Increasing flexibility with a degenerated disc?

[Dana Arcidy]

I have a degenerated disc (my L5). My flexibility is above average--close to all three splits, and could do a bridge with ease pre-injury. I would like to work on increasing my flexibility, but is this even a possibility with my injury? My PT hasn't given me any real answers, but seems to be leaning towards "no." Of course, leg stretches shouldn't be too much of an issue, but as an aerial dancer, I need all around flexibility. Plus, there are many combined back and leg stretches that I would like to master, like the pancake. Can someone please give me some hope? I haven't gone back to aerial dance since my injury in October.

[Cole Dano]

Disk degeneration is more common than people realise, it is possible to work on flexibility once the acute phase of the injury has passed and your lower back has re-stabilised.

Use pain and tingling / numbness as your guide as to how far to proceed. 

It is very helpful to find how to create internal support at the base of the spine and how to stretch more by hip flexion rather than spinal flexion. A good Iyengar yoga teacher can help with this if you don't know how to do it already.

 

[Eva Pelegrin]

Hello Dana, 

What kind of injury did you experience? "Degeration" can be a scary word that can stop us from moving and really affect us emotionally when there's no need. Do you know if it's mild or severe? What exact diagnosis where you given? Do you have pain now or any discomfort? If so, what movements aggravate it...

Getting more details will help the PTs in the Forum give you further advice.

Many, may people, athletes, me included, have L5 issues. I have hope and work around any "injury." Mindfulness is key. Now it's your turn to create your own hope.

[Dana Arcidy]

On March 31, 2016 at 10:46 AM, Eva Pelegrin said:

Hello Dana, 

What kind of injury did you experience? "Degeration" can be a scary word that can stop us from moving and really affect us emotionally when there's no need. Do you know if it's mild or severe? What exact diagnosis where you given? Do you have pain now or any discomfort? If so, what movements aggravate it...

Getting more details will help the PTs in the Forum give you further advice.

Many, may people, athletes, me included, have L5 issues. I have hope and work around any "injury." Mindfulness is key. Now it's your turn to create your own hope.

I believe the injury started during a warmup in a dance class where we did a twisting movement. There was no moment of sudden pain, I just remember my back gradually starting to hurt and barely being able to walk a few hours later.

I'm not sure if it's mild or severe, but I have at least a little pain every single day. I wish I remembered more about the diagnosis, but I think all they did was take an X-Ray and tell me I had a degenerated disc and that I had to come in three times a week for a while (now it's down to once a month for some simple chiropractic adjustments.) 

Pretty much any kind of motion where I bend my back bothers me, whether it is to the side, back, or a forward bend. Certain other exercises, like squats, bother it as well. I am definitely trying to stay positive, but I'm not sure how to stretch in a way that won't make things worse.

[Eva Pelegrin]

Hang on Dana, it doesn't sound so bad. Honestly, I'm not a fan of chiro adjustments for this kind of thing. I think some of the strengthening and mobility exercises in Foundations are a much more direct and sustainable path. Sometimes weakness can be the cause of your pain, so don't just think about increasing flexibility, if what you need is more strength. i don't know in your case, just planting a seed.

You're a dancer so you already have good body awareness. Pain is so subjective. Use pain as your informant and do not cross pain thresholds. You can work with oscillations. Instead of holding a stretch for time, go in and out of the stretch as you're visiting that zone and giving an opportunity for your NS to temporarily feel comfortable in such range. Eventually, you'll be able to hold it for longer time.

I have an inversion table that I use for myself and many of my clients love it too. PASSIVE INVERSIONS are really beneficial for our spinal health & alignment. They help decompress the spine and reverse the constant force of gravity, etc... I have no affiliation with this company, but check it out. Their tables are light, strong and well-made. I bought one 10 yrs ago after I researched other brands: https://www.teetertv.com/?matchtype=p&keyword=inversion%20table&device=c&gclid=Cj0KEQjwrZ24BRC098fr-OqnuMkBEiQAKQ9lgGUq2IXv-KtKXQEOypJSu1MzoYVHRQopCkc-R2Ibz_kaAp6G8P8HAQ 
Second best thing, some gyms have a special bench, where you hook your feet in one end and you can hang 1/2 way from your waist down. Your body rests in what looks like an inverted "L" shape. I suppose one could hinge over a couch backrest or high bed too. Better than nothing.

