Workout Question

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:51 pm

I have a bad lower back. The doc said it is due to a narrow spinal canal. I have 3 discs that have bulged so much, they always pinch my sciatic nerve. Left leg is numb a lot due to this. Needless to say, I really can't do too much these days other than golf, some softball, and other minor less stressful activities.

I do exercises to strengthen my lower back muscles just to not be in pain so often. I really like to work on my abs too, though. I've been doing stomach crunches for 3 months now, and the lower back just can't handle it anymore.

So my question is, is there a good ab exercise that I can do that puts very little pressure on the lower back?

[Yeah right]Serious replies only please.[/Yeah right]

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:51 pm

And cue the RTM comments...

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:06 pm

Indy,

Have you tried lying on your back, bending your knees and bringing them to your chest? Its a good exercise that shouldnt put too much, if any stress on the back. For more of a burn, hold your arms out behind your head, and bring your knees to your chest and then back down, but not touching the ground.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:07 pm

I'll give it a try. My back is on fire. I will take a few days off before doing anything else. I've had 6 Advil already today.

Cuda · Post by **Cuda** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:10 pm

You can safely take up to 2400mg per day (that's 12 tablets)

-sin
experience

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:48 pm

Holy fuck, mark the calander...

For the first time EVER, Sissy posted something intelligent and knowledgable.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:50 pm

I have my moments.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:56 pm

I guess the first questuion to ask is what is available to you? At the gym I work out at there are a number of machines that isolate lower back and ab muscles without putting undue strain on the abs. So, if you belong to a gym, I'm chat up the local Raider James for some tips on which machines would be best for you..

ElvisMonster · Post by **ElvisMonster** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:07 pm

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy Cicero's contributions more and more all of the time. He's certainly evolving into a pretty deece cat.

Uncle Fester · Post by **Uncle Fester** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:10 pm

Have you tried lying on your back, bending your knees and bringing them to your chest? Its a good exercise that shouldnt put too much, if any stress on the back. For more of a burn, hold your arms out behind your head, and bring your knees to your chest and then back down, but not touching the ground.

If you have bulging disks and sciatic pain I would NOT recommend the above exercise, especially if your muscles are tight. Your first step should be to see a doctor and get a referral for physical therapy. Go from there.

http://www.1backpain.com/back_exercises.htm

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:18 pm

When I had sciatica (yeah, real fucking hoot), a doc told me to do exactly as Sissy said, unless it caused too much pain.

Uncle Fester · Post by **Uncle Fester** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:40 pm

When I had sciatica (yeah, real fucking hoot), a doc told me to do exactly as Sissy said, unless it caused too much pain.

Back flexion exercises can be great -- I do them myself.

But the dude wrote, "my back is on fire," and he's eating Advil like M&M's. If his hammies and lower back muscles are tight that exercise can be too extreme as a starting point.

Like I said, he needs to get checked out by a physical therapist first and then go from there.

And by all means, stay the holy hell away from chiropractors.

Bobby42 · Post by **Bobby42** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:17 pm

Have you tried using an excercise ball or a rolling wheel

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:20 pm

Exercise ball is another good way to go. I was thinking Indy was talking as if he wanted to do exercises at home. If you have a gym membership Indy, a medicine ball would be good.

ElvisMonster wrote:I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy Cicero's contributions more and more all of the time. He's certainly evolving into a pretty deece cat.

One Shining Moment......

velocet · Post by **velocet** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:28 pm

ElvisMonster wrote:I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy Cicero's contributions more and more all of the time. He's certainly evolving into a pretty deece cat.

Cicero notwithstanding, any poster would appear as teh deece to someone spending all kinds of time at a board that has the motto: We Don't Do That Here.

"And by all means, stay the holy hell away from chiropractors." - Festin'

Why? I remember reading a few times that this or that NFL'er used that kind of therapy. Not picking a fite here, just wondering what the scoop on chiropractors be.

velocet

ElvisMonster · Post by **ElvisMonster** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:34 pm

velocet wrote:Cicero notwithstanding, any poster would appear as teh deece to someone spending all kinds of time at a board that has the motto: We Don't Do That Here.

