T-Members and Serious Back Injuries

Training Powerlifting
21

I ran headfirst into a wall in a full out sprint (long story). My hands were not even near the wall during the collision. I could barely walk the next day. My facet joints got jacked up from the collision, and any lumbar significant lumbar extension hurt. I torched some spinal ligaments too - the anterior & posterior longitudinal ligaments if I had to guess. Basically they were very sore if I went into any decent amount of thoracic flexion.

Compressive force irritated my low back after the incident. Regular deadlifting and squatting were out, but I could still do them on occasion and be okay. So I started hammering the single leg work. One of the primary lifts I used was a front reverse lunge (one would think that would irritate the facets, but it was fine). I started with sets of just 95 pounds and eventually worked up to doing sets of 6 with around 245 pounds… so it is definitely possible to get a training effect while recovering from injury.

However, something had changed after the incident. I moved really poorly… really poorly. About 6 months after my initial injury, my SI started to hurt. And it just got worse and worse every day. I foam rolled for almost an hour a day, got ART, did all the mobility work and all that jazz. It didn’t matter, the pain just got worse with each passing day. It got so bad after a point that I literally stopped sitting down. I either stood or laid down. I literally could not sit for more than 30 minutes a day. If I went out to lunch with a friend I did so knowing that I would be in pain the rest of the day. My leg sessions were reduced to mobility work, core, the GHR, unweighted single leg squats, and the prowler. Single leg movements with enough weight to be challenging caused my SI to hurt. Even my upper body lifts began to suffer - I couldn’t use leg drive at all without ending up in pain.

Eventually, I was turned on to Z-health by a fellow trainer of mine. I took the first 2 certification courses and have not looked back. Best investment I’ve ever made and then some. Fast forward three months from the first class, and I’m pain free. I’m sitting down as I’m typing this in an admittedly horrid posture and I deadlifted today. I’m still doing high rep work on the low back - my erectors practically atrophied to nothing over my 6 months of inactivity, and I figure a slow start is safest, even if it doesn’t hurt. I also hit a solid PR on the Incline Bench Press with 315 on Friday @ a bodyweight of 185 pounds. Feels good!

I think the biggest thing with back pain is that it is such a devastating blow to the dedicated lifter that they begin to obsess over it. And I mean obsess. If you’ve had a very serious back injury before, you know what I mean. Like, a little bit of your focus is always directed to what your back is doing, how it is feeling, how much it hurts, etc. It is this type of thinking/habit that can be so hard to break. If you obsess over the pain, it’s gonna hurt. The more you obsess over it, the more it is going to hurt. Nothing will cause this type of obsession like back pain.

With that in mind, there are many treatment options available to you. I’m obviously partial to z-health, but anything, and I mean anything, that can break the pain loop long enough for you to forget that you hurt and stop thinking about the pain has a good chance of working.

22

I hate to say it, but if you pull heavy, and you aren’t among a select genetic few with a bulletproof back, you’re gonna injure yourself one day. I think though, that 90% of people make it worse by not backing off immediately. Injuries happen. Give yourself time to heal.

23

Start working around your injuires. Do single leg stuff, work on core stabilization and do glute activation.

The other thing is to start training smart and focus on more of an s curve of progression rather than just pure linear(increasing the weight each time). Lifting heavy weights isn’t always the problem though, it can be a combination of it and too much volume. Be smart, start keeping a journal and writing everything down.

Lastly, start doing some conditioning work. Swimming, jumping rope on a forgiving surface, sled drags, etc… This dramatically can increase recovery even if its only done 2-3 times per week. Its great to have lots of strength, but developing all energy systems(phosphagen,glycolytic, and oxidative) is key if you want overall development and increased recovery. That is why its beneficial to play a sport or some other activity outside your lifting. Don’ become one dimensional, as this seriously limits your physical ability.

24

[quote]danjo228 wrote:
Poor correlation between MRI and disc pathology.

