UKC

Hi,all. I've been carrying a back injury for about 4 months now. Haven't been able to climb, run, cycle or lift anything (even my 2 year old son) since i acquired the injury. Saw a physio yesterday and she's told me i've got a bulging or herniated disc (lower back). Physio has given me some advice and exercises but i'm interested in people's experiences (runner's and climber's experiences ideally) of this type of injury and recovery times. I want to get back running and climbing again as soon as possible.

Pete

In reply to peetay:
can they really tell that for sure without a MRI?

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Physio seems pretty sure. I've got to go back in 2 weeks for further treatment.

In reply to peetay:

Firstly, yes, they can tell without MRI or Xray. In fact they don't use either, because pretty much everyone over the age of 25 has some degree of disc bulge and you can't tell what's new and what's old on scans. This comes from my cousin who's a physio.
I completely ruptured 2 discs in my back at the start of Oct 2010, with fluid leaking into my spine, and causing me to act as if tasered at random moments (I'd be walking/limping along then feel an electric shock type pain and fall).
I took complete rest (lying flat on a thermarest on the floor most of the time, with very gentle exercise movements). After about 4 days I could walk again, and had a 10 week programme of physio and acupuncture. My cousin said I would not be climbing or skiing that winter, and could probably only do gentle walks. I went back to work after 2 weeks and the management let me work on a car for a few weeks rather than an ambulance so I wouldn't have to lift patients. After any activity, be that work or housework, I'd lie flat on the thermarest dosed up on painkillers for a while.
Anyway... with lots of physio, I went for a walk up Helvellyn in the last weekend of November 2010, carrying a light pack. I was skiing by early January 2011, and winter climbing by late Jan.

My advice would be to take it very easy, accept that if you DO do any activity, you may pay for it in increased recovery time and/or having to rest for ages afterwards (for me it was worth it).

I still have times now where I feel twinges, but nothing like being tasered anymore. I can walk, run and climb, but I can't stand still for very long without pain. I can deal with that - I'd rather be active anyway, but it hurts if I stand in queues for anything for more than 15mins or so.

If you can currently walk without too much pain or collapsing, it sounds as if your injury isn't as bad as the one I had, and hopefully you'll have a better and more complete recovery

In reply to peetay:

2 weeks?! No no no. Intensive physio will get you flexible again and back on the hill. I had 2 x 1hr sessions a week, plus acupuncture, for 10 weeks, starting the week after the injury.

In reply to Caralynr:

Thanks for the reply. Your symptoms sound very similar to mine. I can't stand up or still for more than 30 min without my back (right side) going into spasms. Same if i sit down for too long (30-40 mins again). Spent the first 2 weeks of the injury lying on the floor. Worrying sign is when i cough or sneeze my legs go from underneath me. Unfortunately i've had to wait for an appointment to see the physio and she was booked up for next week although she wanted to see me. If the sessions are too sporadic i'll look into private treatment.

In reply to Caralynr:

Just out of interest Caralynr, how has it affected your running? Can you run distances further than 10 miles without interference? How long did it take you to get back running? Are you in pain after running? Running is my main form of exercise you see.

In reply to peetay:

Don't know about running but I have climbed with a L5/S1 herniation from several years ago. Inactivity is my worst enemy; gotta keep moving. That said running would, for me, be less than ideal.

A position which you could/should adopt when things are in spasm or nerve pain is present is lying on a pilates mat on the floor with your lower legs on a chair in front of you (so thighs are 90 degrees from floor and shins are parallel. 10 -20 minutes of). This, I've found, let's stuff calm down.