I see where you're going with this.

velocet · Post by **velocet** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:48 pm

No you don't. I'm just messin' with you and the Troll trainers. And rack Drummers Eve.

velocet

Uncle Fester · Post by **Uncle Fester** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:14 pm

"And by all means, stay the holy hell away from chiropractors." - Festin'

Why? I remember reading a few times that this or that NFL'er used that kind of therapy. Not picking a fite here, just wondering what the scoop on chiropractors be.

velocet

Medical science offers limited remedies for back-pain sufferers, hence the niche for alternative remedies. For those who find relief, more power to 'em.

Me, I'm skeptical about anyone who wants to yank my back or neck to "open my neural pathways" and put my spine "back in alignment."

http://www.chirobase.org/
http://www.mtn.org/quack/devices/chiro.htm
http://www.geocities.com/healthbase/chirolinks.html

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:49 pm

Uncle Fester wrote:
When I had sciatica (yeah, real fucking hoot), a doc told me to do exactly as Sissy said, unless it caused too much pain.
Back flexion exercises can be great -- I do them myself.

But the dude wrote, "my back is on fire," and he's eating Advil like M&M's. If his hammies and lower back muscles are tight that exercise can be too extreme as a starting point.

Like I said, he needs to get checked out by a physical therapist first and then go from there.

And by all means, stay the holy hell away from chiropractors.

First off, went to a chiropractor when my symptons first started in 1999. Once my max insurance was spent, he said I was "ok" yet I was in more pain that ever. Fuck chiropractors. Will never go to again.

Second, my hammies are EXTREMELY tight. I am always trying to stretch my calves and hammies to relieve the back pain. Tends to do minimal good, but I have never been able to get the hammies flexible. Basically, when I lie flat on my back and someone lifts my left leg while my knee is locked, it can only rise maybe 45 degrees before I am screaming in pain in my back. It's the sciatic nerve hitting the bulged discs that causes the pain.

Looks like I'll be taking a visit to the Doc. I'm about to turn 30 in a couple months and I've never really had much of a checkup.

Getting old sucks...

Oh, and I do not belong to a gym. I have a Bowflex at home that I use sometimes, but right now, just trying to take baby steps.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:34 pm

I had serious and consistent neck and shoulder pain throughout most of 2004. All kinds of nasty tests, physical therapy, etc. with no relief. One of the tests they did was a myelogram, where they shoot dye into your spinal canal and do a series of x-rays.

They didn’t find the source of my pain, but they did find that I had a narrowed spinal canal. Thank God I didn’t make it in the NFL, I could be a wheelchair right now. When I went back to see my PA, she said I probably shouldn’t go to a chiropractor as they might do more harm than good.

She did suggest that I might try acupuncture (my HMO covered 50% of the cost). Five visits and the pain was gone. That was a little more than a year ago, and the pain has never returned.

So the moral of the story is, why would you want a big jerk when a little prick will do. And no, I’m not endorsing TVO over mvscal.

Uncle Fester · Post by **Uncle Fester** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:42 pm

So the moral of the story is, why would you want a big jerk when a little prick will do. And no, I’m not endorsing TVO over mvscal.

:)

My PA was a hottie and she yanked on my pants to apply an ultrasound dealie to my back. It was almost a General Peters kind of moment.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:44 pm

Goober McTuber wrote:I had serious and consistent neck and shoulder pain throughout most of 2004. All kinds of nasty tests, physical therapy, etc. with no relief. One of the tests they did was a myelogram, where they shoot dye into your spinal canal and do a series of x-rays.

They didn’t find the source of my pain, but they did find that I had a narrowed spinal canal.

I hear that this is a common affliction among people who improperly drywall their ceilings.

chowd103 · Post by **chowd103** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:44 am

Uncle Fester wrote:
So the moral of the story is, why would you want a big jerk when a little prick will do. And no, I’m not endorsing TVO over mvscal.
:)

My PA was a hottie and she yanked on my pants to apply an ultrasound dealie to my back. It was almost a General Peters kind of moment.

Off subject, I guess, but have you ever gotten one of those hard-ons that just show up?

This has been a little concern. Happened at work today @ my desk while I was looking at these record drawings.

2 weeks ago, I was in a meeting and ....boom. Just got hard. A few hot women, but I wasn't even going there. See 'em every day.

They only last a few minutes, but still cracks me up.

WTF? No Viagra....none of that shiat. WTF?

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:18 am

^^^^

Yep Yep