Getting Strong After Microdisctectomy

goz83

I'm over 9 months since having an L4-L5 m-d. Started physio about 2 months later and have been having sessions every couple of weeks. I'm able to walk without much trouble (walked howth pier today) and have been back in the gym a few months. Problem is that progress is very slow and it's frustrating as hell. I can manage about 5 minutes on the cross trainer at level 15 of 25. The bike I can do maybe 10, but I can be quite sore a few hours later, so avoid that. I generally do stretches and planks and do some work on the upper body. Tried the leg raise machine the other day and while I managed 3 sets of 12, again, I was sore a couple of hours later. I can't jog more than a few steps, so running seems a while off. Can anyone recommend some moves? I plan to run anything by the physio first, but suggestions would be great, because i'm bored doing the same things with minimal progress. PS....swimming doesn't do it for me. Also i'm early thirties, have good flexion but can only reach down to about 15cm from my toes with no improvement for months. I hooe the mods are ok with this, as I will chat to the physio next week before changing anything.

BrokenArrows

When you say you have pain a few hours later are you talking about muscle pain (legs etc) or spine pain?

goz83

BrokenArrows wrote: »

When you say you have pain a few hours later are you talking about muscle pain (legs etc) or spine pain?

Lower back pain. Feels muscular, but deep all the same and mostly at the site of the surgery, spreading outward to the sides of the back.

Alf Veedersane

Has the physio given much/any guidance on what you should be doing outside of physio sessions?

Hanley

1) Do what your physio says

Once you've done that...

2) Make sure hip / glute mobility / flexibility is good - if they're tight everything will suck

3) Do good quality core work - any "big" movements like roll outs, sit ups, leg raises etc are a probably a bad idea for you right now since your baseline stability is all farked up. You want "deep" core work like braced breathing drills, dead bug variations and the boring crap stuff that involves you looking like you're not doing very much, but still sweating and struggling to get it done

4) Avoid axial loading (no barbells on your back, or deadlifts) - possibly not a forever thing - but right now a 'do not do'.

5) Focus on single leg work, and upper body work that requires you to engage your core and glutes as stabilisers to perform the movement correctly

...comments are based off personal training I'm doing with a lad who has had a spinal fusion, and the testing, tweaking and evaluation process we've gone thru to make him stronger and get back to normal function without hurting him.

goz83

Thanks very much. That's what I am looking for and some of which I am doing. Will run it by the physio to get his thoughts/approval. It just gets pretty annoying when you read about people nearly twice my age recovering twice as fast. I was never the athletic type, but had good strength and flexibility before my back got messed up.

holdfast

I had the op five years ago, exactly what Hanley said. I went to Transform a personal trainer on here to learn about what Hanley wrote about. Either way investing in a good personal trainer is vital as what you are currently not what you are doing.