Strengthening exercises for dodgy backs

thedragons · January 2015

Hi all, I have mild disc bulges at L3 & L4, and a pretty unpleasant protusion/extrusion at L5/S1 that occluded my S1 & S2 nerves about eighteen months ago. Lost some feeling in my left leg and have experienced ongoing weakness/pins and needles throughout my leg since then. The problem is complicated a bit because my L5 vert is a bit of structural mess as well after an old horseriding injury. I have recently started getting some reflex response in that leg again, which is fantastic because some nerve regen must be happening. It's just soooooo slooooooow. I've managed to work around this over time, gotten used to the 24-7 back pain (annoying but not prohibitive), and my body has learned to reroute messages with some success in that leg but I can't really lift at all anymore. Too risky. My spinal trauma specialist feels that surgery isn't appropriate at this point while I'm still slooooowly improving. He has given me a bunch of exercises but they are really gentle and I'm looking for something that can get some results strengthwise while being kind to my lower back. I work in an industry where legislative use of force is employed and I really need to be on my game and strong as I'm not super big (170cm, about 64kgs). I do yoga and some pilates and hit the gym four times a week for treadmill walking and stationary biking. I've given up running and weights and I make a concerted effort to exercise within my limits, but I guess I'm looking for something new and outside the square I can try that others with back injury have had success with. Advance thanks for any replies.

FunkenWagnel · January 2015

I have a bulging disc, but probably not as bad as yours sounds. Definitely do the exercises your doctor gave you. It's frustrating, but I am still taking it easy when it comes to strength exercise.

I do a lot of walking, minimal yoga (sometimes home practice, sometimes on the Wii Fit, and only the poses I know I can handle), and it helps.

Yesterday, I eased into weight-bearing exercises (such as squats, lunges and a plank: all without weights added) and I didn't manage to get full range of motion as I usually would, but it's a start.

I think all you can do is try things really slowly and carefully when you're having an ok day, if it goes ok, continue, if not, back off whatever it is that didn't work out for a while. Just really listen carefully to your body.

CarrieCans · January 2015

I have one blown and one bulging disk in the lower as well. Not nearly as bad as you. The last time it was bad i spent 2 months pretty much on the floor with endless discomfort until enough chiropractor visits got it all sorted out enough for me to be mobile again. I can be fine one minute and then on the floor the next.

I have been peddling on an exercise bike for the last 2 1/2 months and it has made a huge difference. At first i couldn't sit for more than 2 or 3 minutes but now i am up to 20 to 30 minutes at a time and most days i can manage 3 rounds in a day. I still have fairly wicked spasms but those are tolerable. The hip pain has reduced drastically. I am up and on my feet a lot more often now as well.

All of the different options for strengthening are still rather new to me but from what i understand the hip flexors are super important. Hopefully someone else will come along and explain all of that better.

luluinca · January 2015

I have 3 bad dics from a fall about 8 years ago now. After lots of therapy, shots, medication and anything else I could think of, I finally hired a personal trainer who was also a physical therapist. They call her "Doc". I actually do lift weights now but that was after about a year of intense but gradual core work and yes hip flexor work. I now have full range of motion and while my left leg still tingles and is partially numb the area has shrunk considerably. If you know how to use a foam roller I would also highly recommend that. I start every gym session with about 10 minutes of foam rolling, and then go on to my stretching exercises, planks, pushups, glute bridges etc before I ever pick up anything heavy. It's a lot of prep work but it's paid off. I also throw in a 5 minute intense cardio, usually rower or stairs before weights. All of this is followed by a medium intensity swim at least twice a week and then the jacuzzi.

It would take too much space here to detail the way my workouts progressed but if you want to pm me I'd be happy to share what I can. I did do all of this with my doctor's guidance as well.

dbmata · January 2015

Bulging discs, nice.

What exercises did your PT choose for you?

Cherimoose · January 2015

thedragons wrote: »

I guess I'm looking for something new and outside the square I can try that others with back injury have had success with.

