Concept2 Forum

I injured my back. Never went to the doctors because I'm not having back surgery and you can always find a doc ready to do one...

I'm assuming it was a ruptured/herniated disc based off the feel and pain trying to row. Didn't row for three months because any attempt caused greater pain. Long story short, I'm back to rowing 4 days a week (30 minutes) but my times are ridiculously slow (my SS was around 2:10, now it's more like 2:27). Feels great just to row but I'm going REALLY slow. I'm going based on feel and I'm not ready for faster work yet. I tried just a few minutes and it aggravated the back the next day.

I'm not in pain in everyday life, just when I lift (which I'm also not doing for now, but when I say I'm not lifting, I just had a cross country move with a ton of lifting of boxes).

Not looking for sympathy, just others that might have had back injuries that were slower to heal and wanting to hear that they (eventually) were able to get back to their old form. I'm letting the pace come to me, but have to admit, this is incredibly frustrating. Totally having to forget about performance and speed is harder than I ever thought it would be.

Mike, sorry to hear your back is still bothering you. Put things in perspective and appreciate that you are even back on the erg. I suspect this indicates a non-surgical problem which will hopefully continue to improve. Targeted physical therapy along with specific stretching for your back may be beneficial. You may want to consider some physical therapy sessions with a well-regarded therapist in your new area.

As for the erg, don't focus on your speed. Keep the DF low and think of the erg as just another way to keep your fitness up while you heal.

I suppose this is the problem with a health "service" where you have to pay. In the UK even though standard of care, if any, is a postcode lottery and at the whim of the physician, usually you can get to see someone who can diagnose and treat free of charge. Not saying the UK is the best at this at all though.

How long ago was your injury? How did it occur? Where is the pain now? How and when does it present itself and for how long?

I have had several back issues both chronic and acute. I understand your frustration. If I were you I'd cross train...anything aerobic will carry over. Have you thought of doing swimming? Surely that'd be kind to your back?

Thanks Mitchell and Paul. It's middle of the back. I hurt it doing the CTC in January (a SPM of 19, 20' row). Was trying to go sub 20 and didn't watch form. Didn't hurt that day but the next day was obvious that I hurt something. Had a move in March, so I figured I'd just keep relatively fit doing the Air Bike till then, which I've luckily been able to keep up instead of the rowing, so aside from moving for two weeks, I'm in OK aerobic shape, just not rowing specific shape at all. Obviously I was putting way too much "load" on the middle back when was pulling too hard for me to pull! Also, I'm sure I got tired and overcompensated with back, not legs.

Went back to rowing three weeks ago. Been able to gradually build up meters, back to around 25K a week now (from 60K to 70K before). I'm splitting time on the Assault bike and rower.

Yes Paul, it's our US health insurance -- it's terrible. If you do go (and I'm self-employed so I pay 100% of the costs), then they put it down that you have a bad back and increase your premium costs the next year by 30%!! I pay around 20K in Euros now for health insurance per year and hope not to increase that! It's ever so gradually getting better but I'm impatient.

The idea of a PT is a good idea Mitchell. I might consider that. I've also been told by a few that certain stretching routines, which I'm admittedly bad at, can also help speed things up plus keep you relatively pain free.

This is what I started using for my elbow, back, etc. I also sit in a jacuzzi and splurge on massages.

https://www.amazon.com/HealthmateForeve ... pons&psc=1

Mike, good that you are able to get back to some exercise, my story for what it's worth, very bad sciatica 2016/17 and only 200k meters 2018 700k and this season hope to complete 1.5 mill mtrs, I'm luck enough to,own my own rower, so I know it is always there the next day, so what I am saying is that you know what is comfortable and achievable for you, yes it's frustrating but we must look after ourselves, you will return to previous form but it may take time.....good luck

Mike, good that you are able to get back to some exercise, my story for what it's worth, very bad sciatica 2016/17 and only 200k meters 2018 700k and this season hope to complete 1.5 mill mtrs, I'm luck enough to,own my own rower, so I know it is always there the next day, so what I am saying is that you know what is comfortable and achievable for you, yes it's frustrating but we must look after ourselves, you will return to previous form but it may take time.....good luck

Sounds really rough Mike, as well as the medical situation.

I have had major back problems from time to time, mostly before rowing but a few since I began. I found it very tough, and at one time I could barely move for a few weeks.

As for rowing, when I hurt my back last September I tried to rest as much as possible, followed the NHS lower back pain exercises online (e.g. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/l ... exercises/) and only ever rowed at lowest possible DF, and slowly, for a good while.

Hope you are back at it full speed soon.

Minimoof123 wrote: ↑

April 22nd, 2019, 3:45 pm

Mike, good that you are able to get back to some exercise, my story for what it's worth, very bad sciatica 2016/17 and only 200k meters 2018 700k and this season hope to complete 1.5 mill mtrs, I'm luck enough to,own my own rower, so I know it is always there the next day, so what I am saying is that you know what is comfortable and achievable for you, yes it's frustrating but we must look after ourselves, you will return to previous form but it may take time.....good luck

Thanks, I guess that's what I'm looking for is just some confirmation that it does get better. I appreciate it. I've hurt my back before, so this is relatively old hat for me, but never this severe. Hurts double the amount because it was a form issue, very preventable.

Thanks Jimmy -- good to know some a lot you stronger guys were able to come back. I've never been that strong but I'd like to get back 95% of what little I had! That was quite the come back, too, with your performance at the BIRC.

