Well shit… herniated disc?

[hevi-head]

So I worked back last Sunday and on my last set of rack pulls something just felt off. No real pain or anything just “off”
Figured I just tweaked something a little and continued on with some pull downs.
It still felt a little weird all week, basically middle of my back just to the right of my spine. So yesterday it turned into a sharp pain right there at the spine. Like a nail was being pushed in. It doesn’t constantly throb just if I tense my back muscles or put my arms up.
Didn’t sleep worth a shit last night fretting over it as I just started my summer blast.I figured I was fucked and did some research on it this morning and feel a little better. Hopefully the HGH will help with it. Anyone have any experience with one?

 

[Musclebound94]

So I worked back last Sunday and on my last set of rack pulls something just felt off. No real pain or anything just “off”
Figured I just tweaked something a little and continued on with some pull downs.
It still felt a little weird all week, basically middle of my back just to the right of my spine. So yesterday it turned into a sharp pain right there at the spine. Like a nail was being pushed in. It doesn’t constantly throb just if I tense my back muscles or put my arms up.
Didn’t sleep worth a shit last night fretting over it as I just started my summer blast.I figured I was fucked and did some research on it this morning and feel a little better. Hopefully the HGH will help with it. Anyone have any experience with one?

Hey brother, going through this right now. It sucks bad......you could have just tweaked something (hopefully). A lot of times such as with my case the herniation causes sciatica down the leg on the side of the herniation. The herniation impinges on the traversing nerve root coming out the spine and leaves you with an intense burning and numbness. Also, a classic test for evidence of herniation in the straight leg test. Lie flat on your back, keep your leg straight and raise it off the ground as much as you can. If you experience pain at a low degree its considered "positive" for a possibility. Wish you the best and hopefully just a muscle tweak!

 

[hevi-head]

Hey brother, going through this right now. It sucks bad......you could have just tweaked something (hopefully). A lot of times such as with my case the herniation causes sciatica down the leg on the side of the herniation. The herniation impinges on the traversing nerve root coming out the spine and leaves you with an intense burning and numbness. Also, a classic test for evidence of herniation in the straight leg test. Lie flat on your back, keep your leg straight and raise it off the ground as much as you can. If you experience pain at a low degree its considered "positive" for a possibility. Wish you the best and hopefully just a muscle tweak!

Thanks man. I have a pinched nerve right at the base of my neck that was horrible at one point but has gotten better over time. Left arm would go numb as hell.
Kind of that same pinpoint pain but no numbness yet. Hopefully it doesn’t last

 

[mayan]

I had a “knot” in the middle of my back for over 15 years. I destroyed it, repeatedly, with foam rollers, a PVC pipe, the corner of a wall, an S-hook massage tool, anything I could dig into it felt amazing. Then it got REALLY painful for a few months before suddenly one day, letting up. When the pain went away, it coincided with pins and needles in my feet, a fine trade-off I thought. But by the late afternoon of the same day, pins and needles turned into can’t feel my feet, turned into can’t feel anything from the pecs to my toes, can’t walk, can’t piss, paralysis. Now T3 through T9 are fused with titanium. I feel great. Go see a doctor.

 

[Norse12]

I had a herniated disc 2 years ago, pressing directly on my spinal nerve. Surgery recovery was not easy, and my quality of life has definitely reduced afterwards. Some days I struggle to wipe my ass or tie my shoe laces, at work I sometimes struggle to get up from the chair. On a bad day, I struggle pretty much with most activities the entire day, including banging the wife.
I very much recommend that you do an MRI with proper analysis instead of taking advice from random characters on the Internet (including myself). If you have a real herniation and it affects your spine, it's likely that it's not one of those things that goes away by itself.

 

[Musclebound94]

I had a herniated disc 2 years ago, pressing directly on my spinal nerve. Surgery recovery was not easy, and my quality of life has definitely reduced afterwards. Some days I struggle to wipe my ass or tie my shoe laces, at work I sometimes struggle to get up from the chair. On a bad day, I struggle pretty much with most activities the entire day, including banging the wife.
I very much recommend that you do an MRI with proper analysis instead of taking advice from random characters on the Internet (including myself). If you have a real herniation and it affects your spine, it's likely that it's not one of those things that goes away by itself.

