Probably Can't Really Do Stronglifts Anymore
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arabianhorselover
Posts: 1,488 Member
I've been doing this program for close to two years now. Rather upset because I probably should not do at least some of it anymore due to back problems.
For the last few months my back has been bothering quite a bit on the lower left side. Difficult to sleep because it hurts a lot to turn over. I have had xrays done, and they showed degenerative disk disease and a couple of disks that had lost disk space. I wanted to know for sure what was causing the pain and if there was anything I could to about it, so I had an MRI on Saturday. The results show a couple of bulging disks significant facet arthritis, and a narrowing of the space the nerve goes through on the left side. Also a couple of hemangiomas. The doctor wants me to see a neurosurgeon, but I don't really see the point since I don't think anything would/could be done about these problems. Physical therapy seems a better option.
In any case, I probably should not be loading my spine with weight. I do get a lot of cracking and an uncomfortable feeling of movement when I do. This has been such a large part of my getting and keeping the weight off - not sure what I'll do now.
Sorry to write a book.
For the last few months my back has been bothering quite a bit on the lower left side. Difficult to sleep because it hurts a lot to turn over. I have had xrays done, and they showed degenerative disk disease and a couple of disks that had lost disk space. I wanted to know for sure what was causing the pain and if there was anything I could to about it, so I had an MRI on Saturday. The results show a couple of bulging disks significant facet arthritis, and a narrowing of the space the nerve goes through on the left side. Also a couple of hemangiomas. The doctor wants me to see a neurosurgeon, but I don't really see the point since I don't think anything would/could be done about these problems. Physical therapy seems a better option.
In any case, I probably should not be loading my spine with weight. I do get a lot of cracking and an uncomfortable feeling of movement when I do. This has been such a large part of my getting and keeping the weight off - not sure what I'll do now.
Sorry to write a book.
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Replies
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That's harsh, but you've gotten this far, so I'm sure you'll pull through somehow.
While this is definitely not the same issue here, I've found whenever my body starts to protest about my heavy lifting, switching back to body weight stuff for a while helps recover and rebuild things I tend to forget exist, haha. Bulging disks and stuff tend to be a result of an imbalance somewhere - if you can do PT and figure out what muscles/joints have been putting all this stress on your spine compensating for others and manage to address the root of the issue, you can then get/build a program which will focus on correcting said imbalances and strengthening your core and stuff to prevent further damage.
Perhaps with enough dedication to it you might even be able to get back under a heavy barbell down the line. If it's something you love, try to keep an open mind and set it as your goal to do weight lifting again. Find a physio or ostheo, or whatever professional understands that you want to get better and knows proper body mechanics and work with them. Do some workout DVDs to keep the weight off (or pick up Kettlebells or something).
Just don't give up! We'll be here to support you if you stick around
Hope you get this sorted out in a reasonable amount of time! 0 -
Thank you for your support. It helps to talk about it, at least.
I haven't managed to make myself love or even really like, lifting. It may be because the only time that works for me to go to the gym is after a long day at work when all I really want to do is go home and rest.
I do a lot of walking, and I should be able to keep that up. Especially women are supposed to do strength training to maintain muscles and bones as we age, so I want to do that. Also don't want to be all flabby. I have enough of that just from losing the weight!0 -
Well if it hurts, your doctor says to stop and you don't really like it maybe it is kind of a positive. Find something that keeps you happy and healthy. As much as I personally like to lift, it is not the only means to the end of having healthy bones and muscles. Walking is a start and other (lighter) weight baring exercises can maintain your strength and your bone density.
Maybe a good PT can get you back under the bar but if not, it really isn't the end of the world, even if it does suck. Good luck!0 -
That is true. Thank you.0
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Yeah, I would talk to the PT about Pilates for stabilizing and strengthening your spine and maybe doing strength training with machines.0
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I really know nothing about Pilates......0
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arabianhorselover wrote: »I really know nothing about Pilates......
You don't have to...that is the PT's job
When I had a tendon issue, my PT had a reformer machine in the office.
