Conquering the Enemies of the Spine

Allen Yeh · 02-09-2007, 03:51 AM

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=B26F844A32DC696DFDDC6D3B6E 2E65D7.hydra?id=1444035

New T-nation article about low back pain.

I thought it was pretty interesting and while I don't think I have spondylolisthesis a lot of the things she described I do get also and never really thought about investigating. Having to stand in the same position for more than a few minutes tightens my back up, and driving sometimes even as short as 30 minutes can make my lower back feel horrible. I've never been in a car wreck or had something horrible happen to my back in which I would attribute all of this to. My Dad has lower back problems also but I always attributed it to him pulling something rather than possibly something hereditary.

While I'm not going to ditch all exercises that load the spine right now it's definitely something I might try a little later on after I finish all the stuff in The New Rules of Lifting. For now I'll get by with all the decompression techniques they illustrate in the article.

Jeremy Jones · 02-16-2007, 04:30 PM

I am suffering from some serious low back pain right now. After one doctor visit I was given muscle relaxers and a "DO NOTHING" order (which I had already started). One thing that has persisted is that my back starts hurting within 10 minutes of sitting down, but it feels great after exercise. Back in Dec I kept thinking it was going to get better for this reason. . . It never did, only worse. I had been operating at very low capacity for 6 weeks or so before finally seeing and MD.

It has been two weeks of little to no exercise. I have finished the M.R. "Baclofen" and am starting to feel better. I will definitely be incorporating some of this stuff into my daily routine. I hope it works.

Yael Grauer · 02-20-2007, 07:43 PM

Interesting article. My chiropractor told me to stop doing all of my favorite core exercises (situps, V-ups, leg lifts, lying hip swings, stiff-legged deadlifts, windshield wipers, etc.) and replaced them with dumb exercises... He hasn't told me not to squat or push press though! He did say no GHD situps or reverse hypers, but I'm not convinced...wouldn't you want to build more back strength? I decided to ease up on them for now, but not forever.

True to the article, he also told me prolonged sitting is out. I'm supposed to walk around every half hour. That's not really realistic at work, but I can certainly stand up every half hour.

My new Nike Frees are amazing. I don't think I've ever spent $85 on shoes before, but these are totally worth it.

Jeremy, I hope your back heals quick!!

Allen Yeh · 02-21-2007, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

Interesting article. My chiropractor told me to stop doing all of my favorite core exercises (situps, V-ups, leg lifts, lying hip swings, stiff-legged deadlifts, windshield wipers, etc.) and replaced them with dumb exercises... He hasn't told me not to squat or push press though! He did say no GHD situps or reverse hypers, but I'm not convinced...wouldn't you want to build more back strength? I decided to ease up on them for now, but not forever.

True to the article, he also told me prolonged sitting is out. I'm supposed to walk around every half hour. That's not really realistic at work, but I can certainly stand up every half hour.

My new Nike Frees are amazing. I don't think I've ever spent $85 on shoes before, but these are totally worth it.

Jeremy, I hope your back heals quick!!

I've been trying to do some of the things they recommend in the article to "decompress" the spine. I haven't stopped all my exercises such as deadlifting, squatting...etc I'll wait until I finish my current program and try something that has little direct spinal loading.

Jeremy,
All exercise helps your back feel better? Still doing a lot of exercises that compress the spine?

Allen Yeh · 02-21-2007, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

My new Nike Frees are amazing. I don't think I've ever spent $85 on shoes before, but these are totally worth it.

Nike Free's rock I've had a pair or 5.0's for the last year and I just got my 7.0's in the mail on Monday. I've tried wearing regular sneakers here and there but they feel heavy and inflexible after the Free's.

Chris Forbis · 02-21-2007, 03:50 AM

How are the 7.0s? I've had a pair of 5.0 trainers for a while now, but they are THIS close to falling apart. Light weight and minimal support does not make for a terribly sturdy shoe, especially when I am doing something besides LSD in them (such as stop and go sprints on a basketball court).

Allen Yeh · 02-21-2007, 04:21 AM

I like them so far, but I haven't taken them into the gym yet, yesterday was a deadlift day so I was in my wrestling shoes. I'll be taking these 7.0 into the gym later today.

Differences found so far between 7.0 trainers and 5.0 trainers:
-It's entirely synthetic, no suedelike material in the shoe so perhaps these will be more durable than the 5.0's?
-The inner "sock of the shoe" isn't as tight as they were in the 5.0's.
-The area where the strap goes across the top of your foot is a little bit tighter than the 5.0's I'm not sure if they made the shoe or if it's due to the materials they used in the construction.

Yael Grauer · 02-21-2007, 10:00 AM

Funny that my chiro didn't make me stop doing squats because he told me not to do anything else.

I'm not convinced about reverse hypers, but I'm going to listen to him for now... Is this just stuff you're supposed to not do for a little while?

I have the 4.0 Flex ones, and they rock. I haven't entirely stopped wearing other shoes, but man, nothing feels the same.

I wonder if people will notice if I'm wearing sandals when I'm supposed to wear heels, for one of my jobs... Haha, okay not really. Danskos or MJ's...they're as cute as heels, almost! Really long skirts that go all the way to the ground so nobody will notice? I know all you guys have the same problem.

Allen Yeh · 02-21-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

Funny that my chiro didn't make me stop doing squats because he told me not to do anything else.

I'm not convinced about reverse hypers, but I'm going to listen to him for now... Is this just stuff you're supposed to not do for a little while?

I have the 4.0 Flex ones, and they rock. I haven't entirely stopped wearing other shoes, but man, nothing feels the same.

I wonder if people will notice if I'm wearing sandals when I'm supposed to wear heels, for one of my jobs... Haha, okay not really. Danskos or MJ's...they're as cute as heels, almost! Really long skirts that go all the way to the ground so nobody will notice? I know all you guys have the same problem.

If I started wearing really long skirts to the ground I think my footwear would be the last thing being commented upon!

Frank Needham · 02-21-2007, 12:29 PM

I have a similar problem called spondylosis but it occurs in the upper spine around the 6/7 area also aggravated by a roll-over crash in 2001. Thought I'd not ever be right enough to work out or be athletic again. When I first started trying to again the pain was intense, even causing me to stop at one time and get rid of my weights. Oddly enough the heavy lifting I do now has been the most beneficial thing I've ever done as far as ridding myself of pain, or at least being mostly pain free. I'll never give up lifting again after my experiences with this sort of stuff.