I think I may be f*cked. Had an injury sustained in a warm-up set of squats a few years ago that put me out of work for a week. In late 2000 tweaked it again during heavy (for me) leg presses. It has come back from time to time, with increasing frequency, and always after or during deads or squats. I have tried a lot of work-arounds, and thought I finally had a solution with the trap bar squat. Not so – pain came back about 6 weeks ago, and has been steadily worsening. Of course, I discontinued the offending movements, but to no avail. Saw my ortho surgeon, had x-ray: no problem with the bones. Today we got the MRI results back. I have 2 bulging discs that are in danger of rupture, and one that already has. It is leaking to the front of my spinal column. Tomorrow I get an epidural cortisone injection. Doc says we will give that three trys (at one month intervals) to get the swelling down, and then we will talk about “other measures”. He also has me seeing a physical therapist, if the injections work. The idea is to bring down the swelling, let the ruptured disc heal, and then do stretches, and slowly strengthen the area. Last week I had to alternate working standing up with laying on a heating pad – only way to keep from stiffening up. No way to live. A little better this week, but still painful. I view the knife as a last resort, and told my doc that it will have to hurt a lot worse than it does to make me submit to surgery. At least now I know why the medications for muscle pain and relaxation haven’t done shit – I was addressing the wrong bodypart. Looks like I am done at 46 – at least as far as decent lifts go. On top of that I can’t fuck. Wait, this is not too bad. Girl on top is OK :)-- Anyway, any of you guys have this problem? Can you still squat and deadlift? How did you fix it? If it is fixxed, can I continue to milk it for lots of girl on top? I just don’t want to think that I have already done my lifetime best sets/lifts.
Huck who like to f*%k, huh? Well, that’s a good thing. Plus, the ejac fighting its way against gravity makes for excellent pleasure.
OK, enough. Yeah, discs are a bitch; I would seek out maybe Paul Chek and see if he may recommend someone ‘less invasive’ to see. Good luck.
Damn, I wish I had some advice for you. I sincerely hope that everything works out. Whatever happens, please keep us posted, and good luck.
I have a bulging disk between L4 and L5, I tried physical therapy first, then got the cort. inject. It worked well for me, I still get a little pain from time to time, but when I do I just grab some aleve (This is the best anti-inflamatory available - Naproxin (my spelling stinks))
I would also tell you to examine any chairs/seats that you sit in and make sure that they provide you with proper support for your back and that you keep good posture.
Another thing to be aware of is how you sleep, you should sleep on your side (either one) and with a pillow between your knees, this will relieve pressure on your spine while you sleep. It may take a night or two to get used to it, but trust me it will help.
Lastly, you should check out the seat you ride to work in, if you have a long commute (say over 30 minutes) you should make sure that the seat in your car has good back support (especially lumbar support).
I hope this helps you (I spent almost a year with my back problem)
-Agent Smith
I am not a guy but I’m sure my spine is similar in structure & function to yours. Any way I had a problem with a prolapsed disk about a year or so ago, brought on by heavy leg presses. I’m assuming that a prolapsed disk is the same as a bulging disk. It caused me alot of grief as it was pressing on my sciatic nerve and I was unable to stand upright for more than a couple of minutes before the pain became unbearable. I went to see a physiotherapist (who incidentally is blind) I had about 8 treatments which helped considerably, I still train legs but i have to be careful not to get too carried away with the weight. My back still feels vulnerable at times and I think this is generealy the case if you have had a back injury.
I have heard anecdotal reports of people ‘accidentally’ curing thier bad backs with those electrical stimulation pads (‘get a six pack without going to the gym’-you know the ones I mean)
i have found that stretching is very important.
I have seen various different therapists for back problems and it seems to be a case of finding someone who works well for you, which can be very expensive.
Like you I would be very alarmed at the thought of surgery, can you get a second opinion?
I don’t remember having problems with sex, but that probably because I just lie there and do nothing whatever.
Good luck, I know how it is when you can’t train legs and you start worrying about them withering away to little bits of string!
Huck-Ask your Ortho about a muscle stimulator. The firm that makes them is called RS (I think but not sure) Not sure of the physiology but my wife used it and it worked great. Disrupts the back pain for up to 12 hrs. Not a permanent fix but a major relief. It is similar to the ones on the TV ad but a lot more effective when it is being used properly and for it’s intended use.
Surgery for a herniated disk is NOT a big deal anymore. I ruptured L5 and went thru 4 years of every type of alternative therapy known and nothing worked. I finally bit the bullet and had the bulge surgically removed 6 years ago and was back riding horses in 3 weeks. No pain since then. The older you are when you have the surgery done, the better the result since the disks lose pliability as you age and the liklihood of a reinijury is lessened. I got no relief from the epidural shots and, at best, they are a short term solution.
Thanks all …Agent Smith–I will take your aqdvice re: naproxin and sleeping position…Medusa, hedo – I know the unit. My wife got one when she was recovering from an accident. It is called a TENS unit. Ours has four patches, gel, the works. I will give it a shot…Avoids – You are depressing me. I am glad it worked for you, but I do not want to get cut. Will if all else fails, though. BTW, Did you see where they are doing a big Mustang roundup due to drought condidtions…The thing I hoped for and didn’t hear was that “This happenned to me and I maxxed out 6 mos later” Oh well. For everything there is a time. Thanks again for the input…Dave
Huck, I feel for you man. I ruptured L-4 and 5 training like a moron when I was 18. One of the best doctors in the area (yeah right) told me I would never lift weights again.He wanted to fuse the discs together. I used to take 20 steps before I could stand up straight if I sat down for too long. I was 18 walking like I was 70. The cortisone injection helped a lot. However, Ihad to get another about a year later. My leg training was pathetic. Extensions and curls. I never gave up on finding another option to the knife. About 5 years later I finally found the right chiropractor; by accident. I’m now 31 and squat and dead my ass off. I guess what I’m saying is - DON’T EVER QUIT. Too many doctors want to try things too soon. Try what these other guys said, and when you truly feel you have tried everything, make your decision. Even if you have surgery,you can rehab like a T-Man, not some sissy. Then you’ll probably still squat and dead more than the masses. Best of luck to you.
Now that’s what I wanted to hear!!! First injection took about 6 hours to work, but then I was pain free for the first time in weeks. Stiff this AM, but much better than before. Rehab starts next week, with two more injections, if needed. Sounds like you did exactly what I did. Goes to show you don’t have to be 18 to be dumb.
Reverse hyper. Get one and you’ll never need another chiropractor. Hang in there friend. You can and will attain new bests after re-habbing. Louie Simmon’s story is particularly inspirational. I believe you can do it.