Agree with this, go see a spine specialist. An MRI can see disk material and can show the actual cause of what you're experiencing....I am seeing a spine and neurosurgeon specialist after putting it off for a year thinking it would just go away....wish I had gone and seen them sooner

 

[hevi-head]

I had a herniated disc 2 years ago, pressing directly on my spinal nerve. Surgery recovery was not easy, and my quality of life has definitely reduced afterwards. Some days I struggle to wipe my ass or tie my shoe laces, at work I sometimes struggle to get up from the chair. On a bad day, I struggle pretty much with most activities the entire day, including banging the wife.
I very much recommend that you do an MRI with proper analysis instead of taking advice from random characters on the Internet (including myself). If you have a real herniation and it affects your spine, it's likely that it's not one of those things that goes away by itself.

I appreciate the advice. I don’t know if it’s real or not, I just know the feel of pulls and tears and this doesn’t seem to be either.

 

[MooseKnuckles]

When I herniated L4-L5 it was a sharp burning pain, then I started having back spasms, I knew this pain wasn't going away, I took Tizanidine for the spasms and a few injections to help with the siatic nerve pain but a year later I ended up getting it fixed I couldn't stand it anymore.

 

[rippedyearround]

The reverse hyperextension has forever changed my spine health for the better. Might be worth experimenting with if you haven't already.

 

[Reload]

Most herniated disc injuries heal on their own over time. For me it meant layoffs from the gym, good ol' Advil and decompressing the spine.
Sitting for long periods of time is about the worst thing you can do. Access to an inversion table can make a big difference. Good luck man I know how it feels.

 

[comedycentral]

As an older lifter (47) I said goodbye to back squats and deads years ago. I know loads will argue with perfect form they are no riskier than anything else but for me at my age and other things in my life paying mortgage etc they aren’t worth it to me. OP look at Stu McGill stuff. Do his big 3 daily which is what I do and slowly come back. More than likely you’ve pullled something.

 

[hevi-head]

As an older lifter (47) I said goodbye to back squats and deads years ago. I know loads will argue with perfect form they are no riskier than anything else but for me at my age and other things in my life paying mortgage etc they aren’t worth it to me. OP look at Stu McGill stuff. Do his big 3 daily which is what I do and slowly come back. More than likely you’ve pullled something.

I’m starting to learn towards a pull again actually. It’s weird how the pain has changed. It was pinpoint like a nail being pushed in just on the right side of my spine to now it’s just more of a dull pain in a slightly bigger area. That’s a good thing I guess. I’m thinking it may be the “serratus posterior inferior”

 

[Nike22]

No idea what happened to you but I had a herniated disk and with some time and rehab it feels great now. Like Comedycentral above I can't deadlift, squat, bent over rows, etc but you learn to train hard on excercises that don't aggravate the injury and you'll still look bad ass in a tank top in August. Humans get hurt but we're pretty damn durable when it comes down to it, go see a doc, it'll be fine.

 

[Doctordave42]

I had a “knot” in the middle of my back for over 15 years. I destroyed it, repeatedly, with foam rollers, a PVC pipe, the corner of a wall, an S-hook massage tool, anything I could dig into it felt amazing. Then it got REALLY painful for a few months before suddenly one day, letting up. When the pain went away, it coincided with pins and needles in my feet, a fine trade-off I thought. But by the late afternoon of the same day, pins and needles turned into can’t feel my feet, turned into can’t feel anything from the pecs to my toes, can’t walk, can’t piss, paralysis. Now T3 through T9 are fused with titanium. I feel great. Go see a doctor.

Agreed. Go see a doctor. Your description of spinal stenosis secondary to disc herniations and subsequent post traumatic osteoarthritis is classic. Not something to try to train and juice through. Don't take a chance with your spinal column.

 

[lookslikesausage]

What Doctor Dave said describes me. Bulging and herniated discs at three levels, stenosis, and now more recently I've been told I have Facet Joint Athropathy. I didn't always have the last one. Can no longer load my spine vertically. No more Barbell Squats of any kind, no Deadlifts of any kind, Bent Rows, Cleans, or Snatches. I can't even really do any kind of hip hinge without troubles. It really sucks. Do yourself a favor and do any of those until your back feels better. I trained through the pain (and I was in pain after every training session). I got hurt in 2009 and now I always wonder had I rested properly and given my damaged discs a chance to heal, maybe they would've healed and my lower back would feel normal.