Frustrated with injuries and lack of progress

Mustang_Susie

Yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my lower back for no apparent reason.
This is an area of old injury that just seems to keep coming back to haunt me.
About 15 years ago, my sacroiliac joint was out of alignment.
I went thru physical therapy and it improved but never back to 100%.

My doctor has told me to exercise to strengthen my lower back.
So I do BodyStep and BodyPump 2-3x/week.
But I never seem to be able to progess to a higher intensity of cardio or increased weights.
Either my back or shoulder are bothering me.
(not sure why the shoulder, maybe from a fall when I braced myself with that arm)

I see pictures and hear stories about these women who can squat incredible amounts of weight and I'm frustrated that I'm still lifting such small amounts.

Anyone else dealing with injuries and/or lack of progress?

Missa4

Yeah, every time I start to feel like I'm establishing a routine something goes wrong. Kids get sick, I get sick, Hubby's work schedule goes crazy, I get some weird injury. Like yesterday, during my walk I got a HUGE nasty blister on my heel. I tried to put a bandage on it and keep going (not smart I know) and ended up ripping a huge chuck of flesh off. Then, thinking I needed to let it "dry out" I left it uncovered most of the day, so it hurt like crazy. I've got it covered today, trying to take it easy.

When I first started this journey, I managed to strain an abdominal muscle kick boxing. Had to take it easy for 6 weeks. A few months later I strained a muscle on top of my foot?? I was told it's a runners injury, which is hilarious, because I have NEVER run in my life until about a month ago. And in almost two years I have managed to loose a grand total of 7 pounds. But, I like to think I have healthier eating habits. And, for the first time in my life, I started running. So hopefully I am at least healthier?

3dogsrunning

I've bad different back injuries but I have improved tons thanks to strength training.

My honest suggestion - since the doctor did suggest strength training - I'd stop the classes and do heavy lifting (ie heavy for you) ideally with someone who can show you proper form.

Ge0rgiana

Those women have worked very hard for those numbers, I can guarantee you. With that said, I'm no doctor but dead lifts are good for strengthening your back. Please, get with your doctor first before you decide to do them, and then get with a trainer or someone who can check your form.

JessicaP327

My knees, things that have never before have bothered me ever, are now the bane of my existence. Usually I have a problem with my ankle from an old sports injury, but I find that my knees are the things that kill me during exercise, not the ankle. I wish I had solutions for you, but I'm in the same boat, and I feel like I'm sinking

langsyne

Me too. I herniated a disk in my back last summer (L3/4). Tons of therapy and it's still not healed.
My doctor said no physical excercise until it's healed. I didn't listen and re-injured it and had to start
at square one. It's really frustrating because I used to be so fit. I can do some upper body work, but even walking for
more than 1/2 hour is agonizing. And it is very hard to shed weight without the exercise.

kwilson18

I am dealing with a couple of nagging injuries and it's really frustrating. I'm going to see an active release therapy practitioner (who also is a chiropractor) since that has helped me in the past. I get tight muscles that cause imbalances, and ART, while brutally painful, has helped in the past. You also may want to think about strength and stretching that will specifically help your lower back- body pump classes usually are more for overall working out rather than really focusing on specific areas. Lifting heavy is a great idea but I'd be careful to work into it slowly so you don't get injured again.

Mustang_Susie

I am dealing with a couple of nagging injuries and it's really frustrating. I'm going to see an active release therapy practitioner (who also is a chiropractor) since that has helped me in the past. I get tight muscles that cause imbalances, and ART, while brutally painful, has helped in the past. You also may want to think about strength and stretching that will specifically help your lower back- body pump classes usually are more for overall working out rather than really focusing on specific areas. Lifting heavy is a great idea but I'd be careful to work into it slowly so you don't get injured again.

Would a chiroprator suggest exercises?

msrootitooti

Me! Me! Me.. you sound like me this morning. I am finally at a good weight and increased fitness and my body is failing. First, my IT band was giving me problems, then I found out i have a cystocele (falling bladder) which means no heavy weights), and now it looks like I have a pinched nerve that might be worse than I first thought (have yet to go to the doctor0..