What works for one type of back injury can make another type worse, and yours is pretty complex, so i'd get a customized routine from a physical therapist, sports doctor, etc, and follow it closely.

To answer your question, what helped me the most to rehab my back and prevent re-injury was to practice the abdominal bracing and drawing-in maneuvers *all throughout the day*. You probably already learned those if you did PT for your back.

As far as subduing someone, that's more about practicing those specific skills regularly than having isolated muscle strength. If you're unable to spar due to your back, it sounds like you'd be taking a huge risk at your job. A sudden wrong move could set you back years.

thedragons · January 2015

Thank you for the responses, everybody! dbmata, I do a daily mix of exercise ball work, core strengthening exercises, supermans, planks and hip flexor exercises etc that have been given to me by my physical therapist (and a few different ones thrown in from an exercisologist I saw last year). The yoga and pilates is great for maintaining core strength, which in turn helps enormously with the pain, but I'm just bored and beyond them all at this stage. I know the general sound advice is to stick to what the docs give you, but I feel stuck in a place where I don't want to risk doing anything that will aggravate the injury, but my fitness level in general tends to be beyond what the docs/PTs etc offer in terms of recovery programs. It may well be I'm stuck between that rock and hard place whether I like it or not, and I have to just accept it like I have learned to accept I have a stupid numb leg that requires a bit of extra concentration to make it go where I tell it. But I will definitely hit you up, luluinca, to compare notes and see what you're doing.

thedragons · January 2015

Hi Cherimoose, thanks for you reply. We do a lot of defensive training at work, and I generally don't have any more difficulty with it than some of the less fit officers. I consistently pass those physicals without issue, possibly because I do keep as fit as my pain levels allow. My job is a risk and my spinal trauma specialist took his sweet time signing me off to go back to work and ride horses again. I have a hard time thinking about giving up the job I love and the horses that define me because to be honest, most of the time I aggravate my back it's twisting to get out of the car or stepping in a pothole. I've never actually injured or aggravated it at work, possibly because I'm usually ready and properly trained and braced accordingly when the proverbial hits the fan. You're right, it's 90% technique and you don't need to be big to restrain someone, but maximising your strength just makes the job easier when a good proportion of people out-physics you, and means I'm less likely to aggravate or re-injure my back. That's a great tip my doc also gave me with the abdominal bracing throughout the day, for sure. I am now the master of kegels and ab braces in all conceivable locations!

takumar · January 2015

I have semi-crunched L4, L3 and bulging discs from falling off a ladder two years ago. In a back brace for three months and daily physio exercises was my boring routine. Then I was referred to Tai Chi. Slow, non-stressful movement that concentrates on the spine and hips. Some moves were impossible with my back but eventually I was able to do all 108 movements. I still doTai Chi drills each morning before heading to the gym.

Cherimoose · January 2015

thedragons wrote: »

most of the time I aggravate my back it's twisting to get out of the car or stepping in a pothole.

That's how it usually works. We put our guard down during easy activities, hence the need to always keep tight.

Machines tend to be good for strengthening muscles without stressing the spine much.. like the chest press machine, lat pulldown, most leg machines, etc. To find freeweight exercises, you might consider working with a very knowledgeable personal trainer .. with a kinesiology degree, for example, or certified with NASM-CES.

thedragons · January 2015

Thanks for the Tai Chi idea, Takumar! I haven't tried that before so will definitely look into it. That three months in the back brace must have been hella frustrating. Glad you're doing better these days.

Cherimoose, I've been a bit afraid of venturing to the machine side of the gym since I was injured, but I still have a free personal trainer session up my sleeve at the gym so I will see what they can offer me in terms of ultra-light regimes and ease into it to see how I go. It'd be so nice to be able to do something more than just walking/biking/elliptical there. And get some decent shape back into my biceps, tbh. Thanks for checking back in.

Strengthening exercises for dodgy backs

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