hernia inury's?

[alpha]

have any gymnasts had a hernia in the past?

I am just recovering from a hernia operation and wondering if it has any effect on training long term

[Romulo Malta]

Hi

I was just browsing past posts and noticed that no one had answered yours. I had a herniated disk (if it's this kind of hernia you are talking about) and that was the reason I stopped doing gymnastics when I was about 19 years old. However, I don't think it is that limiting and depending on your condition you could be OK. I kept doing many kinds of sports, even intense ones like martial arts, including styles with lots of jumps and throwing moves and didn't have much trouble with my back, though my case was probably less severe than yours and I didn't need operation since the hernia appeared to have been reabsorbed.

Just this year (I'm 35) I returned to gymnastics, doing just basic moves and working simple conditioning and trampoline and it's been OK (though last week I got a lesion but it seems it was not because of the gymnastics, but due to weight lifting).

I heard of operated gymnasts who kept training and in other sports, like capoeira (Ido should know more about it) which also has lots of jumps and acrobactic moves, backflips, sommersaults, etc., I know of a famous brazilian practitioner who has two herniated disks and keeps practicing!

Anyway, if you want to remain on the safe side, just avoid the tumbling part and I think you should be safe with static hold exercises(handstand, planche, levers, iron cross,etc.) or working on the pommel horse or rings (without dismounting with a jump). I suppose the location of your hernia should influence as well the kind of moves you can do without causing further damage. Mine was lumbar. Also of course your age and capacity of recuperation are factors to be considered(how old are you if you don't mind me asking?)

This is a topic of controversy even among the medical community and there is a lot of speculation, so it's difficult to find a concrete opinion on it. When I was young my doctor told me he would leave to me the decision to keep practicing sports and that I could regulate that and measure how I was going by the level of pain. The doctor I'm going this year also told me I could keep practicing if it didn't hurt (he was a gymnast himself when he was young) but I still have doubts about it. The thing is that pain is not always a good indicator of how things are, since a large hernia can have no symptons and a small one or even a simple back strain can produce excruciating pain.

More than one year has passed since your post and I hope you are doing well. I'd be interested in knowing if you have returned to gymnastics and how are you coming along.

Cheers,

Romulo.

[certaintragedy]

I also have injured my back.  I have a herniated disc L4-L5.  I am 6'4", 205lbs and 27 years old.  I have had lower back problems for the past 10 years off and on where it would lock up.  I hurt it powerclean push pressing back in highschool and have had problems off and on for years.  This time I did it.  I think it was on ring workout and pushed my front lever too hard.  That was the nail in the coffin and I have been enduring shooting pain down my left leg for 2 months now. 

 

My doctor and chiropractor both told me to give up gymnastics, I am too tall and my back is shot.  I am really depressed about this.  I will never give up entusiaim for the sport but as for WOD I think I am throwing in the towel. 

 

Fair well gymansticbodies.  It was a great ride.

[Joshua Naterman]

I also have injured my back.  I have a herniated disc L4-L5.  I am 6'4", 205lbs and 27 years old.  I have had lower back problems for the past 10 years off and on where it would lock up.  I hurt it powerclean push pressing back in highschool and have had problems off and on for years.  This time I did it.  I think it was on ring workout and pushed my front lever too hard.  That was the nail in the coffin and I have been enduring shooting pain down my left leg for 2 months now. 

 

My doctor and chiropractor both told me to give up gymnastics, I am too tall and my back is shot.  I am really depressed about this.  I will never give up entusiaim for the sport but as for WOD I think I am throwing in the towel. 

 

Fair well gymansticbodies.  It was a great ride.

Be safe in your future ventures.

 

You can't screw around with damaged discs, it's very important to realize that a spinal disc injury is not like a muscle tear... it doesn't just heal up or scar over.

[Quick Start Test Smith]

I also have injured my back.  I have a herniated disc L4-L5.  I am 6'4", 205lbs and 27 years old.  I have had lower back problems for the past 10 years off and on where it would lock up.  I hurt it powerclean push pressing back in highschool and have had problems off and on for years.  This time I did it.  I think it was on ring workout and pushed my front lever too hard.  That was the nail in the coffin and I have been enduring shooting pain down my left leg for 2 months now. 

 

My doctor and chiropractor both told me to give up gymnastics, I am too tall and my back is shot.  I am really depressed about this.  I will never give up entusiaim for the sport but as for WOD I think I am throwing in the towel. 

 

Fair well gymansticbodies.  It was a great ride.

 

I don't see why you are leaving gymnastic bodies... Surely there is hardly a better place to learn how to maintain and improve yourself physically, even if you do have an injured back. What's the alternative? Not moving? You'll only become more unhealthy...

[Kevin Conley]

"I don't see why you are leaving gymnastic bodies... Surely there is hardly a better place to learn how to maintain and improve yourself physically, even if you do have an injured back. What's the alternative? Not moving? You'll only become more unhealthy..."

A little while back I wrote a review of literature for back pain from disk herniation. Every author was a physician; they were either primary care or back/spine specialized-orthopiedests. All of them said that the continuation of excercise (within the limits of current movement) was  without a doubt better than discontinuation of movement.

 

If you don't do GB, then find something to do, since Patrick Smith is correct.

 

-Pro