I wish I could help you but you should probably have a doctor work with you on a good program. i should probably listen to my own advive

Mustang_Susie

Me! Me! Me.. you sound like me this morning. I am finally at a good weight and increased fitness and my body is failing. First, my IT band was giving me problems, then I found out i have a cystocele (falling bladder) which means no heavy weights), and now it looks like I have a pinched nerve that might be worse than I first thought (have yet to go to the doctor0..

I wish I could help you but you should probably have a doctor work with you on a good program. i should probably listen to my own advive

My back almost feels like a pinched nerve? But doc says ist's muscular?
What are your symptoms?

IronMikeFox

Hey Susan. I am certainly not an expert or anything, but maybe you can take something away from my experience. I love exercise and, in particular, love martial arts. I like to train at max intensity all the time. I have always had problems with joint pain - things like tendinitis, arthritis in certain joints, etc. As I have gotten older and tried to maintain that intensity, I have had more strain related pains that I have added to the list. LOL I found that having a fairly regular routine that I follow every week actually contributed to the pain. I guess maybe I was doing some exercises that put a lot of strain on certain joints and doing those exercises multiple times a week, every week was taking it's toll. I changed up my workout so that I do different sets of exercises every day of the week. I have a bank of about 30 or so exercises that I pick from. Every day I pick a different group depending on what I want t work and work those exercises as max intensity. I can still work ... say legs ... three times a week if I want. But I'll do a totally different workout each time. Since I have taken this approach, my pain has significantly decreased. I also enjoy the spontaneity of my workouts! Hope this helps!

Mustang_Susie

Hey Susan. I am certainly not an expert or anything, but maybe you can take something away from my experience. I love exercise and, in particular, love martial arts. I like to train at max intensity all the time. I have always had problems with joint pain - things like tendinitis, arthritis in certain joints, etc. As I have gotten older and tried to maintain that intensity, I have had more strain related pains that I have added to the list. LOL I found that having a fairly regular routine that I follow every week actually contributed to the pain. I guess maybe I was doing some exercises that put a lot of strain on certain joints and doing those exercises multiple times a week, every week was taking it's toll. I changed up my workout so that I do different sets of exercises every day of the week. I have a bank of about 30 or so exercises that I pick from. Every day I pick a different group depending on what I want t work and work those exercises as max intensity. I can still work ... say legs ... three times a week if I want. But I'll do a totally different workout each time. Since I have taken this approach, my pain has significantly decreased. I also enjoy the spontaneity of my workouts! Hope this helps!

Thanks for the ideas Mike

kwilson18

I am dealing with a couple of nagging injuries and it's really frustrating. I'm going to see an active release therapy practitioner (who also is a chiropractor) since that has helped me in the past. I get tight muscles that cause imbalances, and ART, while brutally painful, has helped in the past. You also may want to think about strength and stretching that will specifically help your lower back- body pump classes usually are more for overall working out rather than really focusing on specific areas. Lifting heavy is a great idea but I'd be careful to work into it slowly so you don't get injured again.

Would a chiroprator suggest exercises?

It depends on the practice, but if they are sports focused they should be able to or have physical therapists in the office that could help. The place I'm going has done a lot of work with athletes so they have specific rehab programs- I'll let you know how it goes!

iAMsmiling

Injury avoidance has become about the single most important part of my exercise plan.

I suffered back problems for decades until I finally started spending enough time stretching and doing light weight rehabilitative exercises recommended by my physical therapist. By doing, I mean every single time I go to the gym, 5-7 days a week. These "injury rehab/prevention" activities take up about 25% of my gym time.

It may seem like a lot to do, but it pays in the long run. Beyond healing/avoiding injuries, as we get older, flexibility and mobility are crucial to health and to enjoying an active life.

kitigonkukoo

My honest suggestion - since the doctor did suggest strength training - I'd stop the classes and do heavy lifting (ie heavy for you) ideally with someone who can show you proper form.

agreed. You have more chance of an injory in a class, especially high impact classes! Too much going on to be able to stay focused on not hurting yourself. Go for the lifting, but watch your form!

