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Old Forum Complicated Imbalance from Spinal Fusion: Need Help!

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Resurrected

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Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I need input from any who have a keen understanding on spine mechanics.  I am fused from T1-L2.

I am serious about alpine skiing and typically ski 50 days per year as I live in Vail.  Every year in late November when the mountain opens, I suffer from severe back pain originating from the iliocostalis and longisimus muscles (spinal erector group).  These muscles cramp, spasm, and generally wipe me out to where I can barely move.  After 2-3 weeks, my body adapts and I ski pain free all season with no issues at all.  This has been going on ever since I had the fusion 15 years ago.  Every season however, it becomes a bit more difficult in the beginning.  I skied 4 runs on easy groomers yesterday, and I can barely move today.

I attached several videos of me.; performing a swing, goblet squat, and get-up with the 32kg.  I also attached a conventional pull with 315 for a triple, a ski video on how I typically ski, and a picture of my spine.

I feel because of the rods in my back, my local posterior stabilizers are severely underdeveloped because they don't need to do there job because my thoracic spine has zero mobility?  Also, my quads are extremely overdeveloped relative to other muscle groups (27").  I am actually a bit insecure about this as people notice this all the time.  My glutes are underdeveloped (can't seem to get them engaged in anything).  Swings, Get-ups, Goblet Squats, Conventional Pulls, Presses, and Snatches give me great relief as I never have pain with these movements.  BB front squats, presses, and back squats kill me.  I stay away from these.  My best lifts are 390 pull, 204 24 kg snatches in 10:00 min, 32 kg press for 5, and 1 get-up per side with 40 kg.

My goal is to go into the season pain free.  At the end of the day, I will be fine because the pain always subsides after a handful of days on the hill.  Local PT's are at a loss.  Any thoughts are welcomed as this is getting worse every year!

 

Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42japmmgWmk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFrVOmQXuLI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQqdHEPOyPY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhE-V2wAaoQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReepA_CwwII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLi5cPlIlpc&feature=youtu.be

 
 
Big chest, Buddha belly.  Hope it helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ym18x-Nl6Q&feature=share&list=PL6EB7C246D0621DFD
 
Thoughts to myself:  "you can stop whining about your 6mm disk bulge now".  Seriously, looking at what you're doing after where you've been is just stunning.  I know you will find the solution to your problem.  Maybe use a ski simulator  for a couple of weeks before the season?
 
Matt-

 

Thanks for the video!  I have seen this.  Also, Matt/Mike your words of encouragement mean a lot.

I had an epiphany yesterday, and thought about my weaknesses and came up with a game plan.  Because my glutes and spinal erectors are weak, and psoas tight, I needed to find exercises that activate them all while sparing my spine.  Walking lunges.  They keep the torso vertical (no shear on spine) the trailing hip flexor gets stretched, the leading leg glute has to extend the hip.

Considering the nature of core musculature and it's affect on spine health, endurance in these muscles seems more important than strength.  SO, with nothing to lose I needed an exercise that would stimulate the erectors at a low frequency for an extended period of time.  The concept II rower.  I have never really used one much, but this makes sense to me (obviously the repeated spine flexion it presents is not ideal).  I rowed 5000 M yesterday at an easy pace after a set of walking lunges 3X15 with double 24's in rack position.  Today the pain is gone and my glutes and erectors are really sore, but a good sore.

Might be on to something.

 

Thanks!
 
Resurrected,

Glad to hear it!  That's an interesting training puzzle you've got.  I think it's a clue that the skiing itself has a training effect and resolves itself.  Let us know how it goes.

Sounds like you came back from an injury.  I'd like to read the story.
 
Matt-

What happened to me was a result of childhood obesity.  Even in the midst of skiing and playing competitive ice hockey, I was 260 pounds by the time I was 12-14 yrs old.  My mother was/is a really bad bulimic and has other mental health disorders and this lead to my brother and I being around really bad food choices in the house, and extremely large meals.  Regardless of the 2 a day hockey practices and skiing, we both were left morbidly obese and sick.

Due to the large moment force created by my 52" waist, I developed Schuermann's Kyphosis  (hunchback) that was misdiagnosed by 3 physicians.  When I was 15, hockey became serious enough that I was setting my sights on Junior A/B and Collegiate, my back pain was intolerable, so I decided to ditch the weight.  I read Dr. Sears Enter the Zone and followed it to the letter combined with running, basic lifting, and other calisthenics and lost 80 pounds in 6 months.  This was in 1996, and the deformity was very pronounced now that I was thin, and the pain hadn't resolved.  I Finally got a diagnosis the fall of 96.  My Dr. told me that I would never ski or play hockey again, and he strongly encouraged the fusion as soon as I graduated High School or be disabled by the time I was 35.  I decided to quit my hockey pursuits and went into an 18 hour spinal fusion in August of 1998.  Although my Dr. strongly discouraged skiing and strength training, I was very convicted on continuing.  I have been a student of the Iron Game ever since my recovery began that took just over 2 years.  It's a good thing I never listened to my doctor.  Barbells, Kettlebells, Skiing and God (couldn't have done it without some divine intervention) saved my life.  The rest has been a fruitful history of living pain free and enjoying the mountain lifestyle.  I have too much to be grateful for as I reflect this Thanksgiving Holiday.  The worst I have experienced is a few weeks every fall when skiing begins, and every now and again I will have a bad week.  Usually once a year in the spring when skiing winds down and my lifting increases.  It's just too bad that so many suffer post spinal fusion surgery.  Doctors by and large condemn sports and heavy lifting after such trauma because who wants the liability of being wrong?  Nobody has the prescription for these patients because no data exists.  Who (post op) is willing to risk their health to try a treatment protocol (strength training)?

This is why we as fitness professionals are at the front line of medical defense.  This is how I look at it anyway.
 
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