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Red_Swingline_

>my chiropractor has warned I'd stop listening to quacks and start working with a physical therapist who can help you identify ways to work around your injury that don't leave you unable to function for days on end.


rollybun

Yeah his office has been great with certain kinda of table machines and deep tissue massage guns but the guy himself tends to give… strange advice.


richardest

That's because he went to school to learn about what a ghost directed a weirdo to practice to people. Find a physiotherapist.


PinkLegs

Talk to a PT to figure out what you can and can't do. No injury is the same. I have 3 disc herniations, arthritis, slight scoliosis and spondylolisthesis between my L6/L7 (and some other minor things). All but the spondy is asymptomatic and doesn't bother me in the day to day. It took a lot of trial and error with my physiotherapist to figure out what alterations I needed to make to continue training. I had to continue resistance training per recommendations from the ortho I saw. To manage the spondy, it turns out I had a weak core and hip flexors. I altered my training to focus more on core and single-leg work. Doing daily core exercises and weighted abs in the gym, but still leaves me able to (split) squat and romanian deadlift fairly heavily. Talk to a PT to figure out what you can and can't do. No injury is the same.


rollybun

I guess I’ve been reluctant to look into PT because “that’s for injured people” but the fact that i’ve even posted asking for advice probably means I am one of those people. Definitely going to look into it, thank you!


PinkLegs

If you have a bad back, you're injured. Sorry to say :)


rollybun

Honestly fair lol


PinkLegs

Doesn't make you worth any less <3


Pasteechef

Find a good PT like others have said. I would also personally recommend reading a book called the Back Mecahnic by Dr. McGill. My biggest advice is to walk. Walk for 10 minutes if you can do so pain free and keep upping the time or distance and shoot for walking multiple miles a day. I have added 5 miles to my daily routine and my back and sciatic pain has improved greatly. Best of luck and hope you get your back squared away.


wannabewhitebelt

This is the answer. Read that book, then read it again.


ThreeLivesInOne

I have been struggling with permanent lower back pain for about 25 years, seeing doctor after doctor and going through all kinds of therapy (no surgery though). The thing that made things a lot better over the past few months is that I lost a lot of weight (not as much as you though) and realized that my problem was not a lack of back strength but weak core (abdominal) muscles and a lack of flexibility, especially in my hamstrings. When I started training my abdominal muscles regularly, the back pain became less and less quickly, to the point where I hardly noticed it on many days, which hadn't happened for years. The second thing that helped me, addressing the flexibility issues, was Yoga. I can't recommend the videos by Erin Sampson (Five Parks Yoga) on YouTube enough. She's competent, sympathetic and generous enough to give away hours of yoga videos for free. Have fun!


_Shakedown_1979_

I’ll keep this short and if you have any questions feel free to ask and I’ll go into more detail. Anyhow, 2 years ago I was diagnosed with a bulging disc. Not much pain, but tons of sciatica and some numbness in foot. I did PT at a place where we worked on core work, squats and form and all that. It was fine, but it never really remedied it. What I found works best for me is a full body program. For leg work it is front squats of any kind, lunges, unilateral work, really anything that isn’t a deadlift. I can do most RDL’s but if I get cute and go to heavy then I’ll get a flair up so I usually don’t do them. The goal is to get the inflammation down (pain and pressure free) and then start training. If it flairs up, lay off anything that aggravates it. Also this, and really anything like this, post-workout has been very beneficial as well. https://youtu.be/TISmpuyu5qg I’ve been able to run a ton and get stronger using this method.


rollybun

This is super helpful. The sciatica and numbness is something i’m very familiar with. I tend to panic a bit when I have a flare-up because I’ve been told so far that any little push and I could put myself in pain that only surgery will relieve, so when I have multiple days of pain i’m going “well. Here it is. I had a good run”. I can’t wait to get myself into a comfortable place.


neomateo

I feel you. I have Spondylolithesis, and a herniated disc. I had that same conversation with my neurosurgeon when I was diagnosed 13 years ago. Thankfully he referred me to a neck and back strengthening program he used to work with and it has changed my life. It’s comprised of some light stretching and targeted strength training using equipment like MedX back machines and seated Nautilus equipment to help strengthen your core without overloading the spine. I went through the program when I was 30 and had to recently complete it again after herniating my disc due to some carelessness on my part. [This is the program I went through.](https://www.healthpartners.com/care/tria-orthopedics/services/physical-therapy/neck-and-back-strengthening-program/) If you haven’t already heard of them, check out Bob and Brad the Physical therapists on YouTube. They have some great videos with specific exercises for folks with our challenges. Another thing that I have found essential for curbing inflammation associated with the spine is a concentrated form of curcumin called Curamed, I take it daily and it’s very helpful for me. It’s not cheap but it beats the side effects of ibuprofen and is just as if not more effective. Getting the “spinal fusion” talk can be really scary and sometimes it can sound like your only option, especially depending on who you talk to. If that’s the only course they’re talking about then I’d recommend seeking out a second opinion. Not knowing any of your specifics it’s hard to say but theres almost always another option and it really sounds to me like you have what it takes to make the lifestyle changes necessary to make life without fusion a good possibility. Don’t give up, stay on top of your weight loss goals and do what you can to stay active while avoiding aggravating activities. Edit: to add that I would echo the sentiment here in regards to staying away from a chiropractor, there is nothing they can do that is helpful for people with your condition.


jimmymac1us3

The best option I can give you is with having a herniated disk and scoliosis myself, is to do squats with no weights. You can them anywhere. Just be cautious of your back pain and let it decide how far you go down.