I have severe back and neck injuries that will never go away, and when I started I used the cable machines to make sure I wasn't doing anyhing crazy. When I started free weights, I had a trainer show me the correct form, and spot me for a few weeks.

SJ46

You mentioned you do BodyPump and then women who you hear about squatting much higher weights - one thing you need to realize is that the squat track in Pump and squatting in the weight room are two different things. In BodyPump I can do the large plates (5kg/11 lbs - 22 lbs total) but yesterday I did one set of front squats that were 85 lbs, then two at 75 lbs when I realized I loaded too much weight! Basically Pump is a cardio/endurance class, it is not a strength training class. I encourage you to venture into the weight room. After doing Pump you should have your form down, now instead of 5 minutes/100 squats go do 3 sets of 6-12.

Check out this article: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/pump-fiction

Good luck with your back problems.

Mustang_Susie

You mentioned you do BodyPump and then women who you hear about squatting much higher weights - one thing you need to realize is that the squat track in Pump and squatting in the weight room are two different things. In BodyPump I can do the large plates (5kg/11 lbs - 22 lbs total) but yesterday I did one set of front squats that were 85 lbs, then two at 75 lbs when I realized I loaded too much weight! Basically Pump is a cardio/endurance class, it is not a strength training class. I encourage you to venture into the weight room. After doing Pump you should have your form down, now instead of 5 minutes/100 squats go do 3 sets of 6-12.

Check out this article: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/pump-fiction

Good luck with your back problems.

Thanks for the input. I will check out that article.

kitigonkukoo

I am dealing with a couple of nagging injuries and it's really frustrating. I'm going to see an active release therapy practitioner (who also is a chiropractor) since that has helped me in the past. I get tight muscles that cause imbalances, and ART, while brutally painful, has helped in the past. You also may want to think about strength and stretching that will specifically help your lower back- body pump classes usually are more for overall working out rather than really focusing on specific areas. Lifting heavy is a great idea but I'd be careful to work into it slowly so you don't get injured again.

Would a chiroprator suggest exercises?

It depends on the practice, but if they are sports focused they should be able to or have physical therapists in the office that could help. The place I'm going has done a lot of work with athletes so they have specific rehab programs- I'll let you know how it goes!

I see a chiropractor regularly- and have since I was about 8 years old. They should always recommend stretching and basic exercises that can help improve your condition...

susiepet

I sympathise - and know how you feel! I have so many niggling/not so niggling problems my trainer says he's going to get me a wheelchair but we find something to do.
Oh the glories of age and a mis-spent youth!

Keep going - you'll find something that suits

Sue

Mustang_Susie

I sympathise - and know how you feel! I have so many niggling/not so niggling problems my trainer says he's going to get me a wheelchair but we find something to do.
Oh the glories of age and a mis-spent youth!

Keep going - you'll find something that suits

Sue

Good to know I'm not alone.
It can be somewhat demoralizing when you see these big, young "Hulk" guys telling you to just suck it up and work harder.
Believe me I'd love to show you up in the weight room but I want to be able to walk when I'm 80 so I'd rather play it safe, thank you very much!

Ritzbrit

I hear ya girl. I have RA and it's pretty bad in my knees. I use to be a runner and now I can't. I'm only 28 and I get frustrated that my dad who is 56 can run or I see older people running on the treadmill at the gym. But I try and do other activities that I enjoy. I really love Zumba and enjoy doing that. Sometimes the jumping and running in place can irritate my knees so I have to be careful. As long as I keep active doing whatever and sticking to eat healthy the weight is coming off steadily. Strength training is great for women but be careful. Do what you can and go slow.

bradwwood

Me too. I herniated a disk in my back last summer (L3/4). Tons of therapy and it's still not healed.
My doctor said no physical excercise until it's healed. I didn't listen and re-injured it and had to start
at square one. It's really frustrating because I used to be so fit. I can do some upper body work, but even walking for
more than 1/2 hour is agonizing. And it is very hard to shed weight without the exercise.

you might want to get a second opinion regarding your back. herniated disks don't heal.

