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Old Forum Help! Back injury!

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Bamicus

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I've been doing S&S for over a year and just acquired a bulging disc in my back! I've had this before but never at this place in my training. I'm doing swings and get-ups w/ a 32 kilo at 60 yrs old. I do have problems with my hips from time to time. Any thoughts? Thanks
 
Rick
Where are you located?

This is not something where I would want "on-line" help but a local professional is a good idea.

Brett
 
second what brett said, impossible to perform proper physical exam and diagnosis/treatment online
 
Hi Brett, I'm in Nashville, Tn. I've seen a few doctors and the usual response is well don't do that! I had an fms screening a few years ago with no blaring issues.
 
Hi Rick,
Do you know exactly at what level you have a bulging disc ?, ( cervical, thoracic or lumbar ), the treatment is not the same
Do you know if you have a nerve pinched by the disc ?
They are so many reasons of this musculoskeletal disorder that is not possible to say if your training is responsible ( I don't think so ),of your condition, but it is not recomanded to lift at all as long as you don't know exactly what is the vertebrae involve.
In my opinion, an MRI is the very first thing to do and you will be orientated for an appropriate treatment. I know very well the price of an MRI in Australia, very expensive, but I also know that this kind of injury can lead to a paralysy of a side of your body if not treated as soon as possible, in case of nerve impingement.
Let us know what is going on.
 
Hi Christine, thanks for the advice. It's in the lumbar and very little nerve impingement. No sciatica, although sometimes it radiates in the psoas. More than anything, it's an inconvenience because training is completely halted. Although I stretch, I have tight hips from traveling often.
 
Rick, you're in Iron Tamer and Master SFG, David Whitley's town - 'nuff said.

-S-
 
Rick, see a doc ASAP, find out what to do and what to avoid, and let us know.

Power and health to you!
 
your best hope is finding a good orthopedist/PT combination or a good evidence based chiropractor. If your problem is truly musculoskeletal and not visceral, then it is not the specialty of the general run of the mill family medicine doctor. A good orthopedist will not pull the trigger on an early MRI and will hopefully know a good PT who is very good with orthopedics, manual therapy and functional movement (if you live in a state that can see a PT without a scrip from an MD then you could go straight to the PT). Usually for true musculoskeletal orthopedic issues the gold standard is a trial of conservative care (aka soft tissue work, rehabilitation, manipulation, etc), not an MRI. You need a health professional who specializes in this and can provide a solid orthopedic physical exam and treatment plan, etc. Good luck
 
Good news Rick,
It seems for me, that you can have this injury traited with " nerves sleeves " injections of cortisone, if your statement is right.
Theses injections are generally done by a radiologist under MRI or a pain management specialist and results are very good. You will have to stay out of training for around a month and you will have to follow the guidelines of an exercise physiologist for your training.
As mention above, it is not " safe " to give any advice in matter of training online and best to see asap a specialist.
All the best !
 
Did you have a check of your " lumbar vertebrae and disc ".
And, of course, sitting position is not helping.
Same, an exercise physiologist will give you a specific stretching program, after your treatment.
 
@ Richard : the first thing that an orthopedist is doing is to make a referral for an RMI, and after, he will be able to give a treatment, well, I don't know if things are the same in USA, as I am European.
 
Christine the newest research and gold standard of care at least in the USA is to not pull the trigger on early MRI unless there are certain red flags associated with a patients spine condition. I am well aware there are many orthopedists who are still jumping on early MRI for a variety of reasons, some of them financial, others due to tradition. Early MRI is a fasttrack to back surgery, and the research is finding that 98% of back surgeries do not have any better outcomes than conservative management at 5 years post op. I cannot speak for Europe, however. Any orthopedist who disagrees with this at least in the USA is not taking his literature very seriously.
 
@ Richard : at what stage of a spinal musculosketal disorder an MRI is prescribed ? It seems for me that to see what is going on can prevent a surgery, and not the opposite. I studied in Europe and lived in Australia, same I cannot speak for USA, but it is interesting, do you have any link of theses newest research ?
Thank you
 
Think twice before allowing cortisone to be injected. I tends to cause weakening/degeneration of local connective tissue that can in turn cause catastrophic injury later. If any doc wants to do anything invasive i.e. injections, surgery... get second opinion as conservative treatment should always be 1st option until it has given you everything possible.

Definitely see a doctor for this ASAP.
 
Geoffrey and everyone,
Relax a bit on the cortisone injection fear -
first most injections now are not cortisone but rather a water soluble cortico-steriod second - the weakening/degeneration of tissues is typically seen in multiple injections of cortisone within a shorter time frame
A cortisone injection when needed can be just fine.

Rick,
check here: SFMA Therapist
For the certification box select SFMA
for the location (says postal code) type in Nashville

There are several in your area
 
I am skeptical of any injection of systemically active drug. Just did search for corticosteriod second and cortico-steriod second (with and without the hyphen) and came up with nothing other than the usual on corticosteroids. I would be interested in any long term research you can point me to on efficacy and potential side effects.

One crucial point to remember about side effects, if it is one in 10,000 risk of occurrence, that seems very small. But if you just happen to be that "one" in the ten thousand, consider carefully if that particular side effect would be an acceptable outcome.
 
@ christine:
Failure of at most 6 weeks conservative management especially with worsening neurological deficits (muscle wasting, worsening of muscle strength/paresthesia, deep tendon reflexes), loss of bowel and bladder function to name a few. Conservative approaches such as SFMA before MRI are overwhelmingly more cost effective because many people with neurological symptoms will improve and not need MRI. Sorry if I caused a stir.
Gotta go now but I can find you the studies in the next couple of days :)
 
Geoffrey
I think the Mayo Clinic is a good resource:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cortisone-shots/basics/definition/prc-20014455

And an interesting article:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/do-cortisone-shots-actually-make-things-worse/

Please note the concern in this article is for its effect on tendonopathies with very little mention of any other concerns

It is a decision for the Doctor and the patient to make but when needed it can be an essential piece of the puzzle

BTW - Aspirin has a side effect rate of about 1% occurrence for a wide variety of side effects yet 10,000 tons are taken on a regular basis....in the US alone

Again it is a conversation for your Doctor etc...
 
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