Kettlebell Fixing the lower back with the swing

[Ricky01]

Hey guys

After suffering from a herniated disc on two separate occasions (the second being a lot worse than the first) I have spent a lot of time being careful with my training and focusing on mobility/flexibility. AS well as doing lots of reverse hypers daily.

I have been using a gironda 8x8 inspired routine for a while and recently switched to his fullbody (but twice a week) routine.

I was guilty of a squat swing in the past which wouldn't help my back. I thought squatting would keep the pressure off my back. Should a hinge swing done correctly actually go a long way to strengthening my back and helping my problem (even though a hinge swing should keep pressure off my lower back)?? If so, S&S might be for me.

Thanks

Richard

 

[Steve Freides]

Ricky, in my experience, some bad backs like some exercises but not everything works for everyone. For me, the deadlift worked much better than the swing, and I was unable to do any hypers/reverse_hypers. Proceed with caution, and get the advice of a local SFG.

And before you start anything, make sure you have your ducks in a row - have a physical exam, get an FMS done and know your score - and ask if swings might be OK for you based on those scores.

-S-

 

[Christa]

FWIW, I'm new to KB training, but I am a chiro. Full disclaimer, I am not offering you any specific advice because I do not know you, nor have I examined you in anyway. However, I have observed that most of my patients with chronic low back issues have atrophy and/or poor activation of the gluts. This leads to compensation by the lumbar paraspinals, which are significantly smaller than the gluts- they weren't designed to be 'prime movers.' Spasm of these muscles can hyperextend the lumbar spine, irritating a herniated disc. Lumbar discs almost always herniate posteriorly, and since this is where the nerve roots exit, these can cause significant pain and/or nerve compromise. There was an interesting study done though were 100 back pain-free individuals were given lumbar MRIs. Almost 2/3rds of them were found to have 'bulging discs' and something like 30% had herniated discs. Again, none of them had had back pain. Granted, the sample size was relatively small, but this study suggests that we can't always assume that a herniated disc is the definitive pain generator in mechanical low back pain cases. I suspect that the difference in pain associated with this condition comes down to strength and the adaptive biomechanics of the individual, both of which are trainable/adaptable. From what I can tell of the swing, if performed properly, it does appear to address this glut weakness, which theoretically, relieves the need for compensation of extension and forward-movement generating force by the paraspinals and hip flexors, respectively. (When the gluts don't fire sufficiently in gait during 'toe off' to generate forward momentum, a common compensation is to use the hip flexors to 'swing' the leg forward, resulting in a 'controlled fall' with each step.) Of course, the main assumption here is that this is the cause of your back issue. Again without a physical examination, a FMS or any of that, we can't know that that is indeed the case. So basically what Steve said- get examined, get a FMS and work with a certified SFG to make sure your form is impeccable.

 

[Zach Ganska]

Ricky- I "fixed" my back post L2 herniation with Deadlifts and yoga practices. I say "fixed" as I created a lot of compensations and loss of mobility along the way which I've now been rectifying the past two years.

The FMS and working with an SFG will be the most efficient and safest way to progress, have you looked in your area yet? It's awesome you're training to strengthen your back and protect yourself in the future,you made no mention of any anterior chain work however. If the pelvic floor isn't working properly, if your trunk, and especially the anterior chain aren't reflexively contracting as needed you will continue to aggravate the lumbar spine from excessive flexion as you fatigue.

A swing wouldn't be the place to start until your movement quality is better and confirmed, start with a DeadLift once your technique has been assessed and confirmed by a professional. If there are no FMS practitioners in your area email me @ zganska@me.com and I will see what resources I can direct you towards.

Well done facing this obstacle and learning from it!