Spinal Disc problems L3/L4

[nitram100]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone else has any disc issues?

I've been training for about 12 years now and also an NHS Nurse, which has given me back issues over the last 12 months or so. (not the training, but the Nursing) I think the training has helped support my back as I have developed very very thick back muscles over the years.

Had an MRI just recently and it showed disc desiccation at L3/L4, my symptoms are pretty much just constant pain at the base of the spine.

I'm very fit, lean etc just wondering if anyone else has ever had this diagnosis and managed to get better?

Currently waiting for first face to face physio appt with the NHS, but wondering in the mean time would an osteopath be worth it?

Thanks for any info guys.

Mart

 

[nitram100]

It's not same as yours but I'll share it anyway, when I was 13 I had pretty bad lower back pain, sometimes I couldn't walk without severe pain.

They did some X rays and I got diagnosed with spina bifida oculta and slight scoliosis of the spine. I was recommended some hydrotherapy.

Throughout the years I have noticed when I have been inactive for long periods the pain would be more frequent and more severe. If I was active it subsided.

Since joining and gym and lifting weights my lower back pain has been very very infrequent I actually can't recall the last time I had bad pain.

Thanks for the reply mate, glad your back is better!

I've been chatting to the physio and he is recommending that I restart deadlifts and squats into my regime, which I had completely stopped since my injury last year. Thanks mate

 

[nitram100]

I squat twice a week most weeks. Deadlift only once though. I think they both help tremendously with back issues if done with proper form. Just make sure you stretch and warm your muscles up before you start.

The only thing that did my back in was bent over rows with poor form. I fixed the form and do them weekly a lot heavier then before and no pain at all.

Do incorporate Romanian deadlift/good mornings in leg days they will strengthen that lower back to glutes and hamstrings.

Thanks buddy, can't wait for the gyms to open up again so I can get this rehab back on track.

What kinda weight do you do for squats and deadlifts? Do you aim for heavy weights or high volume? I was deadlifting and squatting quite heavy before my injury and am reluctant to get even close to that (190kg dead and 160kg squat) I could never imagine pushing that weight again.

 

[nitram100]

Thanks for the message Supercow, so sorry to hear you've it the problems that long, I can't imagine suffering for 6 years. Lower back pain is absolute hell!

Did something happen 6 years ago , like an injury? Or just one day it suddenly started?

I saw that you're really active, do you have pain when active or is it more when you are resting like sitting etc My pain is on rest.

I've started a back pain diary as well and it's all over the place and I cannot pin point what aggravates it.

My timeline from the last year is just odd. I had an injury 12 months ago when I stepped out of a patients house and mis judged a step, you know when you expect there to be a step but there isn't? Then my left foot hit the ground hard and I felt a big jolt up my left side of the back, the next day I tried a light squat of 100kg and felt a twinge, at some point over the next few hours I completely collapsed to the floor with what felt like a pinched nerve or excruciating muscle spasm and spent the next 3 days in bed unable to move without exruciating pain.

The next 3 months were me recovering, got slowly back into the gym and taking it easy at work etc then started to get slight ache in the lower back and it hasn't gone away since to what it is now which is like a hot poker being driving into my lower back, it starts after about an hour from waking up.

Funny thing is, I spent time with my girlfriends family in Spain the month of August and the month of October, where I had barely any pain at all , we swam, we hiked 100kms in total with no pain at all? Then I came back to the cold damp UK in November and it's been hell ever since.

I'm wondering does the warm climate help me? Is it muscular? I find it odd that I ran 5 miles last night with not a single ache, but the moment I stop running the pain returns.

I'm gonna try the physios plan of reintroducuing squats and deadlifts again for a few weeks and see how I feel. I'm tempted by osteopath but I really don't think they help as I've been to one or two and they felt like used car salesmen, putting words in my mouth, didn't really have any answers for me. One just ran a massage gun over my back and glutes then cracked my back.

