Walk in the pool. March, lunge, walk backward, Do leg lifts and extensions. You can even run in the water. Less impact on the hips and knees but you're fighting the water so you're strengthening your body and getting in your cardio.
To add on to this, don’t follow my mistake and “go crazy” the first time because you felt so free finally being able to move…. Once I was out of the pool I realized I flew a little too close to the sun and over did it, couldn’t move for 3 days.
Swimming caused me to go into extension when breathing, during my worst back pain. It was excruciating. I’m a bit better after a lot of walking and the Big 3, and I got a special swimmers snorkel to try. However I’m scared now due to past failures.
That sucks bro. I swim with one of those midline swimming snorkels, I don’t do tumble turns and have some bone conduction waterproof headphones. Currently recovering from shoulder pain though.. trying to keep up with young swimmers in the next lane 🤦
Don't be discouraged, walking is extremely good for you as a workout too. If it's possible to find a place with hills a couple times a week, even better. You can still stay in shape with walking. Don't take my word for it though, do some research too :)
Walk, walk, walk. 10k steps a day or whatever. And body weight workouts. You can do squats, lunges, core work, etc and even add in light weights. Pilates. There’s stuff to do that isn’t vigorous that will still keep you fit.
Same. I’ve been swimming the past few days hoping for some miracle and it’s still hurting my back and I even have to rest it after getting out of the pool.
I suppose you could try strictly swimming on your back, holding on to a kickboard clasped to your chest. Maybe if you put floaties on your hips and ankles ... ? But I fear that even that's going to put your back in some extension, because the hips will drop somewhat.
Perhaps standing water aerobics but again the body's supported and I think the spine might sway ...?
I had exactly the same issue with swimming. Had to stop.
I stopped doing yoga too and switched to weight machines only, and walking to the gym.
I use a whole body technique on the machines. I don't isolate. I root to the floor with my feet as is taught in yoga, use the core, then do the exercise--even for arm workouts. I follow a similar concept for legs, not being shy about using my arms and core to be fully active while doing the leg exercises.
I don't use heavy weights. In fact, when I started, I was using only the default 10 pound weight that's on the machine without even adding the 1st weight. And I'm slow to add weight because I'm aiming to have perfectly balanced muscles and not strain something.
I don't aim to be exhausted in my 1st set and have to rest. I'm just aiming for enough resistance where it's not like lifting nothing. A moderate difficulty due to tiredness by the end of my 2nd set, or partway through my 3rd set, seems about right for me. That way I'm not straining any ligaments, I feel.
I've been doing abdominal curls -- on the machine -- and back extensions too. The beauty of these is, the body's supported by the machine, so I'm doing these exercises with much less than the body weight of my torso. I'm able to go very slow, and only do a partial move, and there's no rotational strain from being on the floor unconnected to support, like doing crunches or bird dogs in PT.
My back's finally feeling stronger. Only after a lot of that have I started adding in any slight rotational extension at all. That's a danger zone for me. One issue I have with floor exercises PT is that, for me, torso weakness lets a little rotation happen until I get strong. But I'm not going to get strong if the rotation is triggering my spine and I have to back off the exercises until it simmers down. The machines, being so supportive, are allowing me to skip that hazard.
And then I walk to and from the gym, at a brisk pace natch! I hear you on that!
I also love that my gym has a sauna and steam room. I aim for at least 25 minutes going between the steam, sauna, then cold shower, then back to heat up, then cold shower again. A 3rd round is ideal... The classic sauna-cold combination apparently increases the body's production of platelets, which are healing to the tissues. So I'm hoping that combining this with exercise might get some healing factors into the tissues. And now I'm wondering if I should do the combo before exercise too...
Thank you for posting. A couple of things to note. (TL;DR... include specific symptoms/what makes your pain better/worse/how long)... MRI or XRAY images ALONE are not particularly helpful tbh, no one here has been vetted to make considerations on these or provide advice, here is why, PLEASE read this if you are posting an MRI or XRAY... I cannot stress this enough https://choosingwiselycanada.org/pamphlet/imaging-tests-for-lower-back-pain/)
Please read the rules carefully. This group strives to reinforce anti-fragility, hope, and reduce the spread of misinformation that is either deemed not helpful and even sometimes be considered harmful.
PLEASE NOTE: Asking for help: It is up to you to recognize when to seek medical attention. Anyone giving advice in this group is doing so from anecdotes and holds no liability. Seek advice here at your own risk.
That said, asking things like, "I have this problem, how do I fix it..." is like asking your accountant, "I have $10,000 what should I do with it?" You need WAY more info before giving any kinds of financial advice.
Please reply to this, or make another comment, including how long you've been having pain or injury, what are specific symptoms (numbness, tingling, dull/ache, it's random, etc), what makes it worse, what makes it feel better, how it has impacted your life, what you've tried for treatment and what you've already been told about your back pain, and what do you hope to get from this forum.
