Bulging Disc need to change regiment

[trap101]

So I injured my back about a month ago. Doctor told me I have a bulging disc. Did it doing squats....without a belt......never used a belt before that, but boy I've learned my lesson and the importance of belts, smh.

This comes to my question, I've been going to rehab for the past month and change and I've talked with my therapist and he said I could do some light/moderate and supported weight training. So I need a little help/suggestions of what kind of exercises I could/should be doing.

Before I injured myself I was training heavy with the goal of putting on mass, which is still the ultimate objective, but obviously I can't train like that for awhile.....a very long while...sigh. What should I do in terms of diet as well? Should I still maintain the same caloric intake of 3500-4000 cals as I was before? Should I keep my supplement consumption up at the same level?

I know it's a detailed question but being in a position of helplessness sucks. Thanks for your guys help.

[Praetorian]

Did you have an MRI done?
P

[Hosehead]

I did the same thing many years ago and I stopped doing any compression exercises for about 6 months. Also no bent rows. Any direct compression on the spine will only make matters worse. I did light leg press instead of squats, extensions , hamstring curls. For back I just did one arm db rows and chins. Most pressing exercises other than a military press shouldn't be too bad. In the meantime I took up swimming and did a half hour of stretching every day. Also had my chiro do some electrical nerve stimulation (the more it hurt the better it was)once a week. A year later I was back to heavy deads and squats (without a belt). Good luck dude.

[SmallLady]

Hi Trap,

A bulging disc represents early signs of wear and tear on the spine (not surprising with heavy weight-training). They are usually clinically insignificant and asymptomatic unless there are tears in the annular fibers, which is the pain sensitive part of the disc -- that may or may not be what is the source of your pain and while a more indepth understanding of the structures involved would help guide recovery a little better, it really just comes down to this: Your ultimate goal is to strengthen the endurance capacity of your intrinsic spinal muscles which not only hold your spine in the proper position, they tell your brain what position it is in space which allows for adjustments and avoidance of future injury. To that end, you also want to train your kinesthetic awareness of your spine so that you can ensure you are able to hold it in an optimal position during your lifts.

If your are not kinesthetically aware of your neutral spinal position, this is the first thing you should work on before you attempt any exercises requiring axial loading. Start with the standing position and take note of your spine's natural curvatures. Then lift one knee up ensuring that your back position does not change (you should be able to lift your thigh parallel to the floor before your back starts to roll; if not, you have tight gluteus/hamstrings and need to work on your active range of motion in your hip, namely, active flexion). The same goes for arms; you should be able to move them up and down without your spine position changing. Your spine has two jobs; keep you balanced and protect your spinal cord. It should only be adding to your range of motion at the extreme end ranges of movements to get that little extra. I would precede every workout with such kinesthetic exercises to make sure your spine is aware of where it should be.

Once you are aware of your neutral spine position, you now need to train yourself to hold it in various positions. Plank-like exercises great for this. Start with basic holds to time and progress to doing various things with your limbs like arm/leg raises and rotating without twisting the spine. Once you have the strength to maintain your spine posture, then you can attempt low-load lifts while keeping the spine posture. I would recommend not using the belt at first to train your back to hold itself. Once you progress up to very heavy weights, then use the belt for a little extra.

I know that was long, but hopefully that helps you understand back injuries a little better. This would be a part of a complete low back treatment plan and would be progressed accordingly in conjunction with pain management, healing exceleration and return to activities of daily living.

Cheers,
SmallLady

[TT Eric]

Yes I agree, you should check with a specialist if you are tight somewhere. A lot of men are tight in the hip flexors, this make extra pressure on the lower back. Some are pretty tight to the quadratus lumborum too, if both are tight (like many men) it's even harder on the lower back. A good chiro or a few simple tests with a good trainer would help to clear that.

Eric

[trap101]

@Praetorian I didn't have an MRI done, but it was evaluated between my doctor initially and the physio therapist that has been treating me. It definitely wasn't tightness there were the sharp pains running down the leg initially. But I've been doing physio for about a month now.

@SmallLady thanks for the explanation. Funny thing is that evrything that you mentioned are the things that my physio has been doing with me whenever I go in for an appointment but I never fully understood the reason behind the different body movements he was making me do, now it's a bit clearer even though I'm not a chiro I get the jist of what was explained. I've been doing lots of stretches and some plank and sloppy push-ups as of now and the pain is going down.

I just didn't have too much of an idea of what kind of exercises I could attempt to do even with a light load when I get there and the ones I couldn't do. So it sounds like there's going to be a lot of use of the machines with stretching, while avoiding compression type exercises.

Should I tweak my diet as well?, I've already got a fast metabolism as it is and it's hard for me to gain...........This blows.

[SmallLady]

Hi again!

The simple answer is to do the ones that do not cause you pain or exacerbate your condition. You may even be able to tolerate exercises with axial loading, depending on your low back's state of healing and conditioning. Your physiotherapist can help you determine that. Gradually returning to your regular routine is a huge part of the healing process so you want to be on top of that.

As for diet, I would think that it should be adjusted to at least maintenence levels. I think no matter how you eat, your muscles will adapt to the stimulus you give it.

[Praetorian]

I would suggest an MRI if you want a true diagnosis...the pain down the leg is usually from the sciatic nerve and can affect the foot and calf muscle. Also not sure where you are located but I would look for a good chiro who has experience working with high level athletes...regular physio is fine but its the tip of the iceberg.
P

[cog]

For strengthening the abdominal wall wouldn't more than just planks be prescribed Prae?

[trap101]

Funny @Praetorian that was going to be my next question. Anybody know of any good Chiropractors? I'm in Toronto.