Herniated Disk... Ouch!

[wannabe_big2]

I have been working out for 24 yrs. Thought i new what i was doing,but after squatting fairly heavy i hurt my back,after about 1 week and not no better went to doc.After another week no better doc did mri. Not to good,disk protrusion at T11-12,disk extrusion at L4-5 and L5-s1 disk bulge,ugh.Just need to know if down the road could i ever squat again lightly of course or something else just as good.I was getting great results all my life from squatting hate to give up.I guess its mostly mental but i am addicted to squats. Very hard to give up so any help on this matter would be very appreciated,thanks.

[apex]

Thats honestly a question for your doc! Id imagine press's are gonna be your only option. Why risk an injury?

[konateh]

Your curvatures do not have the stability to carry such weight, I reckon all your ligaments are intact..? The risk of injury is definitively not going to get any smaller after this, if I were you I would never do another squat in my lifetime - stick to leg presses and show great caution all exercises involving your back.

[329329]

thats bullshit, i slipped a disk in my back and was back squatting in a month. i have a good friend whos a physio and we worked on getting the spinal swelling down and strenghtening it till it was iron again. SEE A GOOD PHYSIO, get it sorted and i garuntee you you'll squat again. louie simmons has broken just about everything and still managed to total elite in 5 different weight classes...

[dirkdiggler9969]

No need to do true squats. I have had herniated disks at L4 and L5 for about 10 years and I have arthritis in my neck. I have avoided squats and deads and still have a good lower body. Leg presses, extensions etc. Also, if you are dead set on doing squats you can put a 5 lb plate under each heel and try it with light weight at first. This seemed to help me and I got that from Chris Cormier who has the same 2 bulging disks as me. Good Luck.

[MethTest]

Depends how serious it is, I prolapsed 2 disks doing squats (my spotter was more interested in the ladies than spotting), needless to say i was basically paralised for 3 weeks and took a long time to be able to even walk properly again. Now back on form but i will never do squats again as once you have a tear or bulge it will remain weaker than normal but not all doom and gloom, i know people say the big three but there are other things you can do!

[intelligentmovement]

Hi,
i know this is an older post, but since mechanical low back issues such as disc herniation is my speccialty, here are my two cents:
like some others have mentioned, once you truly herniate a disc, you are now at a much higher risk of herniating it again.
i would go conservative, and not squat again.
i have worked with BB who have stuck to leg Press and extensions (post rehab)and have done very well, both for their Backs, and aesthetically.

when you are doing a leg press, make sure your lower back is arched off the pad.
in other words, your but should touch the pad, your ribcage and shoulders should, but your lower back should not.
by keeping the lumbar lordosis(curvature), you are protecting your discs from being pushed backwards into your nerves, significantly rducing your chances of injury.
keeping this form, you can press heavy.
if you feel your low back flattening into the pad, stop, you are either too tired, or attempting too heavy a weight.

let me know if you have any questions

H