I see you're from Australia? Me and my girlfriend are emigrating there to the Sunshine Coast in October as we have just finally been granted our Permanent Resident Skilled visas, took us about 2 years to complete the process (we're both Nurses) so I am looking forward to some warmer weather and a more outdoor lifestyle, here in the UK the weather is so bad most of the time we spend most of our lives in doors or outside in the cold damp weather.

Sorry for the novel!

 

[nitram100]

@Supercow ahh no way mate? What are the chances haha. Glad to hear sunshine coast is a great place to live. Look forward to the moan about our backs haha.

Gosh, hope the surgery goes well buddy. Will email you now mate, for some aussie advice if that's cool!

Cheers mate, Mart

 

[nitram100]

@jpaul Thanks for the advice mate, I had looked at one of those chairs, they do look very interesting...do they take the load off the lower back at all as you are slightly leaned forward?

Yep I can't wait to start swimming, I was told to do this by my physio but bloody gyms closed again. Can't wait for them to open up again so I can really go at it.

What problem do you have with your back if you don't mind me asking?

Cheers mate

 

[nitram100]

Deadlifting and strengthening lower back muscles is the single best thing for my chronic lower back pain.

As soon as I stop, it flairs up again. Lockdown hasn't helped, but I've been replicating with db deadlifts and doing hanging leg / knee raises.

I've had lower back pain since I was 18 (now 40), which I suspect came from a lot of bowling in cricket.

I've only ever seen a GP about it so far, who said it was musculoskeletal and to take ibuprofen and exercise/ do yoga.

That's great to hear mate. I restarted deadlifts yesterday thankfully have a barbell and some plates and a little den with bench and cable machine, I did 3 sets of 60kg for 12 reps each and already today my hamstrings are hurting more than they have in a year despite doing leg curls, bulgarian split squats etc for the last 8 months.

My back definitely feels a little better, I'm starting to think could super tight hamstrings be aggravating my lower back problem? Looking forward to next session already. Going to try squats tomorrow for the first time in a year, luckily I also have a power cage from my home gym I built 8 years ago.

edit - picking up a dragonn kneeling chair today , can't wait!

 

[nitram100]

@Megahurtz400

Damn sorry to hear you've been through that mate. That's quite shocking that a& e didn't give you an MRI there and then!

Took me 8 months to get an MRI and I think that was only becuase I was a Nurse and the GP did a favor, quite ridiculous really.

You think this all started with an injury perhaps from rugby?

Do you mind me asking what kind of surgery you had, was it expensive?

Has your back pain started to ease up a bit since the surgery?

Hope your road to recovery is swift buddy!

 

[nitram100]

Thanks guys for the responses and @Megahurtz400 is definitely correct with the core muscles! I had been training for 10 years deadlifting and squatting, almost never focused on my core so am really focusing on that now. Hope everything goes well for you mate.

@Begbie Do you mind me asking mate, what the results were from your MRI? Do you remember what they found?

@Th0nt Did you have an MRI buddy? Did it show any disc damage?

I echo what you guys are saying, it's a bitter pill to swallow these back issues. 1 year ago I wouldn't have batted an eyelid at jumping in the car with the girlfriend and going for a 5 hour drive to the Lake District , now I don't know how I would do it.

I have found two things really help me when I have a flare up of pain, hot/cold ice packs from amazon, I always have one in the freezer ready to tuck in between my belt and directly to my skin.

Also, have found a real benefit using a little boots TENS machine. It allows me to completely forget about the pain and relax in the evening, maybe try one out guys they definitely work for me.

 

[nitram100]

So, nearly 4 months post op and I feel almost back to normal!

Obviously i'm still avoiding any heavy lifting at work and at home, and am easing myself back into exercise (cycling first, maybe the gym in 4-6 weeks time)

Massive focus on core exercises such as planks, bird dogs (yoga) and bridges to keep those lower abs and glutes strong and stable!

Hope everyone elses back woes are faring well

Wow that's amazing mate, so glad to hear!

My back seems to be getting a little bit better, have been doing more hiking than sitting these days and seems to be helping. Hardest thing I find to do is just sitting down. I can hike 20km with no pain but can't sit for 5 mins, very frustrating! Just doing the motions with the NHS physio at the moment . Hope it resolves soon!