@ Ray - I have one of those! They help with lower back tremendously. This one's an odd one right in the middle of the back and the only thing I've found that helps is this stretching contraption that you lay on. This thing has helped a lot!

https://thenaturalposture.com/products/ ... 5gQAvD_BwE

There is a lot in these forums about herniated discs but I will add my story because it is very similar to yours. I am 51, 165 lbs and injured my back while rowing in January trying to keep up with the cross-fitters for the Rowed Royalty. You can't beat yourself up for bad form, because when you are physically pushing your limit, your muscles fatigue and your form suffers, if you kept your form perfect you would slow down. And that PM can be your worst enemy in that your mind sees what it wants and your body can't stop you. When you get older, a breakdown in form has higher consequences, but its not that you were using bad form to try to get a better time, you were trying to get a time goal and your form started to suffer.

I felt it happen and the next day was extremely painful, but it started to feel better every day. I backed off the rower - as in zero - for a few weeks to let it recover. I went skiing a few times and a few short bike rides, after which it usually felt better. However, after a 7 hour car drive a month later, things went from a manageable tweak to the full on nerve pinching symptoms. I did go to the doctor and had an x-ray and after 2 weeks of Physical therapy an MRI. In both cases, first the x-ray and after the MRI - which confirmed a very obvious, L1-S1 herniated disc, the doctor said that everything looked really good as far as no degenerated discs, bone or alignment issues or random pieces of stuff floating around. He said he sees no reason why this will not heal on its own and a full recovery is possible. However, it could take a lot of time.

It sounds from your degree of pain and ability to get back rowing that you are likely in the same situation, that your back is likely healthy but you have an acute injury that will heal with time. That was both the doctor's and PT's opinion for me. Because I wasn't getting worse, and I could point to specific incidents, that it was going to get better. It has been 11 weeks for me now and the doctor and PT said it could easily be another 6. I can't even sit on a rower, or in a chair for that matter, without pain. But slowly, it is improving.

As far as paying for a doctor and PT -yeah it sucks but that is why we have insurance. My PT was all about finding out what relieved pain. It is basically the Mackenzie methods. (see internet). If the stretch relieved pain - he kept doing it, if it made it worse - STOP. If it didn't do anything - don't bother. And what causes pain one day, may not the next. So keep at it. The only obvious thing that helped me was the traction device while laying on my stomach. That was the only thing that I could say gave immediate and somewhat lasting (hours) relief.

I am encouraged now that week after week I am getting better. I am patient enough to wait this out. My experience from other sports being that, I personally, get back to where I want to be, if i get to zero pain and start to build slowly, rather than continue to work out at tolerable pain levels until I am back to the level I want to be.

So good luck. I hope this gives you a little perspective.

Thanks 7-11, I really shouldn't complain. I've had lower back issues that radiate before (and that sounds like what you have). Honestly, that's a lot more painful than this is. This is more of a dull ache that doesn't radiate. It can be painful, but lower back sciatic pain is the worst and this isn't that at all, luckily.

Yes, that helps a lot. Even if it takes six months to come back, I'll just be patient. It sounds like I'm doing basically that McKensie method now - doing what you can and avoiding what causes pain. It's not bad in daily life at all, just what Iove most -- rowing. I didn't realize it was EarthDay today and I just took out a lemon tree last night with a pick axe and a shovel. I'll have to replant a tree or two to make up for that one. This was no small physical task for a back (this was a pretty large lemon tree) but I did that and not much pain today. But if I try to row hard, yowza! So unfortunately, really only rowing seems to really bother it but that makes sense because the load when you round your back at all.

The good news is I'm using the opportunity to completely revisit my form and make sure it's solid. And, as I said, I'm really fortunate that I can do (and have) the Assault bike with no pain. I guess I could buy a road bike if I can't get over this! But I enjoy the rowing machine most.

Sorry to hear the Tokyrow CTC did you in, Mike. Good news that you’re still active on the rower and that the injury didn’t coincide with the move cross country. Best of luck with whatever therapy you choose.

JackG

Once a bad back, always a bad back. Work with it Mike. Slowly pick up the rowing, it will get better, you will get faster again, but it takes patience. Do alternative stuff for your fitness, only rowing slowly won,t cut it. Cycling or stairmasters could work.
Keep the rowing volume low, the rating relative high and use good technique. You need to get your backmuscle fitter and stronger again.

I had two back surgeries - lower disc (microdisectomy) - I know people want to avoid surgeries but I have been unfortunate to have had several. However. the 2 back ones were really easy surgeries and I was back to doing lifting and other stuff within a few months - this was before I discovered the ERG. Rowing doesn't really seem to ever bother my back - it might get tight here and there but no real pain. So, if you ever do have to have surgery in my experience its not too bad.

Thanks Jack, always value your words of wisdom. I know you've had Carpel Tunnel and some other health setbacks that you've come back strong from and worked through. I admire that in you.

@ Henry/Keith - thanks so much. I appreciate that. Especially with you two being so strong. I know your back has always given you problems Henry. My mid-back was my strongest part until this (I have ongoing neck and lower back issues from a past injury and auto accident - ironically, I'm fine there for now!). I know back surgeries have come light years in the past 10 years. I certainly will consider it if it doesn't get better in the next few months, and I know surgeries are sometimes the only recourse. With being self employed, though, I'd actually go to Europe and spend 1/10th of what I would here in the states. Sad that you can have arthroscopic surgery and two weeks in Europe for a fraction of what it costs here.

My wife had Periformis Release surgery in Belgium around five years ago for $2500 total. The same surgery in the US was 70K to 90K (if you could even find anyone that knew what to do with it). And she went to the guy who was the best in the world. Spent three days in Paris and were lucky enough to see most everything there, including Notre Dame.