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Sorry to hear about your back. But better to know what's going on than continue and really injure yourself. As for the neuro -- your doctor must feel like there are options, otherwise he/she wouldn't have recommended it, right? You have very little to lose. Why not just go and see what they have to say?arabianhorselover wrote: »The doctor wants me to see a neurosurgeon, but I don't really see the point since I don't think anything would/could be done about these problems. Physical therapy seems a better option.0 -
arabianhorselover wrote: »I've been doing this program for close to two years now. Rather upset because I probably should not do at least some of it anymore due to back problems.
just hearing something like this has to be a significant shock even if lifting and you never really did fall in love with each other. and honestly . . . just imagine how awful it would feel to get seriously hurt doing something you never even really enjoyed. i don't mean to sound callous but it seems to me like there's a real silver lining to this 'cloud' of you having found out for certain what has been going on.
about the weight control - well, you're probably not going to regain 30 pounds in the next week and a half. so it might be something you need a new strategy for, but it doesn't sound critically urgent to me. that can be a medium to long-term project. in the meantime, just knowing what you know is probably the start to an approach towards it that you'll enjoy a lot more.
i am sympathetic. news of that kind has a tendency to rearrange your whole perception of things for a while, and it's an awful feeling. but tbh, if that is what has been going on i'm kind of relieved to hear you've decided to put lifting on hold for a while. it seems like a good call.
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Sorry to hear about your back. But better to know what's going on than continue and really injure yourself. As for the neuro -- your doctor must feel like there are options, otherwise he/she wouldn't have recommended it, right? You have very little to lose. Why not just go and see what they have to say?arabianhorselover wrote: »The doctor wants me to see a neurosurgeon, but I don't really see the point since I don't think anything would/could be done about these problems. Physical therapy seems a better option.
Well, I've done a lot of research on this myself, and I think I would be paying them a bunch of money just to tell me what I already know. I don't have a pinched nerve, at least not yet. I don't have any symptoms of that. Hemangiomas in the spine are very common - they occur in 10 percent of the population. Most people don't even know they have them. They are only a problem if they get large enough to cause damage to the vertebra. Mine must be small, since they didn't even show up on x-ray. I have the symptoms of facet arthritis, which shows up on both x-ray and MRI. So I think at least for now, as long as I don't do anything stupid, I'm okay with just going for physical therapy and figuring out an exercise program that won't cause further problems. I could go for steroid shots, but I would like to avoid them if I can.0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »I've been doing this program for close to two years now. Rather upset because I probably should not do at least some of it anymore due to back problems.
just hearing something like this has to be a significant shock even if lifting and you never really did fall in love with each other. and honestly . . . just imagine how awful it would feel to get seriously hurt doing something you never even really enjoyed. i don't mean to sound callous but it seems to me like there's a real silver lining to this 'cloud' of you having found out for certain what has been going on.
about the weight control - well, you're probably not going to regain 30 pounds in the next week and a half. so it might be something you need a new strategy for, but it doesn't sound critically urgent to me. that can be a medium to long-term project. in the meantime, just knowing what you know is probably the start to an approach towards it that you'll enjoy a lot more.
i am sympathetic. news of that kind has a tendency to rearrange your whole perception of things for a while, and it's an awful feeling. but tbh, if that is what has been going on i'm kind of relieved to hear you've decided to put lifting on hold for a while. it seems like a good call.
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I don't think you are being callous at all. You are probably right. So far I've just stopped doing the things that bothered the most, but a lot of the exercises I do bother me at this point. Maybe if I take a break from them for a while I can get back into them again. I just hate the thought of losing muscle and strength that I've worked so hard to get! However, the feeling of bone rubbing on bone isn't all that pleasant, either.
I am worried about regaining weight, but thank you for pointing out that it isn't an emergency. I do tend to think of things that way.0 -
arabianhorselover wrote: »However, the feeling of bone rubbing on bone isn't all that pleasant, either.
eish, no. i'd say not. about muscle loss . . . i guess the thing in my own mind this month has been just putting a bigger framework around it. i don't much like taking a break myself, but i can motivate myself into it when i think about how much muscle i'd lose and how much weight i would probably gain if i did do something that gave me a real injury.
i feel like: if it seems realistic enough that you're worrying about it, then it's probably realistic enough to deserve the worry.
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