No lifting for me

That's great... none of that actually relates to back issues though.

Right, but they aren't making excuses. You went to one doctor, if it was an issue I think you would have made an effort to sort it out.

Woah, a little harsh I think.


If you read my initial post you will see that the reason I am on here, losing weight is because my back was an issue. The reason I started walking at least 2 miles every day was because my back was an issue. The reason I started picking up the weights in the first place was because I want to strengthen my back.

You are not me and you have not felt the pain I went through. You also do not know the considerable lifestyles changes I have made since my back problems, and as a consequence you have no right to determine whether I am 'making an effort' or not.

Sorry to say things you don't want to hear.

I have translated your post to: I tried heavy lifting It got pretty difficult, i'll pull out this old injury excuse.


Go ahead report me for being mean, you prolly have already.

When I used to play ice hockey, a team mate of mine fractured her back, but could still walk around just about (she didn't know it was fractured), and she even did an entire training session like that, before she completely collapsed at the end unable to move. She was fine after medical treatment and sufficient rest, but this kind of injury can be made a lot worse by exercise and the correct treatment is to rest until the fracture heals. As to how someone can go around for a few days with a fractured vertibrae, it depends if the fracture is vertical or horizontal, and whether the vertibrae in question stays in one piece (milder fractures the bone does not break all the way through, so stays in one piece). So this kind of thing can happen. Yes she was pretty foolish to train when she was in that much pain, but hey, lots of people say "suck it up, don't make excuses" rather than "you should get that checked out by a doctor ASAP and take the doctor's advice about how to get back into training" Worst case scenario with my team mate could have been that another hit or moving in the wrong way could have caused the fracture to worsen, the bone to break in two, and as it was a vertibrae in her case, that could have resulted in paralysis.

Given that the OP could have a similar kind of fracture (it's unlikely, but possible) or some other kind of injury which would make lifting dangerous, and that it sounds a lot like she got the bum's rush from an NHS doctor who couldn't be bothered to examine or treat her properly and just told her "stop lifting" then IMO she has every right to come here and ask for advice. Your advice, suck it up and keep training, is actually dangerous, as you are not a doctor and you have no idea what's actually wrong with her, or how much pain she's in, or anything like that.

I think she probably does have an injury that she can train through BUT I'm not qualified to make that assessment, or to give her advice about how to get back into training safely. Hence the advice to see a doctor who is going to take her seriously and diagnose the problem properly and refer her to a physio.

You need a proper diagnosis. A physical therapist cannot do their job properly without knowing what the underlying issue is. In the meantime, there are some pretty universal activities to stretch and strengthen the core muscles that support your back. Swimmies come to mind: lay down on your stomach. Lift your right hand and left foot a couple of inches off the ground and hold or five seconds. Relax, the repeat with the opposite hand and foot.

When I am having issues, I can't lift anything over 20 lbs. However, no one has said to avoid lifting completely. I have only been told to avoid jumping and rowing. In practice, I have to avoid, or at least limit, all high impact activities - one foot on the floor at all times. I have to build up slowly to any new activity, but especially strength training. I can't imagine ever getting into lifting heavy; I do all dumbbells, resistance bands and bodyweight.

What is wrong with your lower back?

With the exception of herniated disks, there is no reason to not be lifting weights to strengthen your back.
Strong back = healthy back.

I'd definitely try to get a session with a physical therapist or something to have them assess your issues and come up with exercises you can still do.

To be honest, I am unsure about whether I had either a slipped disc or muscle problems. The doctor I had at the time was very unsympathetic and didn't take me seriously; kept telling me to walk to the surgery for an appointment, and not believing me when I said I could barely walk to the toilet, let alone a surgery. Repeated appointments after where I asked for a physio and for it to be investigated, and they said because the pain was not severe for more than 6 weeks, it is not classed as 'chronic' back pain, so they aren't worried. As a consequence it was never fully looked into.

I may look into a private physio. You are right, lifts are meant to strengthen your back, but mine definitely doesn't like it!

I see a chiropractor for mine. I know a lot of people don't believe in them, but at least you'd get an Xray and they'd be able to tell you if it's a disk problem.

I'm happy you got a good chiropractor but I would advise the OP to be careful with seeking out one. It is an unregulated practice, which means some are very capable, informed, and are a true "complimentary" therapy.... then you get the ones who have some funny ideas but generally mean well, and a few bad apples that can be full on quacks.

It's a bad idea to try and "re-align" your spine and "manipulate" your neck without having any access to your medical notes. For most people this is painful, pointless, but fine. For those with disc problems, and some even treat young children, it can be very dangerous. Personally I would not let a chiropractor near my neck, full stop.

A good chiropractor won't just "manipulate" your neck without doing a full set of X rays first. get real.

Chiros can't diagnose disease or spinal problems, end of story.

Disease maybe, spinal problems, not true.

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It is true. It is absolutely true. They may be able to stumble their way into figuring out what certain problems are, but they are not sufficiently trained to diagnose diseases, disorders, or injuries. They cannot order or interpret radiology beyond x-rays. Compared to an actual physician who specializes in backs, they are woefully lacking in education.

Maybe a traditional doc is not your thing, have you look into using a chiropractors, A good chiropractor is amazing, they can't fixed broken bones though, but muscle problems, These guys are great!

What is wrong with your lower back?

With the exception of herniated disks, there is no reason to not be lifting weights to strengthen your back.
Strong back = healthy back.

I'd definitely try to get a session with a physical therapist or something to have them assess your issues and come up with exercises you can still do.

To be honest, I am unsure about whether I had either a slipped disc or muscle problems. The doctor I had at the time was very unsympathetic and didn't take me seriously; kept telling me to walk to the surgery for an appointment, and not believing me when I said I could barely walk to the toilet, let alone a surgery. Repeated appointments after where I asked for a physio and for it to be investigated, and they said because the pain was not severe for more than 6 weeks, it is not classed as 'chronic' back pain, so they aren't worried. As a consequence it was never fully looked into.

I may look into a private physio. You are right, lifts are meant to strengthen your back, but mine definitely doesn't like it!

Chiros can't diagnose disease or spinal problems, end of story.

Seriously? A good chiropractor is more trained in spinal problems than the average family doctor. The sports chiropractor near me is certified in active release therapy and is the team chiropractor of all the local sports teams like the Rhinos, Lancers, Red wings, and Amerks - obviously he know's a lot and can diagnose a back disorder if he saw one.