Injuries and Recovery
 

Hey guys

Wasnt sure where to post this but i figured here would be good. Im sure alot of you guys have had injuries as well. I know i have mentioned mine before. My backs been acting up again and im getting frustrated. I was really hitting everything hard and went from a sad 32%bf to 22% bf. Everything was going pretty good until i got an epidural injection in my lumbar spine. Now i have had to take the past 4 months off and watch my hard work disappear.

So basically just wondering how you guys deal with this? any advice? when my backs good i get so excited that i jump back in the gym and wind up out again. I dunno just frustrated that i cant get in there and hit everything like i want to.

anybody have any similar experience?

i forget...but what have you done for rehab on your back?

For rehab i have worked with three physical therapists, accupuncture, chiropractor, massages, epidural shots. Currently i just do my physical therapy exercises. I am currently working with three doctors and a physical therapist. As far as whats known, i have 8 herniated discs, annular tears, and sciatic nerve damage.

If I can't train I just watch Konstantinovs deadlift videos on youtube and I feel a little stronger. :)

Just do what you can do...focus on where you can improve and use that to motivate you. Whether it's just doing curls, grip work, rows, calves, or whatever...

Hope you can get back at it soon.

Thanks ross. Yea usually when i watch videos it makes me want to get out there and do it!

But yea i have been doing what i can. I have been trying to swim a little now that it is warm enough. Just feel like a wuss sometimes when i go in and do crappy lifts or stationary stuff.

what are your rehab exercises?

are you in anterior pelvic tilt?

Yes i am in anterior pevlic tilt. however, when my back goes out my hips shift so that my right hip is at least an inch higher than my left hip. So when i stand "straight" it looks like my shoulders go left and my hips go right. I dont remember if theres a name for that.

As far as exercises, they really havent given me any structured ones. They told me to stand with my back against the wall and try to make my low back touch the wall (to fill the gap)...if that makes sense. Im supposed to repeat that as many times as i can. They have also given me some stuff on stability balls to build up my core. Some resistance band work with OH presses, flys, and other various movements so i feel like im "working out". But i try to do as many core exercises as i can. It is hard because core work is the one thing that typically aggrivates my back the most. I also do supermans. That is all i can think of at the moment.

don't do supermans....that's just extending from the lumbar spine...bad mojo.

stretch your hip flexors...look up some dead bug exercises and double leg lowering...which are kind of like your wall exercise...they should be easy to find on the net.

overhead work is great...just make sure to squeeze your butt and brace your abs while you're doing it. planks are great too. make sure you squeeze butt and brace abs while doing them. one thing you should keep in mind all day long is not moving your lumbar spine :) learn to move from the hips and not the low back.

the beginning of my journal has a decent amount of rehab/corrective exercise type stuff you could look at.

Thanks Pity. yea i do dead bugs. Planks hurt but i think that if i just do them for short periods of time that eventually i will be able to build up. I will def check out your section. I am just trying to do what i can for now to keep myself motivated and trying not to push myself back into it like i always do.

I have had epidural injections for herniated disks as well. Did not stop me from lifting. However, I went real light and did lifts I knew would not screw me up while rehbing. This kept me in the gym at least and doing some real light stuff for high reps at least kept me in shape until I got better. You can also gague yourself for increases and other movement. In other words, go to the gym and even if it's a sissy workout do it. Might spend some time just doing the girly machines for a bit but keep it light, take it slow and you will be good. And you will keep your sanity.