lifting with 3 herniated discs

[langston07]

HELLO ALL i ham new here and have been browsing for a few days or so not looking to cycle anything for AWHILE as im 21 and know my potential isnt reached yet.

to the true topic. i used to lift almost everyday from early high school up until two years ago, i was injured back in july 2010 during a military training excercise, after months of trying to figure out my problems the doctors ended up doing MRI's on my right hip and lower back, what they found was i had labral tears in my hip and i have three herniated discs in my lower back pinching my sciatic nerve giving my extra pain down my right leg. before i was injured i was sitting at a heavy 185 and gave up lifting and all running and six months later i was at a fatty 230 pounds. i have fluctuated drastically with weight in these last two years as the doctors still wont give me surgery and i cannot deploy.i lost 20 pounds last summer and was somewhat really trying to train hard even with minimal cardio and then become very unmotivated and depressed , sitting at 225 right now and feeling REALLy bad how much i let myself go again. sorry for the rant just a small backround of whats going on so what i am asking is has anyone ever been in my semi same situation and besides physical therapy ( wich hasnt helped in change AT all) what have you done to lose the pounds and live a semi functional life while waiting on surgery? i would also like to know just how safe it is in my condition to be lifting heavy as i have always only gone heavy and never cared for high weight low rep training? another thing i should mention is i cannot run at all all i can do is illiptical and swim. if i could receive advice and constructed critism on a new diet program/ lifting regiment that would be greatly appreciated. hoping to turn my mind and body around before this beautiful summer hits san diego! i willl attach pictures of my current body when i get around to taking some

[lovbyts]

Herniated L3 & L4 1985 and had surgery in 2005. 98% better after surgery. I was pretty out of shape and didnt get back in shape so I herniated/ruptured L5/S1 2007. 85% better after surgery. I now live with numbness in my lower glutes and feet.

Basic rule of thumb, if it hurts dont do it. I dont do much squats anymore but when I do I keep it light. Work on the core muscles as I'm sure you have been told 1000s of times.

Lifting and getting back into shape has helped me more than and PT ever did. When your back flares up DONT use heat on it, always use ice especially the sciatic nerve. I have a LOT of experience with that.

Why wont they do surgery? You may also want to look into other alternatives to surgery such as epidural injections. They seem to help a lot of people but did nothing for me. Prolo therapy also helps many people. My back is doing better than it has in years (knock on wood) and the only thing I can give credit to is Alflutops. I have been using them to try to help heal my left shoulder and avoid surgery. I have gone about 2 weeks with no vicodine for the first time in..... I'm not sure how many years it has been.

[langston07]

thank you for the quick response. for one the military doctors wont do it becuase its "non life threatening" and i still have control over my bowels , mainly they only want that "special " surgery or life saving surgery to put on there resume, im talking with a civilian doctor next week becuase it has hindered me from transferring and deploying these last two years and i wont sit and just get the boot for them not doing it...i have gotten two cortizone injections in my hip and one in my back and i will never again go with that ended up doing more harm then good on my body then some people. its caUSED weight problems, mental problems, running and excersising is sometimes painful and of course its hurt the sex department. yet this time im looking to make strides myself in bettering my body so when and if i do have surgery i will be a smaller weight and have a good diet down as to not blow up another 20 or thirty pounds during recovery from surgery. thank you for your quick response and , well off to the gym

[John Andrew]

I don't know the situation there but in Australia and here in Thailand an injection of cortisone through the coxyx and into the actual spine remedies this condition almost immedietly. I had to have it done twice in Australia and have a very old doctor friend who would do it. It must be very precise or they can damage the spinal cord and then you are history. I still prefer it to surgery. I know 2 people crippled by back surgery!! The injection is done under a local. First time I was carried into surgery unable to walk. Walked out and went back to the gym after 3 days! This is a cure! I think your doctors may be too worried about their PI insurance. Bring back the good old days. John

[langston07]

I don't know the situation there but in Australia and here in Thailand an injection of cortisone through the coxyx and into the actual spine remedies this condition almost immedietly. I had to have it done twice in Australia and have a very old doctor friend who would do it. It must be very precise or they can damage the spinal cord and then you are history. I still prefer it to surgery. I know 2 people crippled by back surgery!! The injection is done under a local. First time I was carried into surgery unable to walk. Walked out and went back to the gym after 3 days! This is a cure! I think your doctors may be too worried about their PI insurance. Bring back the good old days. John

yep i feel that they are too afraid to go with the surgery , and as i stated i have had cortisone done three different times 2 in the hip and 1 in the back my body does not seem to respond to it and it actually puts me into more pain then it does to relieve it, ive gone months walking bent over and barely able to sleep , this is a ongoing battle for the last two years, i would learn to deal with it more if i was not in the military and run the risk of getting kicked out. that is not my intention in life so i am still gunning for the surgery, i have an appt. monday morning with the doc and well if he still doesnt want to operate then i have no choice but to go to a civilian doctor...the MRI's and symptoms dont lie , military docs just want to do those oddball surgeries or life saving surgeries so when they get out they can say " look at me i am am a "special" surgeon" .. o well life is a game and they try playing but i will overcome there mind F**kery

[Far from massive]

I feel you pain,

I had 2 severly ruptured discs in my early 30s (over 20 yrs ago) as lovbyts said work your core muscles, that is get a good back routine and do it religiously. Stay clear of anything like squats, deads etc as they put HUUUGE amounts of pressure on the lower spine. Eat a good diet, with enough fat eating to clean will inhibit healing, stay hydrated, make sure to include vitamins.