The main pain caused by a herniated disk is the herniated portion typically causes pressure on the nerves. Building strength helps, but it doesn't make that herniation go away. As long as that herniation is there, you will have recurring problems. You might do some therapy and stretch, and feel better, but then you will turn the wrong way while unpacking groceries or even taking a shower, and you'll be on your back again with your knees up wondering what happened.

The therapy you are in should be about building core strength, which frankly is physical exercise as the doctor has recommended against. So, a bit of a contradiction there.

Back surgery sounds scary, but micro discectomy's are pretty routine these days and in most cases patients are home the next day. There might be financial blockades to this, like lack of insurance, but if those don't exist, you really might want to consider this. I have no regrets.

If surgery simply isn't an option, you should be stretching every day, if not twice, and should be doing exercises that help build core strength. If the therapy you are doing consists of traction, ultrasound, and heat pads, you also might reconsider where you are getting the physical therapy. Those are pretty archaic approaches to disk problems.

You may have to accept that you can't do hard core strength building, body ripping, type exercise any more. I've been doing some body weight stuff for a while now, and when I started P90X, I strained my back. So, I'd love to do it again, and look like some of those folks that have done it, but it isn't worth it to me. I have to accept some limitations.

Some things that will help....

Walking! Stand up straight, suck in that gut, and walk. Then walk farther. Then walk up hills, then more hills.

If you have a pool available, walking in the pool. Yes, pace back and forth. The resistance is great. Swimming is good too, but it can cause a strain on your back if you are strong in the middle. I got to the point where I was jogging in the water... yeah, it was pretty funny looking, sort of like slow motion running like in a dream... but it really worked.

Water aerobics - if your gym has this option, you might consider doing this. Water offers great opportunities to build up strength through resistance with nearly zero impact on joints and stuff.

Lifting, dead lifts, etc. - I wouldn't touch any of this stuff without proper supervision


My initial back injury was treated with heating pads and ultrasound. Then they finally did a MRI and therapy transitioned to traction. At the end of a year (workmans comp case) I was no better than when I started. I dismissed my Dr, and lawyer, and the insurance company sent me to a sports medicine outfit. I was under the knife within two weeks, then I was in strength building PT. The walking, and pool walking, was something I added towards the end as I was improving (at their approval of course). Sports medicine facilities tend to be a little more progressive with treatments and they didn't mess around with that traction BS. They might of done ultrasound, but only as an ancillary therapy

sijomial

^^^^
Herniated discs do heal - the vast majority do not require surgery.
I've had enough of them....

Granted they are never quite the same again but discectomies are not usual. I sympathise with your experience but it is not typical.

bradwwood

have to disagree.

once herniated, always herniated. They don't magically fix themselves.

edit: i guess it depends on what is considered "healed"

sijomial

No the healing isn't magic - ditto for cuts and broken bones! It is part of your body's healing process.

The herniation occurs when your get a tear in the outer fibrous capsule allowing the jelly-like internal soft portion to protrude. The pain comes from the tear and when the protrusion pinches or impedes a nerve you get neurological issues as well (as you obviously suffered).
Most herniations do heal spotaneously and the softer part can be absorbed. 6 to 12 weeks is average recovery. The majority of people can make a full recovery in the sense it doesn't impact their capabilities.
The various treatments (NSAIDs, icing, etc) are to support your healing process.

You are correct that it is never as good as new - the protrusion is effectively lost. I've had multiple herniations (c. 10 major episodes) to the point where I have very reduced disc height in 3 lumbar discs. No surgery yet - touch wood.

Lt_Starbuck

i had the same thing happen to me, 4 years in physical therapy.

dont do body pump - you dont need to be lifting anything for speed.

Go slow. Get comfortable and extremely familiar with your own body weight and the best thing about weights to get in tshape - you can do them very slow and at your own pace.