Herniated discs

[gorow9]

Hello all,

It has been years since I've posted on this forum, and now that I need injury advice, I return... I hope you will be gracious with advice!

I've always had some back problems, but this year, I started having pain in my "hamstrings." The spring season I was unable to even squat the bar, my body just wouldn't let me. I also couldn't drive my car well (it's stick). My trainers at school had me stretching my hamstrings, graston technique, ART etc. to no avail.

I went home this summer where an excellent strength coach said it was probably a disc problem. The leg pain has only been getting worse and the past three weeks I have had a lot of trouble even standing. My MRI showed L3L4 was herniated and L5S1 and a buldge at L4L5. I've developed mild levosculiosis (as a result of not being able to stand straight) and I have spondylosis in the lumbar vertebrae. (The spondylosis is causing the sciatic pain, to my understanding, anyway).

My goal is to get back on the water as soon as I can safely do that. I would love to be training and competing as soon as possible. It's been three weeks of PT and muscle relaxers, traction etc. and has only gotten worse (more leg pain from sciatica, some numbness etc.) My Dr. doesn't have much to say, but can't seem to fathom that I usually work out for at least four hours a day. I will see surgeons, but I hope not to have surgery. (I row D1, it is a lot of training and I just can't get that out of shape!)

I've been swimming and doing core, sl squats and upper body exercises with a strength trainer who has an athletic training background as well as personal experience with herniated discs. I have found this helpful, but I still hurt a lot.

Anyone with experience? Knowlege? I would appreciate it! I am willing to push through pain, but I have finally come to the realization that my future is more important than my senior year. Advice is welcomed! Thanks!

A Rower.

[mccartjt]

Hi Gorow,

I don't want to labor a point here, but I injured my L5/S1 disc on the 23rd of May last year. On the 23rd of September I got an ESI (epidural spinal injection) from Dr Centeno @ Regenexx Clinic, website the http://www.regenexx.com. There's loads of information on that website, to help you understand what is going on. Some of the procedures are not covered yet by insurance but it depends on what you together decide that you need to get done. Its taken about 6-8 months to get this far but I am almost ready to get back onto my C2-Erg.

Dr Centeno, has the ability to draw your own stem cells and grow them to larger quantities in his lab. Then, three weeks later he re-injects them back into your damaged joint. This then helps the disc recover and reduce the inflammation/bulging/herniation that causes everyone so much grief and pain. Understand that the injuries you have described here sound like a lot of time off rowing IMHO, but its your body. You will feel the pain. I can share with you that my back now versus a year ago is like night and day in terms of pain relief.

Good luck to you with what ever you decide to do

JM

[Rockin Roland]

Its taken about 6-8 months to get this far but I am almost ready to get back onto my C2-Erg.

JM

Are you mad.
There are many forms of exercise that are kind to your back but rowing on a C2 erg is certainly not one of them.

[aharmer]

I had a severely herniated L5 about two years ago and have no issues whatsoever with erging.

[nchasan]

I may be able to help...I recently released and iPhone App called Pain Free Back...it's a guided discovery that walks you through the diagnostics and provides you a particular exercise program that gets modified as you improve. The free version offers a core program that we use in our office. You can also read my blog at www.srcpt.com/blog where I have blogged about and taken many questions from people with back pain. I also blog about back pain at www.smarthealthsoftware.com ...hope this helps

Neil

[cpt.gabriel]

I was also diagnosticed with two herniated discs in cervical and lumbar area. I had no problems in rowing with the cervical bulging disc but in lumbar area I have some pain when i'm rowing. I'm training on my c2 erg since three years ago and I'm very please of my results so I don't want to replace my erg training with something. I talk to a neurology surgeon and he took me that is it no hope for rowing but also no need for surgical procedure . I'm thinking to stop for moment rowing exercise and make some push up, partial sit up and back extensions in order to strenght my core. If any of you experienced this i will be glad to hear about recovery treatment .

[The Blacksmith]

I've had back problems for 20 years or so. Finally had the s1 l7 disc removed. I've done all the kinds of physical therapy over the years. The only one to really help was an osteopathic physical therapist. Maybe check if you can find one in your area. I had the disc remove as it finally herniated so badly that it pinched my sciatic nerve and I started to lose felling up to my knee. Fast forward 10 years-I bought a rower last March and really started training, and now have very little back pain. Good Luck!
Mark

[djh]

I talk to a neurology surgeon and he took me that is it no hope for rowing but also no need for surgical procedure . I'm thinking to stop for moment rowing exercise and make some push up, partial sit up and back extensions in order to strenght my core. If any of you experienced this i will be glad to hear about recovery treatment .

I'm no back doctor, but I think very gentle rowing has a place together with the other exercises you mentioned. Make sure the push-ups are also done in a very gentle manner. I'd bend at the knees, as I find push-ups can be hard on the back. (We used to call them "girl" push-ups...) Don't do too much of any single exercise, and don't push it too hard until you're much more confident with the strength of your back.

[Cyclingman1]

It has been a while since this topic was posted to. I would like to shift the focus a bit.

It is said over and over that rowing can be tough on backs. In fact, that is the #1 injury from rowing, especially the lower back. But what is generally missing is a good discussion of exactly phase of the rowing stroke puts the back in the most vulnerable position.

Presumably "correct" rowing minimizes the chances for injury. But that is only partially helpful advice. Obviously, the back is a huge component of rowing.

When rowing fast, it is tempting to bounce forward during the catch phase to get the longest possible stroke. And then during the drive phase it is tempting to pull back as far as possible with the back. Which of those situations is considered to be worst for back injuries. I suspect the bounce forward would be worst case.

I also suspect that younger rowers, even very good ones, get away with imperfect stroke techniques in the interest of best possible times. Injuries are a distant concern. Older people coming to rowing with perhaps discs already somewhat compressed I would think could be far closer to injury than they could know.

Thanks for any insight or directions to knowledgable info.

[kayakr]

Several things seem potentially troubling to the back:
- slamming into the catch which can cause an eccentric lengthening ("negative") on the muscles under load
- jerking at the catch as slack in the driveline or low body velocity connects with the resistance
- unweighting and then weighting of the body on the seat during the drive
- excessive layback and jerking at the finish, which can engage the psoas to vertically compress the spine.
-- e.g. old school situps hurt the back more than crunches.
- fast increases in training load or volume
- lack of rest, recovery and periodization (as in seasonal breaks in intensity)

Listening to the body, avoiding excessive ranges of motion, focusing on technique first and not overtraining all make sense for peak performance in the long term IMO.

Folks with back problems should also check out information on treating the complete joint, muscle and mind *system* such as the books "Somatics" and "Pain Free". Trigger points, postures and muscle spasm can drive syndromes that refer or induce pain such as achilles tendinitis, chondromalacia, carpal tunnel, neck and back which are often treated as a point problem. After experience with all of the above, I'm now trained to consider "it's the muscles and biomechanics, stupid" as my default starting point.

YMMV.