Hey everybody,
I’m 22 years old and i herniated my L-5 disc about a year and a half ago. It was awful. I was deadlifting and was proabably doing too much weight and lost neutral spine and you can imagine what happend next.
After a going through PT and spinal decompression therapy which i thought helped with pain relief alot (whether or not it actually helped “heal” the disc is questionable beacuse ive read that once a the disc ruptures it pretty much stays that way) but in anycase, it helped with pain relief.
I have been fortunate enoguh to not have any leg pain associated with the disc problem which i heard is awful and am hoping will not develop. Like people have said, i wish i would have broken a bone or something becuase at least you know it will heal and sometimes be even stronger.
With this injury i feel like everytime i want to do heavy squats or attempt deadlifing i feel like its just a matter of time before i fuck myself up again like you guys have said.
It sucks… squats, deadlifts, bent rows and all that good stuff were the bread and butter of my program and its difficult for me to get away from these lifts but at the same time i wanna be able to walk when im 40.
Have any of you guys with disc herniations dealt with this dilemma and if so have you been able to work around it and been able to still pack on some good muscle by using a modified training approach?
-Darian
Ps. You guys might find these two replies interesting that i received from mike stare a PT who coauthored “conquering the enemies of the spine” for T-Nation and tony gentilicore another regular contributor on T-Nation.
From Tony:
I think you could definitely get back into deadlifting, albeit you just have to approach it the right way. First and foremost you need to be working on spinal STABILITY, before strength.
Stuart McGill says this time and time again. Essentially TONS of planks work (prone and side planks) for time; as well as other exercises such as the Pallof Press (attached).
Also, movements like pull-thru’s would be perfect for you, as there is NO spinal load, yet you’re working the posterior chain, lots of single leg work, and I would probably throw in some isometric back extensions (for time) in there as well. This is more of a glute activation movement IMO.
Rack pulls may be in the picture, but I wouldn’t jump the gun too early. But just to reiterate…TONS of spine stability and single leg work. Glute activation work, foam roll (not the lumbar spine, but definitely the hip flexors, IT band, etc).
Yeah, for someone in your situation, I would steer clear of Russian Twists and anything similiar. For “healthy” backs, all the movements you listed are alright, but in all honesty I think as long as people incorporate a healthy dose of compound movements, their abs will get plenty of work.
That being said, side planks, and reverse crunches will work your obliques, as will the Pallof Press, you could also do a modified crunch (from McGill’s book).
Also, doing things like overhead walking lunges, one-arm push presses, or one arm step ups will work the abs as well…and more specifically they will all work the abs with SPINE STABILITY in mind.
Hope that helps!
Tony
From Mike:
Yes, you can get back to these lifts. Herniations are not uncommon - they aren’t death sentences for guys that like to lift heavy. Rather, they’re just a wake up call, and if ignored, can lead to bigger problems.
First step is to get your symptoms undercontrol by employing some of the strategies from the article.
Be sure you’ve gained a clear idea how to stabilise the lumbar spine and groove the motor patterns essential to stabilize in multiple positions (pushing, pulling, squating, lunging, rotation).
I think the best way to do this initially is to rehearse movements and lifts very frequently, with low loads.
Identify technique errors and figure out if strength or mobility deficits are to blame. Usually ankle, hip, and thoracic mobilty impairments are the most common. If you focus on this -you’ll return to painfree lifting, and even enhance your performance.
Initially after injury,I focused mostly on mobility, lumbar stabilization and repeat effort lifts with single leg variations. I remember about 1 year after the initial injury, I had my first month without any pain, and felt like I figured out how to manage my condition.
I progressed to max effort movements with vertical pulls and bench fairly quickly. Then I progressed to cycle in max effort (relative) single leg lower body (backward lunge) and LE plyos and jump training. At the beginning of each workout, I would incorporate squats and deads to focus only on technique - using light weight. I found it to be an excellent warm-up, and keep my focus where it needed to be.
After two bad ankle fractures set me back for a bit, I’m now back to using squats and deads on max effort days. This can be as little as 2 times a month, or as often as 6 times a month (very rare). Besides technique, training max effort LE lifts less frequently is the biggest change I recommend. I keep getting stronger, and my back feels fine.
Every case is different, though. But, if it’s what you love to do, do your best to reduce the risks. Be patient, listen to your body, and odds are you’ll be back to lifting heavy again -just differently! Remember the point of the article - the biggest risks are probably right in front of you (literally -you’re computer) and other daily tasks. Avoiding prolonged sitting doesn’t mean you sacrifice anything fun, right?
Best of luck.
Train smart!
Mike
Here is a description of the pallof press:
Pallof Press : Set up a cable so that it’s at chest-height, and stand sideways to the weight stack with the D handle grasped firmly with both hands. All youre doing is moving your hands further away from the body and then back into the chest/stomach as you isometrically hold a cable woodchop out in front of you. The idea is to resist rotation.
Sorry for such a long message but im assuming anyone that has a disc issue will want as much info/support they can get.
thanks and i hope those responses from tony and mike help people out
-Darian (ddelmast)