[/quote]

Funny you say that. Judging by the massive herniation you see on my MRI, I should be writhing in pain right now. But, except for some mild stiffness and/or “tweakiness,” I feel fine. In fact, just yesterday, I carried a 50 lb box from my truck to my house and I felt no pain or discomfort afterwards. I’ve heard it said that the “herniated disc model” for back pain is only partly correct.

However, when I first saw that MRI I got light-headed, nauseous, and nearly passed-out. The doctor wanted to give me an epidural on the spot! But, I declined because I wasn’t in any significant pain. Don’t get me wrong, my back definitely doesn’t feel “right,” but judging from all the horror stories I’ve heard and the size of that massive bulge on my MRI, I’m happy to feel reasonably well. I hope to feel better as soon as I start rehab.

My biggest fears are that I may make it worse somehow and that I may never be able to squat or deadlift again. :0(

How common are herniated discs in powerlifting/strongman? How many lifters return after herniating a disc?

Thanks for your feedback, danjo.

25

Yoga is a bad idea for rehabbing lower back injuries.

http://thefitcast.com/yoga-this-and-pilates-that

HG Thrower had it 100% correct when he wrote:

Stick to simple stuff like this instead of a crazy 19 week, 4 phase plan.

Also, read Eric Cressys “Low Back Savers” series. There are 4 of them.

26

[quote]B rocK wrote:
Yoga is a bad idea for rehabbing lower back injuries.

[/quote]

B rock, while I agree with most of what Eric Cressey says in that article, I just can’t ignore cases like this:

www.bikramyoga.com/testimonials/herniateddiscs.htm

I guess one has to choose Yoga poses carefully (avoid those that put the spine in extreme flexion, etc) and slowly build up strength, stability, and mobility around the injury. Poses such as backbends, cobra, and upward dog help put the spine in extension which, supposedly, help disc re-absorption to occur. These poses have a lot in common with proven therapies like Mckenzie extension exercises.

FF

27

I had a bad one two years ago, basically took a month off lifting but started sleeping on the floor, changed my shoes to only barefoot-as-possible ones, used magnificent mobility a LOT more, and got back into it eventually and stronger now.

28

hey guys any idea of how to rehab a cervical disc bulge? I have looked on the net and can’t find much information on neck bulges and safe exercises to do. I have had mixed opinions when it comes to continuing squats, and rowing variations for my back

29

[quote]FricFrac wrote:

a)What lift were you performing when you hurt your back?[/quote]

Turning the corner of a gas pump

Broke my back. (I broke/dislocated other things but you said back)

Couldn’t do anything for 6 months

Bodyweight exercises till I was cleared by a doctor

I know this was training but it affected my training

30

[quote]FricFrac wrote:
B rocK wrote:
Yoga is a bad idea for rehabbing lower back injuries.

B rock, while I agree with most of what Eric Cressey says in that article, I just can’t ignore cases like this:

www.bikramyoga.com/testimonials/herniateddiscs.htm

I guess one has to choose Yoga poses carefully (avoid those that put the spine in extreme flexion, etc) and slowly build up strength, stability, and mobility around the injury. Poses such as backbends, cobra, and upward dog help put the spine in extension which, supposedly, help disc re-absorption to occur. These poses have a lot in common with proven therapies like Mckenzie extension exercises.

FF

[/quote]

i guess it’s all about who you choose to believe. hopefully you are healing up nice man!

31

I had one last week Monday. I was warming up for pulls after squats. was at 315 and on the ascent the bar just dropped forward as my back spasmed. I was lying in the gym for nearly an hour before we decided to call the wambulance. i couldnt stand or sit up. at the hospital they gave me perc, valium, and dilaudid.

a week and a half later i have all the mobility back but i can still feel a tender spot on the right side of my lower back. Has anybody here had experience with back spasms? Im not planning on Dling for about 8 weeks. Will slowly start squatting in th e upcoming weeks.

Benching for feel this coming sunday. I’ve been doing supermans in bed and extensions with my feet under a bar. living on band tricep extensions and raises right now lol. was hoping to compete dec5 but we will see i guess.