Annular Tear L5

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Ive finally had an MRI & after over a year laid up, doing jack & going mental ive been diagnosed with an annular tear of the L5 - I can train BJJ as long as i ice it & dont do much for days after. Wrestling/Judo is a no-no for obvious reasons, boxing is ok but kickboxing/muay thai puts alot of presssure on that area due to the rotational force & power generated. havent ran or skipped for almost 18 months, deadlifts & squats are pretty much out…

Is my competetive MMA dream pretty much gone (im 24)? anyone else managed such an inury?

2

[quote]sjfou wrote:
Ive finally had an MRI & after over a year laid up, doing jack & going mental ive been diagnosed with an annular tear of the L5 - I can train BJJ as long as i ice it & dont do much for days after. Wrestling/Judo is a no-no for obvious reasons, boxing is ok but kickboxing/muay thai puts alot of presssure on that area due to the rotational force & power generated. havent ran or skipped for almost 18 months, deadlifts & squats are pretty much out…

Is my competetive MMA dream pretty much gone (im 24)? anyone else managed such an inury?[/quote]

Annular tears are very hard to rehab. There is virtually nothing you can do to speed up the healing process. My best friend and training partner had one and he also took virtually a entire year off of training lower body movements or heavy loading of the spine. That said, he just hit a new all time PR on the deadlift with no pain or after effects so you can fully recover.

What have you done the past 18 months to help your back? I would still advise TONS of stretching for you back, hips and hamstrings. You should be able to do light core work. Start with what does not hurt and work you way up. Reverse hypers, hypers, pull throughs, BW goodmornings, LOTS of ab work, glute work, etc. Once you have gotten stronger start working on high rack pulls and high box squats with light weight. If you can get some ART done on you back. Even though it will not help the tear you likely have other stuff going on in the muscles that are locked up from trying to protect the tear.

Is your dream over? I say hell no. It’s only over if you want it to be over. Take another year and become the best fucking boxer you can be. Work on every weak point you can that does not hurt your back. If you can’t run work on the airdyne/bike/etc for cardio. Good luck man.

Monopoly

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[quote]Monopoly19 wrote:
Is your dream over? I say hell no. It’s only over if you want it to be over. Take another year and become the best fucking boxer you can be. Work on every weak point you can that does not hurt your back. If you can’t run work on the airdyne/bike/etc for cardio. Good luck man.

Monopoly[/quote]

Absolutely agree. If you want it bad enough, ain’t nothin gonna stop you.

4

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
Monopoly19 wrote:
Is your dream over? I say hell no. It’s only over if you want it to be over. Take another year and become the best fucking boxer you can be. Work on every weak point you can that does not hurt your back. If you can’t run work on the airdyne/bike/etc for cardio. Good luck man.

Monopoly

Absolutely agree. If you want it bad enough, ain’t nothin gonna stop you.[/quote]

Those are words that are echoing through my head right now with my situation.

5

Thanks gents… time i read “Wrestling Tough” again & set long terms goals for front squats & trap bar DLs.

Ive got a lot going on in my life at the sec & it just seems everything is at crossroads - ive a got a good oppurtunity to coach, but it’ll be one or the other. I could get all Joe DeFranco/Freddie Roach & help athletes achieve what my body wouldnt let me (though the most serious, this isnt my first injury - 2 fractured coccyx, 4 torn ligaments, endless sinus problems etc., just seems as soon as i make some progress my body says no way). Some point you gotta draw the line in the sand.

As for treatment, ive seen a chiro for 2-3x a week for over a year & done fuck all in terms of training. swam a little, thats about all ive achieved. saw an osteo a few times too, but neitehr knew i had the tear, thought the chiro suspected herniation L3, L4 & L5. Reassessed my goals & the way i trained, read as much as could on back injuries (Cressey, McGill etc.) & bought Diesels Combat core - basically it know goes like this:

Hot as possible shower
Don compression gear
Warmup: Foam roll then Magnificent Mobilty (focussing on hip & lumbar mobility)
Core: 3-5 sets of 2 different exercises from CC
Workout: No heavy shit (lots of body weight stuff, met cons, snadbags etc.)
Cool down: Gracie Stretch routine (done to Pavels protocols)
Recovery: Anti-Inflams if pain is past knee, alternate saunas/ice cold showers after swimming, ice daily etc
Diet: Low carb, try keep weight low

i also try to foam roll & stretch 2-3x a day

6

[quote]sjfou wrote:
Thanks gents… time i read “Wrestling Tough” again & set long terms goals for front squats & trap bar DLs.

Ive got a lot going on in my life at the sec & it just seems everything is at crossroads - ive a got a good oppurtunity to coach, but it’ll be one or the other. I could get all Joe DeFranco/Freddie Roach & help athletes achieve what my body wouldnt let me (though the most serious, this isnt my first injury - 2 fractured coccyx, 4 torn ligaments, endless sinus problems etc., just seems as soon as i make some progress my body says no way). Some point you gotta draw the line in the sand.

As for treatment, ive seen a chiro for 2-3x a week for over a year & done fuck all in terms of training. swam a little, thats about all ive achieved. saw an osteo a few times too, but neitehr knew i had the tear, thought the chiro suspected herniation L3, L4 & L5. Reassessed my goals & the way i trained, read as much as could on back injuries (Cressey, McGill etc.) & bought Diesels Combat core - basically it know goes like this:

Hot as possible shower
Don compression gear
Warmup: Foam roll then Magnificent Mobilty (focussing on hip & lumbar mobility)
Core: 3-5 sets of 2 different exercises from CC
Workout: No heavy shit (lots of body weight stuff, met cons, snadbags etc.)
Cool down: Gracie Stretch routine (done to Pavels protocols)
Recovery: Anti-Inflams if pain is past knee, alternate saunas/ice cold showers after swimming, ice daily etc
Diet: Low carb, try keep weight low

i also try to foam roll & stretch 2-3x a day
[/quote]

That sucks man, injuries are by far the worst aspect of any high level of sport. Ditch the chiro IMO. They work well for some injuries/people, others not. Your telling me after a year of 2-3 visits a week and you have no improvement? Move on!

I really reccomend the ART because it has worked so well for me. Try accupuncture, etc. Look into matrix repatterning, I don’t know if they have a practicionier in you neck of the world. Foam roll/Magnificent Mobilty are great. Sounds like from what you have written that you need to start with some heavier loads to actually build the core. Again, JMO. If you are ready to move on and coach, go coach. But if you have any doubt try to comback. Regrets suck.

7

thanks mono - it got “tweaked” 2 months when i got ambushed doing security (6 onto 1 with knuckle dusters 7 im 5ft7, fight at 155lbs) when i judo threw the fucker that hit me from behind - i got 4 fucked cervical vertebrae from it & still won the fight - find out if my rehab is paid for tonight.

not much more i could have done to prepare for MMA - 7 years on & off through inury, training 2x a day, 6 days a week when not injured & doing what i could when i was banged up (like classes of pushups when i had a fractured coccyx) - not like i was 17, had a choice to go pro but chose to get drunk with my mates & marry a cheerleader & at 35 years old shes left & im divorced, broke & fat. i gave it all. i still want it… maybe ill focus on coaching & learning while im laid up & see how i feel about making a comeback up the road.