L5-S1 disc injury and rowing

[beechbone]

I used my rower for cardio conditioning for offroad dirtbike races and it worked EXCELLENT!! I'd do 30 minutes of intense rowing 3 to 4 times a week and that was all I needed to finish strong in 3 hour endurance races. About a year ago I ruptured my L5-S1 disc from a lifetime of heavy lifting and am currently on the tail end of mending. With physical therapy and core training I have gotten myself back to being painfree, granted I don't lift heavy objects anymore. For whatever reason, racing the dirtbike has never irritated my back, even through the nastiest of conditions.
My question is "should I stay away from the rower or could it possibly be OK for my condition?" My physical therapist did not like the idea but my back specialist said if it doesnt hurt than it should be OK. I don't want to weaken it over time with rowing and then end up throwing my back out again, taking several months to recover. Any one else dealing with this situation or have any insight? I love my rower and want to start training again but don't want to risk re-injuring my disc.
Thanks!

[beechbone]

I ended up contacting my spine Dr. that gave me my original MRI and diagnosis. He told me to go ahead and row but start slowly and if I develop any pain to stop and contact him. I'm defintiely a bit nervous to attempt it again but my sport demands conditioning and I don't like to run or ride bikes, I want to row!! I will prolly start with 10 minute intervals for awhile and see how I feel. My days of 7400 meters in 30 minutes may be over but anything is better than nothing.

[bisqeet]

Same. L5/S1. I found that I was in a downward spiral. Too much pain to train. No train, more pain during normal daily activities. I had a lot of physio, that I could start trying. Now I try and do something everyday. To be honest, I'm a little wary on getting older and not being able to train and hitting that spiral again. One of the main physio sessions I did Wass ballroom dancing...as a non dancer my wife was happy. To be honest I was amazed at the results. 10 minutes salsa whilst cleaning my teeth in the morning increases the core muscles ☺

[bonefixer]

I've had the same disc prolapse. I row lots. I'm an orthopaedic surgeon with sub-specialty training in spinal disorders.

My advice to my patients in general is that rowing, if done with correct technique, is good for them. Disc prolapses usually sort themselves out, and a scan showing a degenerate disc at L5/S1 is so common to be considered normal from around the age of 30 or so. You may as well scan people to find out if they're going bald, or have grey hair or wrinkled skin.

A couple of years ago I met a doc who was involved in the GB Olympic rowing team, and learned that they all get back pain, which may worsen when they stop training!

(Usual disclaimer - do not take this general comment as specific medical advice, always check with your own doctor if in doubt etc.)

[Balkan boy]

I've had the same disc prolapse. I row lots. I'm an orthopaedic surgeon with sub-specialty training in spinal disorders.

My advice to my patients in general is that rowing, if done with correct technique, is good for them. Disc prolapses usually sort themselves out, and a scan showing a degenerate disc at L5/S1 is so common to be considered normal from around the age of 30 or so. You may as well scan people to find out if they're going bald, or have grey hair or wrinkled skin.

A couple of years ago I met a doc who was involved in the GB Olympic rowing team, and learned that they all get back pain, which may worsen when they stop training!

(Usual disclaimer - do not take this general comment as specific medical advice, always check with your own doctor if in doubt etc.)

Hey Doc,
I have a friend who's suffering from discus hernia. She's a 30 year old women. She is currently improving after months of pain and physical therapy. I was wondering if I should suggest rowing to her. What sort of training is good in the beginning? High or low drag factor? Any opinions on exercising on the SkiErg with this condition?

Cheers.

[Flokie]

Dusting off this topic. I found this post on a google search. I was a runner (5Ks, nothing too fast or too long) and rower for cross training when I started suffering pain eventually linked to a herniated L5S1. I’m back to light running but don’t love it anymore. I was told rowing would be worse for my back. But if I could choose I’d give up running for rowing more. This post is giving me hope. If I were to try again:

Has anyone used KT tape to help “support” their lower back?

Are padded seats better or worse for lower disc issues?

Thanks in advance!

[Dangerscouse]

My wife had the same back issue but it deteriorated to the point that she had to have replacement disc surgery.

Luckily she had done Pilates for years leading up to the eventual surgery and this has been the difference for her, so much so, she completed a 5k obstacle course race 7 months post surgery, and her consultant commented that she was recovering so quickly due to her pre and post surgery core strength.

I haven't ever found KT tape to be useful but I have also found years of Pilates to be very useful for rowing as I instinctively tense my core when I stroke. I guess KT tape is worth a try as it may work for you.