Pilates is worth a shot in due course too. Really helped me (the only thing really).

hiya.
i knacked my back at the start of october. i had stiff back on and off for a couple of years, nothing to stop me doing anything. but it got lower and into my arse cheeks, mainly left hand side. got a massage off my girlfriend and woke up next morning with sciatica in left leg.
unable to sit, lie on back and drive to far. but could walk a couple of mile a day.
had physio for 8 sessions, got temporary pain releif mainly after accupuncture.
also had osteopath for about 6 sessions which just aggrevated things.
tried alexnder technique but that seems to me like a thing to aid recovery and prevent in the future.
had a scan which showed what the physio and osteopath thought. bulge on L4/5 'SEVERELY IMPINGING' nerves.
then got hammered on gin over christmas to allow me to sit in a chair for the day, but spewed the next day making symptoms worse.
arsed around with various pain releif, amytryptyline, diclofenac, codine phosphate. but eventually found gabapentin and paracetamol the best combination. that took off the 'electric shock' feelings and allowed me to sleep in bed.
currently propped on elbows most of day waiting for an op beginning of april.

i have also asked a few questions about it on here so try a search of my name.

thanks for listening,
dan.

In reply to peetay:

Running is higher impact than walking or climbing, and it did hurt more. I only run 6-8 miles at a time, so can't comment about longer distances. I just accept now that after exercise I may need to rest, and that I can be in pain even if I don't think I've done much. I'd take it easy, be prepared to do some walk/run intervals etc, but seriously, don't run before you can walk LOL!! I made sure I could walk, drive and do basic household jobs before trying anything more ambitious.
And definitely get better physio than sporadic visits with weeks between them.

In reply to peetay:
I've had ongoing back problems for many years that will clear up and then return.

I have found various exercises I found on the net very usefull and my problems are on the way out again after a very bad patch over xmas with the shooting pains where I very nearly collapsed on the floor a few times.

- the plank (lie on front like a press up but elbows on floor maintain straight body for 1-2 mins)
- reverse plank (lie on back 1-2 mins) worth doing some reps of these too.
- crunchs (without raising back off the floor past mid spine)
- yoga up dog move
- diagonal limbs straight when on all fours hold for 2 mins
- pelvic rotation
- back rotation - lie on back thighs vertical shins parrellel let you legs twist to the side then raise them up and over to the other side, arms to the side palm down, keep upper back on the floor, this one is very good and helps 'reset' my back repeat 30+ times
- finish on a self massage similar to last exercise but thighs bit more bent grasp shins gently rock left to right a bit massaging lower back.

In reply to peetay:

Hate to say it but it is unlikely that you will ever be 100% 'cured' from your injury, it will be something that you have to have manage. I damaged a disc in my back (L4) playing rugby a few years back and ended up having to take a week off work as I quite literally could not stand up right. I woke up the day after the match with back spasms and unable to get out of bed properly, I could only walk about bent over at 90 degrees while using chairs and sideboards as a support. Quite pathetic really but very scary too. Intense physio got me moving again but it was the subsequent months varius tailored exercises down the gym that really sorted me out. I still go through a stretching routine most days and it really helps keep my back in shape. I am no longer in pain lead a full active life and have since run a few marathons and done various other outdoors things. All I do know is that if I get lazy and dont do my stretch exercieses I start to get a sore back again. Its not something that will stop you from having fun but it is something you need to look after.

In reply to Cú Chullain:
out of interest which stretches do you do?

In reply to Cú Chullain:

I've sort of accepted that it's never going to be the same. I'm interested in peoples recoveries and ability levels after a similar injury. Good to hear that you've ran marathons since.

In reply to CurlyStevo:



It's going to be a while before i attempt any of those exercises mate!

In reply to peetay:
Aye this time I didn't get bed ridden so was able to do the exercises straight away, but the way my back was just giving way randomly with shooting pains for many weeks was in many ways worse than I've ever had before and it was waking me up at night for months.

In reply to peetay:
mine fully healed last time for about 5 years with very little exercises for it and it was really bad for about 18 months so don't give up hope!

In reply to peetay: the symptoms you describe when you cough/sneeze sound alarming and I'd urge you to see a doctor asap.

In reply to BGG:
really? I found similar every time I've had a really bad back coughing and sneezing makes you lurch forward and the sudden movement can hurt the back when it's really bad. Doctors pretty much did nothing for me last time I went.

In reply to BGG:

I've seen three doctors over the last four months. The physio is really the only one that has committed to a diagnosis.