[Dana Arcidy]

@Eva Pelegrin Thank you for the advice! I feel a lot more hopeful about the situation now. I will definitely look into inversion tables as well.

[Eva Pelegrin]

Hi Dana,
A few of the "herniated ones" have gathered around this post. If you haven't seen it yet, I thought you may like to see what others with similar issues have to say:

 

[Kevin Herring]

Just another "hang in there". 

I have noticed a decrease in daily pain/discomfort as I progress through the F7 and the Middle and Front Stretches.  Not progressing quickly but more intelligently with each workout.  I've given up on just about every other form of exercise until I finish Foundation One.  (not a suggestion just a self imposed "earn it")

Pay attention to the cues your body gives you.  Err on the side of honesty.  I'm finding that if I do these instead of "pushing the limits of my body" my fitness levels pull me into higher and higher levels without injury and less pain.  Yes there are times of no or slow progress but I'm finding that it's my body letting me know it's not ready.

[Fabio Pinna]

On 12/4/2016 at 10:55 PM, Eva Pelegrin said:

This appears to me as "Sorry, we can't show this content because you do not have permission to see it" @Eva Pelegrin, maybe it's in the private forums?

Anyway, @Dana Arcidy, at 19 I was into breakdance, and I got myself a level 4 hernia in my L4-L5 disc by being careless. Level 4 means that the disc is actually broken, and the core is leaking outside. Being young and reckless (breakdancers are not renown for caring about their bodies) I didn't do anything, and just waited for the thing to resolve itself.

It didn't, and by the time I actually got physio treatment it was too late, so now I have a permanent "dessicated disc" - it means that there's very little liquid in it, and the joint is severely compromised.

That said, thirteen years have passed since, and this is me two weeks ago:

I don't do backbending or bridgework very often, as my lower back can get easily fatigued, but as you can see the flexibility is definitely there. I had to work a lot on my thoracic and shoulder mobility, so as to not overwork the lumbar curve, but I would say that progress is definitely possible. You just have to work slowly and carefully - but when is a moment when this is not the case?

My advice for you would be to have a good physio to work with, possibily one that knows how to treat athletes. Recovering is definitely possible, but you need to take things slowly and listen a lot to your body. The way I regained my flexibility was by working A LOT on correct alignment and decompression of the spine, 20 minutes every night before sleeping, and then very slowly and carefully increase my strenght and range of motion in and around the lumbar curve. Chiropratic adjustment can help reset the joint and sometimes "suck" the disc core back into its proper place, but won't help you in the long run unless you do actual muscular work around the compromised joint.

Oh, and regarding the inversion table that @Eva Pelegrin talks about, be careful: if your spinal alignment is not correct, they can unfortunately do more damage. I had very tight hip flexors and a lot of anterior pelvic tilt when I was 19, so by inverting and relaxing, my pelvis would tilt forward and put transversal tension on my vertebras (instead of decompression), which was intensely painful and very not good to do to an herniated disc. It was much better, for me, to relax belly down around an inflatable fitness ball, and roll back and forth until I could feel the "good" tension in the right spot, and then just stay there and relax. But again, if your alignment is good (and your hips stay where they should), then an inversion table is just soooooo good to relax on...!

[Dana Arcidy]

@Fabio Pinna Thank you; your picture gives me a lot of hope! I don't mind slow progress and putting lots of hard work into it as long as I know that SOMEDAY there is the possibility for improvement, and it seems that this is the case! I am fairly disciplined and stubborn, so now I just need to work on doing this in a way that won't cause further harm. I will probably have to focus on thoracic mobility--my shoulders are extremely flexibile (and I'm thankful I have never injured them!) and I think my lower back is naturally more flexibile than my mid and upper back, so I assume that in the past, I repeatedly overworked my lumbar curve, which led to my injury.

Ah, good thing for me to keep in mind about the inversion table, as I also have an anterior pelvic tilt.

[Eva Pelegrin]

Hi Fabio,
Thanks for sharing your bridge picture and taking the time to demonstrate what is possible when working around past injuries! I'm sure Dana really appreciates it. I think it's hard to ask for help and those who do deserve some attention. I couldn't agree more with what you're saying. Sound advice.

That link is posted under Foundation One. I think if you own Foundation you should be able to access it. Perhaps the browser got disconnected temporarily. You can also try using search function and typing that title in the field.