I think that padded seats are only useful for your glutes and possibly worse for your back as they will slightly elevate your body and change the position of tension. I think that C2 have set the height of the rower from research. I'd keep to the normal seat and endure the pain as you should get used to it eventually.

Best of luck with whatever you do

[jamesg]

Starting to row again after 40 years of desks cured my back pain on day one. Just take it easy, long slow strokes with plenty of recovery time, keeping the back straight: no slump.

Kayak which twists the back can be even better and combined with rowing is guaranteed to keep us alive and kicking for far too long.

[StrengthCoachWill]

KT Tape (and similar products) is at least unsupported by academic research. It is probably mostly placebo effect. However, the placebo effect is still an effect, so if it works for you then it works for you. Based on the current research, I would not recommend it to an athlete, but I would not attempt to prohibit them from wearing it if they chose to on their own.

General research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23306413

Specific to low back pain: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27634093

General overview: https://www.painscience.com/articles/kinesio-taping.php

[Cyclingman1]

It's almost impossible to compare one person's L5-S1 disc herniation with another's. So many variables: age, how many times, percent herniation, other back/disc problems like spondylolisthesis, etc. If one is fairly young [<50], a first timer, and the herniation is not severe, recovery with rest is highly likely and activities, including rowing, can be resumed over time.

I had a right l5 nerve root compression from a bad l5-S1 herniation and had terrible sciatica. I had a microdiscectomy and other assorted clean out. Took months to recover. Course, I had to have the proverbial spinal leak along the way. Now rowing with no pain. Being totally out of commision for about 10 months was a killer. It is taking forever to get back to about 75% of where I was. Ain't complainin. I remember the days in bed staring at the ceiling.

[THEPUNISHER]

I have very recently joined this forum to talk about rowing and whatnot and ended up in this section.
Curiously, I believe I have a problem with my L5-S1.
I have practiced wrestling for a while and worked out for my whole life and have reasons to believe that I might have herniated/protused a disk due to ass to ground squats with a lot of weight.
A month or so ago, I have switched to a strenght training and despite being able to squat with a lot of weight, I ended up with a very unconfortable pain in my lumbar.
Doctor is scheduled for next week.
Still working out a lot but all "spine stressing" exercises have been put to the side (i.e. squat, deadlift)
Hot packs have been my dearest friend.
Pain is kinda gone but... you never know. Let's see what he says.
Might try rowing next week or so.

[THEPUNISHER]

Ressurecting this topic again.
I got a protrusion. Will I ever be able to squat heavy again?

[hjs]

Ressurecting this topic again.
I got a protrusion. Will I ever be able to squat heavy again?

Yes, but you have to be carefull, if you are honoust, you know an injury never comes out of nowhere, there are always signs at forehand. Its difficult but you need to respect does.
Looking at your name, I think it will tough.

I myself have l4/5 backtrouble. Am never painfree, do sq, deadlift and row. And am not getting younger. Do the math.....

[THEPUNISHER]

Yep.
Going to see the doctor again next week.
Thanks, it's not the end of the world!

[left coaster]

A few years before getting my erg I protruded my C 5/6 disc. It's on the other end of the spine, but protrusions have a lot in common. Mine caused a nerve compression across my upper back and into my left arm that caused months of excruciating nerve pain and subsequent muscle atrophy. I had many of the same questions about returning to hard training, but eventually started low and slow and have built the arm back up to be easily as strong and developed as it was before.

My neck requires ongoing maintenance (I decompress it a few times a week and do mobility exercises daily). I discovered that discs (the doc can correct me here) don't have their own blood supply and depend on the mechanical movements of the spine to replenish fluids, repair etc. Decompression creates negative pressure on the disc and I think it helped resolve my rather problematic protrusion i.e. to pull it back off the nerve.

I still don't lift things from the ground with 100% effort -- I think I initially injured it when trying to rescue my heavy dual sport motorcycle from the bush after a rather unremarkable incident where I dropped it and it slid a bit down a bank. I don't ride dual sport anymore either, but I can easily lift a 100lbs box, rock or whatever from a weird position on the ground now so I'm happy with this functional recover. In the last year I also got some free weights and do some dead lifts and snatches (can't do cleans due to elbow unrelated elbow issues) -- these activites, with the relatively light weights, haven't caused me any problems either. All my modest rowing stats were achieved post injury.

All in all, the erg was an excellent tool for rebuilding stability and upper body strength for me. I also just came to like it, especially the brutally honest feedback it provides about my fitness, state of rest and self care etc.