Has anyone had this injury, as a result from sports or weight lifting?

I herniated a disc last Sat deadlifting. The pain was very mild, I continued my sets without issue. The next day I had mild sciatica symptoms, but nothing too severe. I did not even need to take OTC pain meds. The pain has been steadily decreasing this week. I took the week off sports, and prob next week too, just stretching. Im going to the doc next week, but Docs tend to be doom and gloom for people who want to get back into a relatively high level of training.

If so, how long was your recovery, how long did it set you back.

6/8/2017 4:08:12 PM

Feb of '12. Same thing. I had been going heavy on deads for few a weeks in a row so I think my back was just really fatigued (and I'm sure my form wasn't what it should have been). I was putting some dumbbells back on a bottom rack and booom L5S1 started to bark at me. I was completely out of the gym for a little over a month. I also had mild sciatica for those 4-5 weeks that got better slowly. I ate lots of ibuprofen and . I did nothing heavy DL, squat, cleans...for close to 3 months because I didn't want to aggravate it. I felt like I was completely back to normal after about 6-7 months but I only pull heavy DL about 4 times a year now.

ymmv

6/9/2017 8:17:58 AM

I'm not sure what caused mine but it started in 2012. I deadlift every week now, not that heavy and occasionally it will bother me and I'll lay off. Went to two specialists at UCLA and they said the degree to which it's herniated shouldn't restrict me from doing anything.

In the beginning my hamstring had the worst sciatica, but now it's worst in outer region of my butt. Running bothers it more than lifting now.

Nothing ever seems to really help or fix it. Did PT and planks, lifted weights and not lifted.

Good luck.

[Edited on June 9, 2017 at 8:45 AM. Reason : A]

6/9/2017 8:42:57 AM

I tried to get back into weight training in 2013 and loaded up the bar for the first dead lifts I'd done since high school (I'd done other lifting but not deads). I only put on 135 just to warm up but I didn't stretch, had bad form, whatever. I heard an audible pop in my lower back a few reps into the set and while it wasn't really painful, I thought I'd better back off. The next day I could barely walk and get in/out of my car. Every time I pressed my clutch down I felt it - it was excruciating. That continued for at least a week or two and I finally went to the doctor and got it confirmed.

I didn't back back into lifting at all until maybe 9-10 months later but I could still feel a hot spot in my back. However, I started really easing back into dead lifting about a year after the initial incident and it actually really improved my condition. I was very careful, stretched, used a belt, watched videos on form, had gym buddies I made help me with my form, etc. I ended up hitting my PR later that year at 420.

Good luck.

6/9/2017 9:38:04 AM

You should probably stop deadlifting. You're not a kid anymore.

6/9/2017 9:54:47 AM

Im going to the ortho in 2 weeks. my sciatica has been pretty mild---I havent even been taking ibproufen---but i had the shooting nerve pain down my left butt cheek and down my leg and pins n needles in the foot. It hasnt been terrible, but my left leg still feels a little weak, and i cant do the "walk on both heels" test.

I know my days of lifting heavy might be numbered, but I dont want them to be or even think they need to be. I want to get back in and keep pulling heavy weight. I think my back injury is minor because I have a strong back from squats and deadlifts.

I also want to train jiu jitsu still, and hope this doesnt screw that up. BJJ can put your back in some odd and compressed positions, so who knows.

Reading the internet you see both extremes, like "you may as well crawl in a hole and die" or "dude its nothing dont worry about it keep training"

apparently its a pretty common injury, like half the NFL plays with herniated discs.

6/9/2017 9:29:35 PM

So, at almost 2 weeks it feels a lot better and the sciatica is pretty much gone. Prob gonna start back lifting next week and see how it goes, light minus deads n squats

6/15/2017 9:51:39 PM

So, I went to spine doc and the disc was only a minor bulge and not a total really bad herniation. So theres that, thats good. Doc said I can ease back into training again too

6/26/2017 5:14:16 PM