Herniated Disc

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
1

Alright fellow old boys I need some advice.

Two weeks ago, while tossing a football with ny kid, I heard a snap in my back followed by an intense pain. After realizing I wasn’t shot or stabbed I limped back into the house. I did nothing but ignore it for a week and then went to see the doc. He sent me for an MRI.

I got the results today. I have a herniated disc in the lumbar region along with a slight tear. The doc said surgery wouldn’t be required and scheduled me for a cortisone shot tomorrow along with chiropractic treatments beginning next week. He feels it should resolve itself in 6 weeks or so.

Last week I trained. I was able to bench, a little pressing, biceps and triceps. Very little else. No squats or deads last week at all.

Anybody have any experience with this injury? Any advice? Should I avoid training for the 6 weeks or train to pain tolerance?

2

Don’t stop training, but don’t do any movements that stress the back unduly. I was able to do bench, pullups, overhead presses and chest-supported rows until my back healed well enough to start lower body work again. I also did hip belt squats to keep the load off the back, but still work the legs and butt.

Keep moving. Don’t sit around. Movement of a gentle nature (walking, light spinal flexion) actually helps cirulate fluids in the disk so it can heal itself.

Keeping training. It induces the anabolic response which also accelerates healing.

I had a full blowout of the L5-S1 in December. Opted not to have surgery. I just recently passed my squat and deadlift poundages pre injury, so the above works. In my case at least.

Start training abs religiously. Obliques as well as the show muscles. very important for trunk stabilization.

Good luck.

3

Amino acids
Cortisol raises the free amino acids in the serum. It does this by inhibiting collagen formation, decreasing amino acid uptake by muscle, and inhibiting protein synthesis.[7] Cortisol (as opticortinol) probably inversely inhibits IgA precursor cells in the intestines of calves.[8] Cortisol also inhibits IgA in serum, as it does IgM, but not IgE.[9]

So while it does reduce inflammation, and perhaps then pressure on nerves, it has a negative effect on healing processes that need to repair connective tissue.

Can also reduce sex drive, however there can be a short term speed-up of the body that might make sex more interesting. When one gets accelerated by corticosteroids, it is possible to hit the wall in a state of exhaustion after a few days.

If pressure on the nerves around the injury leads to tight muscles or spasms, a muscle relaxant might be helpful. Reducing the forces of muscles that are tight 24x7 can improve things at the injury site… also reducing pressure on the nerves that create the muscle tightness or spasms. Reducing muscle tension forces on the injury site will allow proper circulation is needed to heal. If using a muscle relaxent, some stretching and massage can help things along. Watch that stretching does not damage the injury site.

EFAs and fish oils are also anti-inflamitory.

Low T levels would make things all the worse in terms of maintenance and repair. Increased T should assist healing. I don’t know much about deca, but is not that reputed to be good for joints?

Pain killers, NSAIDs, alcohol and other drugs can compete with the liver’s P450 enzyme pathways, which reduced E clearance, increasing E and for those with a working HPTA, that will reduce T. Some drugs having those effects have stated side effects of lower libido and/or ED. This could reduce healing processes.

4

Had a 15mm rupture and a piece torn off and lodged in my sciatic nerve tract about 12 years ago…

LOTS of walking and stretching helped me quite a bit.

I iced myself down for 20-30 minutes after every stretching session (heat only seemed to make the pain worse…and the jacuzzi was unbearable after I would get out so that lasted only 3 times).

The main thing I had to avoid was ANY type of twisting movements as those continued to aggravate the symptoms.

Unfortunately I was involved in a car accident while I was undergoing PT to fix this problem and the side impact made it even worse so I underwent IDET surgery to fix the problem.

Things are manageable to this day as long as I remember to stretch and realize that I’m not 20 anymore.

Hope you have success in alleviating your pain.

6

Update:

I went ahead and got the cortisone shot. Fairly painless, directly into the disc.
After two days I felt no pain. I mean nothing. I laid off training for two weeks.
Started back last week and have had no issues. Started doing more cardio (walking) and so far so good.

Got a bottle of pain pills but haven’t had to take them since the shot.

I was scheduled for another shot next week but I am going to skip it unless the pain comes back.

The injury happened on 6/9 so I am hoping it resolved itself.

Appreciate all the advice. Going to look into those excercises.

7

Herniated L5/S1 myself. I am only 22 and the herniation is partial. Not much pain associated with it but I cannot squat or DL. I could not find the aforementioned exercises. Anyone have a link? Thanks in advance.

9

[quote]AlteredState wrote:
skidmark wrote:
Don’t stop training, but don’t do any movements that stress the back unduly. I was able to do bench, pullups, overhead presses and chest-supported rows until my back healed well enough to start lower body work again. I also did hip belt squats to keep the load off the back, but still work the legs and butt.

Keep moving. Don’t sit around. Movement of a gentle nature (walking, light spinal flexion) actually helps cirulate fluids in the disk so it can heal itself.

Keeping training. It induces the anabolic response which also accelerates healing.

I had a full blowout of the L5-S1 in December. Opted not to have surgery. I just recently passed my squat and deadlift poundages pre injury, so the above works. In my case at least.

Start training abs religiously. Obliques as well as the show muscles. very important for trunk stabilization.

Good luck.

Good post.

I would also suggest that you look up ‘mckenzie hyperextensions’ as they may help to ‘recentre’ the nucleus within the disc.

Do these after any period of prolonged spinal flexion (sitting, driving, etc) and before any periods of spinal compressive loading (walking, standing, etc) so that the nucleus is hoefully in a position to do its job of shock absorbtion, to reduce loads on the facet joints.

Personally I would nix the cortisone shot but there you are. They will likely cause a rapid and marked atrophy of the multifidi.

Also, you may want to check out a guy called ‘liebenson’. His research has shown that to actually increase the size and functional strength of the multifidus muscles (the primary intersegmental stiffeners), back extensions should be performed in a 5/5/5 ratio, i.e 5 secs up, 5 secs hold, 5 secs down.[/quote]

Skid-- very good points.

AlteredState- Thanks for the McKenzie and Liebenson references-- good stuff.

I would add to start conservatively and really, I mean, really listen to what your body is telling you. I don’t have herniation, but spondylolythesis (say THAT 10x fast) in L5/S1, and degeneration other lumbar discs. My back is still recovering and I’m approaching old PR’s but it’s still tweaky and I have to back off.

Somebody started a thread a couple months ago that ended up being like a compendium of ‘injured back’ references and recovery protocols from a bunch of folks here-- Should be a STICKY IMO…

10

Found it:

“Lumbar Stability Thread”
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2296632