Anyone out there with slipped dics/other back problems?

I've got 3 vertebrae which are broken, and have grown them now into their place (stayed broken) .. Don't even know how it happened!

Another thing that's happened, was a pinched nerve .. Anyway, that's long healed by now, took about a year to recover properly..

Last thing (wasn't really an injury) but my middle vertebrae sticks out like I'm an underweight child, kinda gross! Think I'm meant to be a hunch back child but I have forced myself to straighten out.

Degenerated discs at D10 -D11. Now doing squats and yoga.

Hi there,

I have an chronical illness called Bechterew disease, which for me includes severe pain around my pelvis, inflammation in pelvis and fingers. plus I've had herniated disc in L4/L5. I also have arthritis+sensory disturbances in my hands and fingers, which makes it harder to hold unto weights, but I do my best, using lighter weights.

I can't walk in a slow pace, I have to walk faster in order to not be in any pain. I can't run anymore, but I use a stepper, ride a bike and whenever I can I go for a swim - can only do backstroke. I have a special program, when it comes to back and abs workouts, got it from a specialist and it works for me.
Pilates and Yoga work wonders, but watch out for the some of the harder exercises, they can cost you pain, so modify.

Listen to your body, stay focused.

I have a thoroughly screwed up spine. An accident 20 yrs ago left me with a broken neck and exploded disc in my lower back. Medicine used during my back surgery to relieve swelling, Depo-Medrol, (which is what they use in ESIs and is NOT supposed to be used around the spine, since a huge class-action suit in the 90s), got into my spinal cord, causing a chronic inflammatory condition called Arachnoiditis. Within a few years, The nerves of my lower spine had clumped together and adhered to the spinal canal wall, (Cauda Equina Syndrome), and I ended up in a wheelchair with excruciating pain in my back and legs and muscle weakness and numbness in my legs. Life really sucked for a while.

after years of learning to take it easy, ice packs, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxers, I managed to make it from wheelchair, to walker, to cane. But along the way I picked up about 80 extra lbs, which didn't help matters.

I started here a year ago to lose the weight. I knew from past experience that low carb is how my body lost weight the best, and with a family history of Diabetes, I knew I needed to cut down on the carbs. Within a few weeks I realized my pain levels had dropped significantly. I no longer woke up in severe pain, taking an hour to get moving every morning. I was needing less pain meds, fewer muscle relaxers, and I was sleeping better. My moods were better. I had more energy.

Then I heard about the Paleo/Primal plan and heard stories of how people were managing their pain, inflammation, T2 Diabetes, arthritis, MS and other autoimmune diseases by eating this way.
I realized that when I cut out processed sugars and starches, then I had cut grains out of my diet, and replaced them with healthy fats. This is a major component of the Paleo/Primal plan.

I have never been one of those 'health nut' people, and when the gluten-free craze started a few years ago, I had to admit that my eyes rolled back in my head and I tuned out the rhetoric, thinking they were all crack-pots.

Well, now I am one of those crack-pots. I have seen first hand what eliminating gluten, processed sugar, and most grains from my diet has done for my body.

I can walk without my cane most of the time. I can ride my recumbent bike for an hour at a time. I can get up off the floor without having to crawl to the couch! lol
And I am 50 pounds lighter. Bonus!

I will never be able to sit in a straight back chair for hours, or run, or do a whole lot of walking, as the scar tissue will always be there, but I am at a place that I had given up hope of ever being again.

I SO WISH, I had known about the connection between food and inflammation 20 years ago, before so much damage was done.

But I know it now. And I can share my knowledge and experience with others, in hopes that they can save themselves from years of suffering.

So my prescription for back issues-

Keep at a healthy weight.
Exercise moderately, but listen to your body to not overdo it. (recumbent bike and swimming has worked for me)
CORE EXERCISES! (planks!)
Ice packs and anti-inflammatories (but watch your stomach. Celebrex has been a Godsend for me)
Be mindful of posture and body mechanics

And experiment with eliminating inflammatory foods from your diet.

:happy: :happy: :happy: :happy:

I had a slipped disc a few years ago. I have always had lower back problems. I know this might not help right now, but the more weight I lose, the better my back becomes. I hope yours improves too

oh yes, herniated L4-L5 at age 23 fighting forest fire....had surgery at age 24. 18 yrs post-op and I have to keep my weight down. Thus my existence here...I can tell if I get to heavy even by a few pounds. I have been losing since jan 2013. Less I am, better I feel.