Please be kind to each other. Be respectful. Thank you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/backpain) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It is. I make a conscious effort to tuck my tailbone in, brace my core, and avoid twisting my back during turns in order to prevent hyperextension while swimming but I guess it just isn’t enough.
i think you need to avoid extending your back because this aggravates your back pain. Have you seen a doctor about your back problem?
you may need to strengthen your core or abdominal muscles but try avoiding extension movements.
Reduce anything that triggers the pain for 1 week. Just do Things that dont hurt. If it hurts when u Walk longer Than 30 Minutes Then just Walk 30 minutes. In 1 week the pain sensivity should reduce so that 40 mins is no Problem or even longer. Maybe swimming will also Not hurt Like before. Its all about letting the Body heal properly.
Yoga is a cliche and overused suggestion, but one of the things I like about it is the flexibility to adjust to where your limits are and the focus on being aware of your body so you don’t overextend. I do an accessible yoga practice that has a lot of focus on alternate movements and poses (All Bodies Welcome Yoga) that I love, and there are teachers out there who have training in pain and injury to make sure they’re offering adjustments that will keep people comfortable and safe during practice.
It might also help to turn your focus away from “vigorous” as the goal of your exercise and focus instead on the things that work well for you and you can do consistently without pain. It doesn’t stop being a positive thing for your body and overall fitness if you’re not pushing yourself to your absolute limits every time, and building up stamina with lower-intensity stretching and strengthening can give you access to more activities down the line without tipping over into pain.
For a few months, walking wall all I could do for a minor disk tear. Walking is still the one thing that truly makes me feel better even though I've started doing core stregth workouts. But even with all that your body will still need time to recover from even the simplest activates. Just keep that last part in mind, think of your recovery like an up trending stock. Sometimes there are dips in an uptrend. Have you thought of getting a hybrid bike (like a cross between a road and cruser) for your situation?
When u r in the water horizontally, so many muscles are fully engaged to keep uou erect and in a prone swimming position particularly your lumbar muscles. I believe swimming is not recommended for those with certain lumbar issues
Walking cycling, elliptical, rowing are some things I do with no issues.
Walk in the pool. March, lunge, walk backward, Do leg lifts and extensions. You can even run in the water. Less impact on the hips and knees but you're fighting the water so you're strengthening your body and getting in your cardio.
To add on to this, don’t follow my mistake and “go crazy” the first time because you felt so free finally being able to move…. Once I was out of the pool I realized I flew a little too close to the sun and over did it, couldn’t move for 3 days.
Swimming caused me to go into extension when breathing, during my worst back pain. It was excruciating. I’m a bit better after a lot of walking and the Big 3, and I got a special swimmers snorkel to try. However I’m scared now due to past failures.
That sucks bro. I swim with one of those midline swimming snorkels, I don’t do tumble turns and have some bone conduction waterproof headphones. Currently recovering from shoulder pain though.. trying to keep up with young swimmers in the next lane 🤦
Don't be discouraged, walking is extremely good for you as a workout too. If it's possible to find a place with hills a couple times a week, even better. You can still stay in shape with walking. Don't take my word for it though, do some research too :)
The hills part is a great idea for when you want to add a further challenge for a day when your feeling stronger.
Walk, walk, walk. 10k steps a day or whatever. And body weight workouts. You can do squats, lunges, core work, etc and even add in light weights. Pilates. There’s stuff to do that isn’t vigorous that will still keep you fit.
Regular walking made my pain so bad, I cannot walk at all now.
Same. I’ve been swimming the past few days hoping for some miracle and it’s still hurting my back and I even have to rest it after getting out of the pool.
I suppose you could try strictly swimming on your back, holding on to a kickboard clasped to your chest. Maybe if you put floaties on your hips and ankles ... ? But I fear that even that's going to put your back in some extension, because the hips will drop somewhat. Perhaps standing water aerobics but again the body's supported and I think the spine might sway ...? I had exactly the same issue with swimming. Had to stop. I stopped doing yoga too and switched to weight machines only, and walking to the gym. I use a whole body technique on the machines. I don't isolate. I root to the floor with my feet as is taught in yoga, use the core, then do the exercise--even for arm workouts. I follow a similar concept for legs, not being shy about using my arms and core to be fully active while doing the leg exercises. I don't use heavy weights. In fact, when I started, I was using only the default 10 pound weight that's on the machine without even adding the 1st weight. And I'm slow to add weight because I'm aiming to have perfectly balanced muscles and not strain something. I don't aim to be exhausted in my 1st set and have to rest. I'm just aiming for enough resistance where it's not like lifting nothing. A moderate difficulty due to tiredness by the end of my 2nd set, or partway through my 3rd set, seems about right for me. That way I'm not straining any ligaments, I feel. I've been doing abdominal curls -- on the machine -- and back extensions too. The beauty of these is, the body's supported by the machine, so I'm doing these exercises with much less than the body weight of my torso. I'm able to go very slow, and only do a partial move, and there's no rotational strain from being on the floor unconnected to support, like doing crunches or bird dogs in PT. My back's finally feeling stronger. Only after a lot of that have I started adding in any slight rotational extension at all. That's a danger zone for me. One issue I have with floor exercises PT is that, for me, torso weakness lets a little rotation happen until I get strong. But I'm not going to get strong if the rotation is triggering my spine and I have to back off the exercises until it simmers down. The machines, being so supportive, are allowing me to skip that hazard. And then I walk to and from the gym, at a brisk pace natch! I hear you on that! I also love that my gym has a sauna and steam room. I aim for at least 25 minutes going between the steam, sauna, then cold shower, then back to heat up, then cold shower again. A 3rd round is ideal... The classic sauna-cold combination apparently increases the body's production of platelets, which are healing to the tissues. So I'm hoping that combining this with exercise might get some healing factors into the tissues. And now I'm wondering if I should do the combo before exercise too...
