Back Injury & Muscle Loss

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It's been a great year. Last year at this time I started tracking calories and weight lifting, and managed to drop from 26% down to ~12%. I've recently started bulking, and two weeks into my bulk I injured my lower back during a deadlift.

I took two weeks off initially, and after the break I felt good enough to start up with weight lifting again. I dropped weight on all my lifts, and avoided a few of the back busters (Deadlifts, bent over rows etc), and managed to lift properly for another two weeks.

Well, recently I've managed to reactivate my pain. I'm guessing I didn't give myself enough recovery time originally, so now I have to take another 2 weeks off to see if this gets any better. I wouldn't even be surprised if I needed more than 2 weeks off.

I'm getting in to see my GP in the next few days, and I am paranoid that I've done disc damage / something that will make me have to give up lifting forever.

Now the issue is, I get to watch as all my hard work goes down the toilet, while sitting around bored and in pain.

Has anyone else been through this?

Replies

  • Superdave24
    Superdave24 Posts: 158 Member
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    I'm right there with you. I've been working out off and on for over 20 years. I have had lower back surgery (blown disk), Neck surgery (replaced C5 with a cadaver disc), both shoulders rotator cuffs fixed, both hands and one out of two knees. Currently my back and neck troubles have resurfaced. It took a long time to come to the realization that I don't have to lift the way I use to lift to be fit and look good. Over the past couple of years I have learned new and different ways to workout that don't aggravate these areas of my back and neck. Learn to work around your injury and do what you can do and don't do what you can't do. It sucks at times because I see people in the gym doing what I use to do and think back when I could do that. Chances are, that's what might have been the reason my body got so screwed up. Good luck and let me know If I can be of any help.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Be gentle with yourself. Give your body however much time it needs to heal.
  • Misshelgeson
    Misshelgeson Posts: 17 Member
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    I had disk replacement surgery that caused me to gain 45 lbs and I was in top shape I have lost 30 lbs and was just diagnosed with bursitis arthritis nerve damage and a torn rotator cuff I do my best everyday in spite of pain and workout the areas I can even with injuries you can keep in shape with diet and just take it slow I hope you feel better soon