Lower back disc pain

Boydo90

FNG
Joined
Feb 5, 2022
Messages
17
About 2 times a year I get disc pain in my lower back that makes enjoying life pretty tough. This last time was the result of throwing my pack on my back with only about 35 lbs. Not sure what happened but it immediately started hurting and the next day I couldnt bend over to tie my boots. With time, it gets better but never seems to go away completely. It seems like whenever I hurt my back it takes less and less to throw it out. Im 31 years old, work out 3-4 times a week and am not at all overweight. I have struggled with back pain my whole life. Anyone on here have similar issues or have suggestions on how to prevent this type of injury?
 
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
1,566
Location
Buffalo, NY
I am in almost the same exact situation, with the exception of not working out nearly as much haha. But I'm early 30s, and pretty tall and have had issues most of my life. Ever since we started having kids three years ago my flair ups got more frequent and intense.

I've tried chiropractors but it never seemed to help. I finally got an MRi and they saw what looked like an old fracture in one of my vertebrae. I always seem to have a base level of pain on an average day but usually it's not even noticable, just like kicking the rust off in the morning.

I've had some improvements though by spending more time stretching, with a focus on my low back, hamstrings, and hips. I also try to focus a lot more on my core. I've all but completely stopped lifting weights. When I have the time and my backs in good shape I like to do yoga. When I'm going about my day doing mundane tasks I try to be extremely conscious about engaging my core, even just for really basic tasks. Being a taller person, doing things like hovering over a sink or changing table, lifting my kids out of a crib etc, they start adding up over time. Usually when I get a bad flare up it's when I'm doing something really simple, no heavy weights or lifting.

I wouldn't consider myself an expert and am definitely still navigating my own issues. But these things have helped me.
 
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Messages
360
About 2 times a year I get disc pain in my lower back that makes enjoying life pretty tough. This last time was the result of throwing my pack on my back with only about 35 lbs. Not sure what happened but it immediately started hurting and the next day I couldnt bend over to tie my boots. With time, it gets better but never seems to go away completely. It seems like whenever I hurt my back it takes less and less to throw it out. Im 31 years old, work out 3-4 times a week and am not at all overweight. I have struggled with back pain my whole life. Anyone on here have similar issues or have suggestions on how to prevent this type of injury?
Exercise, good stretching, good chiropractor, good massage and plenty of sex which is always good for back.
 

Jr4

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 26, 2022
Messages
157
Find a place with a decompression machine, game changer for me, I’ve had back problems for 25 years finally had enough, decompression helped
 

Firestone

WKR
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
598
Location
Northwest Montana
I had similar issues, turned out to be a bilateral pars defect in my L5s1. Have been living with constant back pain ever since. Really sucks. Hope you get it figured out
 

C.payne

WKR
Joined
Feb 13, 2020
Messages
315
Location
BC Canada
I have had lots of lower back issues since I was really young. Like has been said here a few times already, stretching is key especially the hips. Any time I have flare ups stretching my glutes and hips always calms things down. Also focusing on a strong core.
 

blackdog of vt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
271
Location
South Carolina
I've delt with that from about 12 years old, so 25+ years, do to ankylosing spondylitis. L-3,4,5 shattered in my late 20's so I was at the point that I couldn't walk and had little to no feeling in my left leg. After surgery and every other treatment you can imagine I recommend agmatine to everybody that has disk/nerve/lumbar pain. It's well researched documented and tested. I'm never going to be without it and it's wicked cheap in bulk. It's no magic cure or takes place of proper workouts and stretching but to effective not to use as it helps with pain with any side effects.
 

grfox92

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2017
Messages
2,394
Location
NW WY
Buy an inversion table I bet you could find a used on on Facebook market place right now. I suffered with chronic back pain for 8 straight years. Inversion table for a week and it was gone.

Maintain with good stretching routine.

It's all about putting space between those discs and the pain will subside.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 

TxxAgg

WKR
Joined
Dec 27, 2019
Messages
1,999
Stretch those hamstrings

Avoid twisting motions

Work on core strength
 
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
1,228
Vitamin C for cartilage (outside of discs). Resveratrol for disc gel (inside of discs).


Physical therapy to get you started on rehabbing core muscles.

If you have a desk job, try to figure out something besides sitting.
 

bwidrick

FNG
Joined
Nov 29, 2020
Messages
91
Location
Columbia, PA
I've had back issues since a kid on the farm. Now 52...it doesn't get any better! As others have said, core strength and stretching are crucial.

Posture is key as well, not just while sitting but while working as well. I've caused some real issues by bending or hunching over for periods while working on something. I've learned that I need to take the time to set up work at an appropriate height to limit bending & twisting at the waist. Keep the spine straight to limit pinching & irritating those discs.
 
Joined
Jan 27, 2022
Messages
849
The only thing I will add to the above is that you should probably have an MRI done. If it is a bulged disc, then increasing core strength and spinal decompression can help and even cure it.

If the disc is ruptured, there is no healing it. The only way to fix that is surgery. If it isn't too bad, then orthoscopic surgery can clean it up. I had that done in 2005 and was back at work in a week.
Unfortunately, for me, it didn't end there. I ended up having fusion surgery in late 2009. It was the best thing I have done. Lived with pain for years until I finally had it fixed. Now that being said, I did not have the rod and screw fix (posterior). I went with the anterior (through the stomach). It is a bit more invasive as they have to move your guts out of the way, but they don't have to cut any muscle (they go right between your ab muscles) and they don't have to work around your spinal column (which sits behind the disc). Just a small plastic disc that is screwed in with a bone graft. I was up and walking the evening of my surgery, out of the hospital in 3 days and back at work in 2 weeks (office duty only).

I know a lot of people will try to talk you out of surgery, but today's procedures are very good. Artificial disc replacement is something new now that may be an option as well.
 

3325

WKR
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
325
OP,

It sounds like you are in the back club. Know that once you are in the back club, you’re in the back club. There will never again come a day in your life when you’re not in the back club. It becomes about choices and management.

I had my discectomy in 2002 when I was 36. Before the surgery, the sciatic pain was so bad all I could do was lay on the floor with my feet up. Physical therapy, stretching, and injections had no effect. Surgery gave me my life back.

Almost 20 years later, I can usually do an amazing amount of activity for a 55 yo man. But I also choose to avoid certain things - I do hill sprints and stair sprints instead of barbell squats, trap bar lifts instead of barbell deadlifts, etc. I can still do a hard ruck but I need to be smart about it. And my warm up is as important as my workout.

Your choices will be specific to you. But you may (or may not) need to give up on certain cherished ideas, i.e., need to squat 315 for 5, or pull 495 off the floor for a single, etc.
 
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Button

WKR
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
391
Location
Tx
I herniated L5-S1. It was bulging out enough that surgery was required. Every now and then it hurts for a few days at a time. However it’s not near the pain level before surgery. Take care of your back sooner than later and think before doing any heavy lifting especially in awkward positions.
 
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