Herniated Disc and Lifting

ew_david

Anyone here afflicted? I have a herniation at L5 S1 (I don't know the specifics other than "it's a decent herniation"), an annular tear at L4 L5, and just had my first epidural steroid injection yesterday. I've gotten very vague answers from both my orthopedic and pain management doctors about exercise going forward. "Don't do anything that causes pain." Um, ok. For reference I'm just about 38 (on Sunday).

So my question is, has anyone here had a herniation and was still able to lift? I've been doing a lot of isoation lifts to work around it, but I miss my compound lifts. I've abandoned deadlifts, back squats, and OHP, since those were the three that caused me the most pain, but I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to do those again. However, I also want to be able to walk when I'm 60, so I'm not going to make myself worse off by stubbornly working out when I shouldn't. All my google search turned up were horror stories (naturally). Thoughts?

SideSteel

_dracarys_ wrote: »

Anyone here afflicted? I have a herniation at L5 S1 (I don't know the specifics other than "it's a decent herniation"), an annular tear at L4 L5, and just had my first epidural steroid injection yesterday. I've gotten very vague answers from both my orthopedic and pain management doctors about exercise going forward. "Don't do anything that causes pain." Um, ok. For reference I'm just about 38 (on Sunday).

So my question is, has anyone here had a herniation and was still able to lift? I've been doing a lot of isoation lifts to work around it, but I miss my compound lifts. I've abandoned deadlifts, back squats, and OHP, since those were the three that caused me the most pain, but I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to do those again. However, I also want to be able to walk when I'm 60, so I'm not going to make myself worse off by stubbornly working out when I shouldn't. All my google search turned up were horror stories (naturally). Thoughts?

I know this isn't helpful but I'd make sure you abide by the "if it hurts, don't do it" advice.

I would do your best to structure your training around the injury rather than through it. There's still plenty you can accomplish.

I'd also try to build in progression for the mental aspects of things. If you can get on a program that has you making progress it will likely cause you to start to enjoy training and not be quite as upset about the fact that you can't squat/deadlift.

I haven't had this particular injury but I've had plenty of others and they suck -- largely a mental battle.

ew_david

Thanks. It definitely is more mental than anything. I finally find exercise I like to do, want to keep doing, and can't.

Thanks again!

SideSteel

_dracarys_ wrote: »

Thanks. It definitely is more mental than anything. I finally find exercise I like to do, want to keep doing, and can't.

Thanks again!

Do you do chin ups at all or have you worked on progressing those?

ew_david

I do band assisted pull ups and chin ups on my upper days (twice per week). I've made very sloooooooow progress on both, but I also don't follow any specific programming for them; I just try to get more than the last time.

chubby_checkers

What does a typical workout look like for you now? I'm curious because I'm going through something similar (ruptured disc at L4 and slipped disc which is compressing my sciatic nerve).

ew_david

chubby_checkers wrote: »

What does a typical workout look like for you now? I'm curious because I'm going through something similar (ruptured disc at L4 and slipped disc which is compressing my sciatic nerve).

I still do an upper/lower split 4 days/week, but the only compound is bench press and I still have to be careful with that because arching my back can cause pain. So here's a brief breakdown:

Upper 1:
BP 5x5
band assisted pull/chin ups 5x3-4 (cuz weaksauce)
Seated DB shoulder press 5x10
One arm DB row 5x10-12
Inverted rows (bodyweight)
Push ups 3x8

Lower 1:
Front squats 5x10 (these don't bother my back at all)
Hip thrusts 5x10
Reverse deficit alternating lunges 3x10/leg
Back extension w/ glute focus 3x15
Timed elevated shoulder dead bugs 5 sets - the goal is to do a minute of them, rest for a minute, then do the next set. At present, I can get the first 2 sets up to a minute, but the last 3 are about 30 seconds each. This is for my core and it's brutal.
Lots of band work (Bforce booty bands): donkey kicks, fire hydrant kicks, standing lateral leg lifts, etc.

Upper 2:
Incline DB BP 5x10
Face Pulls 5x10-12
Seated cable row 5x10-12
Band assisted pull/chin ups 5x3-4
Cable crossover 5x10-12
Seated DB shoulder press 5x10

Lower 2:
Goblet squats 5x10
Glute Bridge 5x10
Bulgarian Split Squat 3x10/leg
Curtsy lunge 3x10/leg
Timed elevated shoulder dead bugs
Band work from above

I also use the stationary bike at my office gym 2-3 days/week. It's the only cardio I can do pain-free.

luluinca

I don't know if this will be helpful or not, and I'm not a medical professional, but I can share my experience with you. I have 3 herniated discs that I got from a fall about 8 or 9 years ago, can't remember which ones. I spent 5 years in misery going through all sorts of PT, the epidural shots, laying around and not really knowing how to get better.