I have degenerative disc disease and have herniated 2 discs. Aftr an acute sciatica attack, could not walk any distance and could not carry anything...not so much as a dog leash, let alone a purse. PT and steroids gave me some releif. I took Vicoden, Motrin 500 and Flexiril regularly. Oddly, using an elliptical trainer didn't bother me, so that what i started using. As soon as the weather cooperated, i moved to the pool.

I lost 5% of my body weight - no change
I lost 10 % and maybe felt a bit better. Couldn't walk long, but i could get out of bed without too much moaning.
15% seemed to be my magic number. No NSAIDs, no Vic, no muscle relaxers. I could sleep in different positions, which I hadn't done in 6 years. Added in Zumba and strength training in addition to walking, swimming and the elliptical. I can once again ride a tractor and cut grass. Just started yoga in an attempt to regain some flexibility... now that I can bend, i'd like to be able to bend further ;-P

I have multiple back problems and after using MFP for a year, I pushed my back more than I should, and kept working out despite the pain. That was a mistake and it took me a year to get back, (June of this year). I'm used to being in pain, so now I know to listen to my pain better, and to learn when to stop. That's the hardest. I credit my chiropractor for getting me back in the gym. I went to a couple, then found this guy I'm seeing now, and he's really good. I see him every week and hope to get to every other week soon, but we work on keeping me "together" and work on best stretches and form.

I do strength training, bike and elliptical. I also walk home from the gym sometimes. Running, treadmill, that's gone for me and won't ever be coming back. I have learned to let that go, but it wasn't easy.

My advice is to respect the pain, learn your limits, and keep going.

I have 2 bulging discs in my lower spine (L4/L5 and L5/S1) which sometimes make even getting out of bed unbearable. (Normally, I can function fine as long as I keep one foot elevated while standing for long periods of time.) They are bulging to the side, instead of forward or backward like normal, and pinch the peripheral nerves on the right side of my back. I also have arthritic bone spurs in my SI joint.

I find that when my back is giving me too much of a problem to walk or run, riding the exercise bike at the gym feels wonderful, and being more active makes it hurt less the next day.

I just recently found out I have exactly what you do! I had to have an MRI done 3 1/2 weeks ago. It was in my doctors office for a week before he even read it! Nurse finally returned my call and said they were going to send a referral for me to see a spine specialist, but I still have yet to hear anything about the referral. My pain is getting worse and I really need to know what kind of exercises I should and shouldn't be doing. These people better call me soon!

What type of treatment has your physician prescribed for you?

I have chronic SI joint problems. This time last year I was flat on my back hardly able to walk or eat. Terrible pain. What's interesting is when my back has been it's worst, I usually lose weight very quickly simply because I can't eat. I did step aerobics for over 20 years, but cannot do that ever again. Walking is my mainstay - very good for my back. Also some weights and short (10 minutes) rounds on an elliptical. For me, losing is about controlling calories eaten.

I’ve had a herniated L5S1 for about the past 5 years. I’m usually OK but occasionally I will push it too hard and this will sideline me for a couple of weeks. The most important thing for me is listening to my body and knowing when to back off. As I have become better at this, the frequency of my flare ups have decreased.

heh heh... slipped dics.

"slippery when wet" comes to mind.

As for actual back issues... be very very careful is all I can say. Your doctor should be able to tell you how/what you should/should not be doing.

OH yea.... 2 accidents back to back within 2 months of each other. I have a slipped disc on top of a bluging disc, plus a reversed spine in my neck. Makes proper posture difficult. Building of core muscles is the only thing that really helps with exercising. I used to do a lot of swimming and walking, now it's mostly walking, and weights. I just have to be careful and make sure I use proper form.

I had a herniated disc that pressed on nerves in my legs, this was many years ago, do not remember which L#. Dr. sent me to see a neurologist thinking I may need surgery, by the time I got in to see him, I did my own research on yoga and the neurologist told me I didn't need surgery and keep doing yoga. This was more than 10 years ago, yoga, along with a nice strong core has kept my back in great shape and hasn't hindered my weight loss or fitness abilities one bit.

I have spinal stenosis and arthritis in my discs. It has not affected my efforts. I am on painkillers though so that helps a lot.