As far as cortizone avoid it like the Fvn plague, that shit will mainly fool you into thinking you are better and you will be very likely to make you injury worse while on it.

Do whatever you can to get into a situation where you can have a good orthopaedist look at your back and decide whether you do need surgery. Don't wanna knock the military but this is something you will have to live with one way or another for the rest of your life. Do not let it be an economic decision made by a giant machine, its your fvkn life and future. While I was lucky and was able to avoid surgery your case may be very different and you could potentially suffer major damage to your nerves leading to problems with your legs bowels etc.


Sorry to put a negative spin on your situation, I just hate the idea of someone young with their life ahead of them not getting a 2nd non biased opinion.

FFM

[yannick35]

Cortisone shot will eat up your cartilage and will be a plaster, temp relief its all crap. Prolotherapy will fix that labral tear, PRP is very good for that too, for the hernia prolo will work has well.

Find a good prolotherapist you are too young to suffer like this.

[kmdietri]

I've worked through two of these with no surgery. Like what was said above, tons of core and eventually it gets better

[itsjayman02]

Once your disc prolapsed your in trouble prevention is better than the cure when you reach your 30's your discs will start to degenerate and ultimately this is when they are likely to go.

Trust me surgery is the only option because you will be on your Knees and unable to get up once you hit the floor so please heed my advice and forget about squats dead lifts etc....stick to leg presses and the like.

I am now 45 with 25 years of weight and fitness training and learning to live with pins and needles and cramps which is nothing to the alternative of a wheel chair........train smart train long !!

[langston07]

Itsjayman02. Yes I here you haven't done a squat,clean or deadlift in close to three years my leg finally stopped cramping hard after leg presses and riding the bike but I still feel tight.......WELL as of now at 22 years old I willbe going in June 12th to have surgery on all three of these discs the military is giving me a whole month off wich damn that feels good after four years of 12-14 hour shift Haha but this is my first surgery n a very big one so I'm hoping it will go great and only be I pain a few days. As protocol I wont be lifting a damn thing for atleast four weeks. And after recovery will take it easy into building my back up again ..I'm mainly looking forward to being able to run gain with no pain down my leg for cardio

[lovbyts]

Best of luck to you. Like everyone said, plenty of core exercises afterwards. I was in my early 20s when I herniated mine also. Sucks to be young and dumb.

[langston07]

Alright lovebyts a few days away from surgery and getting anxiuos to get it done n start getting back in shape after two huge questions I have...first would be I gained 30 pounds the last five months and that's really been a downer so what can be done to lose weight while I'm on thirty days leave recovering..besides the main don't eat crap but just worried I might go extreme and severely cut my calories and ruin metabolism...second question I no that if I screw around and start lifting things or anything "normal" I risk building up scar tissue on the discs and can wind up worse then were I started so wondering when is a viable time to start swimming and damn getting back into running? And how long did it take u to start lifting again....I no probably rest of my life cleans,squats n deadlifts are out of the question just talking arms,back,legs and abs

[langston07]

Update!! Had microdiscetomy on l4-l5 l5-s1...on june 12th 2012 after two years of waiting for the doctor to give the go ahead when he went in for surgery he discovered my sciatic nerve was completely collapsed.....physical therapy said I can never lift heavy again nor any big weight over my shoulders or things that strain my back..so squats deadlifts and cleans are out...still have sciatic nerve pain n just received another nerve block last week but to no avail I'm still on medical holds through the navy so I may be medically discharged within a year....maintained my weight through recovery wich is a sloppy 228 and now riding my road bike thirty miles a day and swimming for cardio..eating small healthy meals six times a day BUUT need to lose 5 inches within nine weeks from now for my weigh in for annual pt test..any advice over all of this would be appreciated

[Lunk1]

Sorry to hear this my friend..I am a discetomy vet myself. Thank god it was early enough that the nerve suffered no perm. damage.

I suggest posting your diet and macro's in the nutrition section and those guys will be able to help you hit your goal. Good luck Seaman j/k.

[langston07]

Ha not a seaman I'm aPR2 ..aka parachute rigger in the qvatiin side of navy..so it would be airman if I was only a little E-3..annnywaaay. never have been able to figure out macros but ill give it a shot ..and I'm Co tent on being a 22yr old who can do the fun shit anymore buuut don't want to be a fat slob anymore after two years

[langston07]

Content* and can't do the fun*....damn drinks