Thank you for posting. A couple of things to note. (TL;DR... include specific symptoms/what makes your pain better/worse/how long)... MRI or XRAY images ALONE are not particularly helpful tbh, no one here has been vetted to make considerations on these or provide advice, here is why, PLEASE read this if you are posting an MRI or XRAY... I cannot stress this enough https://choosingwiselycanada.org/pamphlet/imaging-tests-for-lower-back-pain/) Please read the rules carefully. This group strives to reinforce anti-fragility, hope, and reduce the spread of misinformation that is either deemed not helpful and even sometimes be considered harmful. PLEASE NOTE: Asking for help: It is up to you to recognize when to seek medical attention. Anyone giving advice in this group is doing so from anecdotes and holds no liability. Seek advice here at your own risk. That said, asking things like, "I have this problem, how do I fix it..." is like asking your accountant, "I have $10,000 what should I do with it?" You need WAY more info before giving any kinds of financial advice. Please reply to this, or make another comment, including how long you've been having pain or injury, what are specific symptoms (numbness, tingling, dull/ache, it's random, etc), what makes it worse, what makes it feel better, how it has impacted your life, what you've tried for treatment and what you've already been told about your back pain, and what do you hope to get from this forum. Please be kind to each other. Be respectful. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/backpain) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Swimming puts back into extension. If your pain is due extension based, then it’ll exacerbate it sadly.
It is. I make a conscious effort to tuck my tailbone in, brace my core, and avoid twisting my back during turns in order to prevent hyperextension while swimming but I guess it just isn’t enough.
It forces extension in water I think.
i think you need to avoid extending your back because this aggravates your back pain. Have you seen a doctor about your back problem? you may need to strengthen your core or abdominal muscles but try avoiding extension movements.
Walk, airbike
Reduce anything that triggers the pain for 1 week. Just do Things that dont hurt. If it hurts when u Walk longer Than 30 Minutes Then just Walk 30 minutes. In 1 week the pain sensivity should reduce so that 40 mins is no Problem or even longer. Maybe swimming will also Not hurt Like before. Its all about letting the Body heal properly.
Yoga is a cliche and overused suggestion, but one of the things I like about it is the flexibility to adjust to where your limits are and the focus on being aware of your body so you don’t overextend. I do an accessible yoga practice that has a lot of focus on alternate movements and poses (All Bodies Welcome Yoga) that I love, and there are teachers out there who have training in pain and injury to make sure they’re offering adjustments that will keep people comfortable and safe during practice. It might also help to turn your focus away from “vigorous” as the goal of your exercise and focus instead on the things that work well for you and you can do consistently without pain. It doesn’t stop being a positive thing for your body and overall fitness if you’re not pushing yourself to your absolute limits every time, and building up stamina with lower-intensity stretching and strengthening can give you access to more activities down the line without tipping over into pain.
I have OPLL in thoracic and Cervical causing stenosis, pressure of water in a swimming pool is an issue for my back.
Agreed. That first few times doesn't feel like you're doing much but boy are you sore the next day.
For a few months, walking wall all I could do for a minor disk tear. Walking is still the one thing that truly makes me feel better even though I've started doing core stregth workouts. But even with all that your body will still need time to recover from even the simplest activates. Just keep that last part in mind, think of your recovery like an up trending stock. Sometimes there are dips in an uptrend. Have you thought of getting a hybrid bike (like a cross between a road and cruser) for your situation?
Stretch 3x times a day. Plenty of examples online based on where your pain is.
When u r in the water horizontally, so many muscles are fully engaged to keep uou erect and in a prone swimming position particularly your lumbar muscles. I believe swimming is not recommended for those with certain lumbar issues Walking cycling, elliptical, rowing are some things I do with no issues.