dax
Sounds like he’s being excessively concervative - I had a very similar scan last year before having a decompression Op on the L4-L5 nerve root caused by a ruptured disc resulting from blunt force trauma to the lumbar area. Six months on I’ve recently set PRs in Squat and Deadlift (which were never that good) and have been back playing competitive sport for several months. While the situation is different (the surgery is intended as a structural correction while you’ll have a permanent point of risk unless or until it’s fixed) I think I’ve shown that you can come back well from even serious problems.