One day I decided to start swimming again, couldn't do freestyle or breast stroke because they hurt so I did backstroke almost every day......miles and miles per week. Then when I felt a little bit stronger from the swimming I joined a gym and hired a trainer, who also happened to be a trained physical therapist.......they called her Doc.

She worked with me for a year strengthening my core muscles, my hips, my glutes, hamstrings etc. and gradually started adding some weight to my workouts.......I started with things like wall squats with a physio ball, crunches, planks, bridges etc.........you get the idea. Eventually I was able to add some front squats in and lots of upper body but I always worked my core first.

After a year (I started with her in Sept of 2013), she left the gym but by then I'd lost almost 50 lbs and was getting stronger everyday. The numbness in my leg was gone and I could lift my left leg as high as my right one, I could get up from a sitting position without holding on to anything.

So I hired a former Marine to help me progress. After a year he had me doing 135 lb squats, 185 dead lifts and 55 lb military press along with about 470 lb leg press and 95 lb benches.

Btw, I'm 66 years old, almost 67.

So..........long story short, sometimes a passage of time will help things heal a bit and then if you do the right exercises to strengthen all the surrounding muscles you may be able to do those compound lifts again. I'm working on my 4th trainer now and feel stronger than ever and my back rarely hurts. I've worked through hip flexor injuries (3 times), frozen shoulder and now a bum knee but I still lift.

Hope you'll be able to work it out, I know how much you miss them. Lifting is my favorite form of exercise. I love to run too and my knee won't let me do that anymore but if I can lift.........I'm a happy camper.

Good luck and hopefully I've given you some encouragement to keep trying but please be careful!

ew_david

luluinca wrote: »

I don't know if this will be helpful or not, and I'm not a medical professional, but I can share my experience with you. I have 3 herniated discs that I got from a fall about 8 or 9 years ago, can't remember which ones. I spent 5 years in misery going through all sorts of PT, the epidural shots, laying around and not really knowing how to get better.

One day I decided to start swimming again, couldn't do freestyle or breast stroke because they hurt so I did backstroke almost every day......miles and miles per week. Then when I felt a little bit stronger from the swimming I joined a gym and hired a trainer, who also happened to be a trained physical therapist.......they called her Doc.

She worked with me for a year strengthening my core muscles, my hips, my glutes, hamstrings etc. and gradually started adding some weight to my workouts.......I started with things like wall squats with a physio ball, crunches, planks, bridges etc.........you get the idea. Eventually I was able to add some front squats in and lots of upper body but I always worked my core first.

After a year (I started with her in Sept of 2013), she left the gym but by then I'd lost almost 50 lbs and was getting stronger everyday. The numbness in my leg was gone and I could lift my left leg as high as my right one, I could get up from a sitting position without holding on to anything.

So I hired a former Marine to help me progress. After a year he had me doing 135 lb squats, 185 dead lifts and 55 lb military press along with about 470 lb leg press and 95 lb benches.

Btw, I'm 66 years old, almost 67.

So..........long story short, sometimes a passage of time will help things heal a bit and then if you do the right exercises to strengthen all the surrounding muscles you may be able to do those compound lifts again. I'm working on my 4th trainer now and feel stronger than ever and my back rarely hurts. I've worked through hip flexor injuries (3 times), frozen shoulder and now a bum knee but I still lift.

Hope you'll be able to work it out, I know how much you miss them. Lifting is my favorite form of exercise. I love to run too and my knee won't let me do that anymore but if I can lift.........I'm a happy camper.

Good luck and hopefully I've given you some encouragement to keep trying but please be careful!

You are amazing. And thank you; this was very helpful.

I did do 12 weeks of physical therapy, but it was before I knew about the herniation. He was treating me and gearing my therapy toward weak glutes and weak core, which was helpful and I do continue a lot of what we did there at home.

At present, my heaviest lift is bench press (75#); max was 100x2. Everything else I currently do is either an empty barbell, 5-25# dumbbells, 40# cable, or body weight. I was up to a 190# deadlift, 110# squat for reps...so this was a huge blow to my lifting ego. Finding things that didn't bother me was trying, but I think I have a good grasp on what I can do and what I can't. I'm interested in seeing how long this steroid shot lasts for.

Anyway, thanks again for your perspective!