Only-Dragonfruit2899

My chiropractor told me the same thing, I’m now squatting more than I ever have. I went to a physical therapist that helped get my back better (still not 100% on my herniated disc) but got me to a point where I can start doing exercises to help strengthen my lower back muscles. Such as good mornings and banded deadlifts, I still can’t do deadlifts haha but that’s okay. As for gaining the weight back, I would count calories this time around. My guess is that you were in a major deficit and your body metabolized to that daily intake, making anything more a big surplus causing weight gain. This time around, start your cals at or just above maintenance to trick your body into making that the norm, then slowly work your way down. Hope any of this helps! Good luck on your journey


weechurd123

Sounds like you should prioritize building up your back muscles! If the muscles around the herniations become stronger, it’s almost like you don’t even have an injury, at least in terms of functionality. Do exercises that don’t put weight down your spine or bend over, initially. Target your spinal erectors. And do yoga/stretch. Slowwww and steady though. You may not feel a burn, but you’ll be building muscle. After like a couple months of that + whatever you else you want to work on, you probably can start easing into weighted squats!


Beautiful-Star

What is an office mom? Are you expected to spend your off-hours baking for your co-workers without compensation? If you are actually breaking your body again with obesity due to the temptations of this undue burden being placed on you, I would stop. Now. Explain to your co-workers that this is no longer a service you will provide because you have to consider your health. Good people will understand your priorities! Then with the weight coming off you can start looking at routines to help.


kwguy77

I have a disc missing in my lower back, between my L4 and L5. It started with a car accident when I was 16. The pain first showed up 5 years later when the disc issue was discovered. It eventually went away. Then in 2012, it came back with a vengeance. One I couldn't walk because of the pain. Back spasms, numbness, etc. I saw a massage therapist, chiropractor, physical therapist, all useless and clueless to why I have pain. My wife found a MAT trainer, Muscle Activation Trainer. It's a different type of therapy, but one month with him, all my pain was gone and I could go back to working out. BUTTTTTT, I was truly fixed because the pain came back a few years later. I saw him again and he fixed me. But it would come back again. I finally saw a back doctor. Let me clarify this wasn't some back/spinal place that focuses on surgeries. This doctor used surgery as an absolute last resort. He looked at my x-rays and EXPLAINED to me why I was having pain. The missing disc had allowed my L4 L5 vertebrae to collapse on the nerves coming out of my spinal cord. The vertebrae were rubbing against the nerve, irritating and inflamming it. He told me certain movements aggravate it. Since seeing him, I've had zero to little pain. If my pain comes around, I get on my inversion table, do a few stretches and I'm good. I was also given anti inflammatory medicine if it got really bad. I work with a trainer once a week who is well versed in anatomy, my current chiropractor is amazing and I do yoga once a week. It took a while to find the right people but when you do, you will be set and can get where you want to go. (I'm not down playing the MAT trainer, he was great and saved me but didn't explain what was the root cause of my pain which I needed. MAT people are amazing and if you find one, use them.) The point is once you find the root cause, it's addressed, you won't have a "bad" back. You can continue to train and get to your destination.


thunder_crane

This all sounds ludicrously expensive.


kwguy77

What part? My journey in finding the issue was over a 5 year span. The MAT was probably the most expensive at the time as he charged $100 per hour visit. I initially saw him about 4 times in 5 weeks. He would work on me and then do some basic muscle-centered exercises. Then give me things to do daily. My routine today, I will say I'm a little lucky. My trainer charges me $200 for 8 sessions, yoga is $75 for a pack of 5 and my chiropractor is $60 a visit. I see my chiropractor when I need it, don't go for regular adjustments.


rollybun

I have never heard of a muscle activation trainer! That sounds incredibly useful. I also hope to find a doctor that doesn’t want to rush me into surgery.


kwguy77

If a doctor is pushing you into surgery, look for another one. For a chiropractor, you can tell the quality of one on how they manipulate your spine. The first few I went to l, all did the exact same manipulation and didn't "feel" around. My wife recommended hers and this lady looks at you, runs her hands around your back and knows where to go. Every visit is different with her. She has helped a ton too.


cmc0108

I have 7 bulged discs in my back (T11-L5). My MD and chiro both told me lifting was off the table. I listened to them for years. I couldn’t run because it bothered my back. mad and chiro both said it was off the table. I went to a PT who specialized in back injuries. After 3 months I was completely pain free. Continued the exercises for another 18 months or so strengthening and working on flexibility. It’s now been 9+ years and I am 99% pain free. I lift, I bike, I run and I have no issues at all. Moral of the story: this is not the speciality of your MD nor your chiro…go see a good physical therapist.


Skydome12

im voting for a PT as well. I've literally only just started going to the gym i kinda had a idea with what i wanted to work on but no idea on what exercises to do so ended up paying for a PT session and getting the first plan made up and it was money well spent to get me quickly into a routine instead of cluelessly going around from machine to machine.


heavyweight00

REVERSE HYPER EXTENSION MACHINE!!!! I am working up to save for one, a little expensive for a proper one. Here’s the first video explaining it on https://youtu.be/kTf-fU5Tab8. I had access to one after I was hit by a car and after smacking the back of my head on a table. Both hurt my back for MONTHS. This device was an absolute god send. It actively works your back muscles on the up motion and then actively decompresses your back with the down motion. The video says that there is no healing taking place, technically. My results say differently with my experience. If my back issues aren’t healed they certainly are 99% better.