<p>I don’t know what to do with myself…can’t focus on TV or book and don’t want to clean…
My football playing son does indeed have a herniated disc. I knew it when I loaded the CD from his MRI in my computer. I’m no radiologist, but I can view a screenshot and compare it to images on google.</p>
<p>Got the report and he has a "paracentral disc herniation at L4-L5 luckily no nerve root impingement is noted.</p>
<p>I understand he should be fine, but the concept of not doing lifting for a while is not one he is happy with. He sees the ortho surgeon on Tuesday who I expect will order some PT.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what this means for the immediate future or for football in the fall. I get the impression that he needs to let it settle and he may be fine. The pain may be from the tear in the annulus, which is the covering around the jelly filling of the disc. The family doctor says this covering has nerves and that may be what is causing his current pain.</p>
<p>It makes sense because he has not tingling, just pain in the center of his low back. I don’t know if this annulus thing can heal around the protruding disc, which would then help it from oozing out further and getting into his nerves…</p>
<p>****ed me off that the dr had his office call with the good news that he didn’t have a stress fracture and follow up as needed. Then she faxed me the report and I read about the herniation. I called back and eventually spoke to the Dr. He said ruling out the stress fx was his main concern and the herniation wasn’t terribly concerning because he isn’t having impingement symptoms. He should follow up as needed. Really? Not concerning? Wow. If I hadn’t asked for the report, and already had planned to see the orthopedic I might never have known…</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear that. It seems you are more frustrated with the physician which I can’t disagree with.</p>
<p>But let me try to help you look on the positive side of things: most of us have issues with our backs. He has pain so that is obviously an issue, but there are a lot of people who have these sorts of structural problems with never having pain.</p>
<p>Hopefully he gets seen by the orthopedic doctor next week and gets started on some physical therapy. That will almost definitely help!</p>
<p>Considering that this is the back he will need to live with for the next 70 years or so, he should spend his down time learning a better approach to lifting.</p>
<p>Specifically, I would recommend doing some Googling for Mike Boyle – strength and conditioning coach for BU men’s hockey, the US women’s olympic hockey team, the Boston Red Sox, and NFL combine camps. Boyle is controversial because he is so concerned with lifting in ways minimize injuries to his athletes. For example, he does zero back squatting and zero conventional deadlifting because of the lumbar back injuries he has seen. Instead, he does a lot of single leg squatting and deadlifting which dramatically lowers the load on the back.</p>
<p>In addition, you might consider the books or DVDs from sports back guru Stuart McGill. He has done a massive amount of research on sports performance and injury of the lumbar spine.</p>
<p>Odds are that your son will be as good as new in no time, but he’s going to need to change his approach to avoid recurring injuries. Unfortunately, many high school coaches are still stuck in the past, but the pro coaches and many of the top collegiate coaches are using a 21st century approach to lifting that greatly reduces injury. It’s pretty simple: when you are paying professional athlete millions of dollars a year, the last thing you want is your Strength coach injuring him in training.</p>
<p>My neurosurgeon told me that something like 50% of everybody have bulging discs. For most people they don’t cause problems, even when it appears they press on the spinal chord.</p>
<p>And for something like 90% of people that get numbness or shooting pains or whatever, it clears up on its own with only rest and physical therapy in 2 or 3 months.</p>
<p>Stress fractures, OTOH, are a royal pain in the you-know-what. My D had one (soccer), she was in a plastic body cast for weeks, CAT scans, braces, etc etc.</p>
<p>So I can see why, from your Dr.'s point of view, unless he has symptoms, it isn’t a huge deal.</p>
<p>Look for 90% of high school football players, it ends with that. Of the remaining 10%, probably the majority go to Div. 3 schools, and half of them ride the bench. And then it’s done. </p>
<p>Get something that can last a lifetime (or at least a good part of one).</p>
<p>interesteddad, Thanks you. I am bookmarking this thread so I can always find it to look up the info you suggested. I just hope S2 listens enough to rest it so he can get back to lifting (properly). I think it is the lifting that did it, because I think he started some different, heavier lifting when he started college ball in the fall. I hope he will be concerned enough to discuss modifications with the strength coach, as long as they clear him to play. I think he is afraid the coaches will consider him weak or damaged. Regardless of whether he plays ball or not, he enjoys keeping fit and looking good, so the gym will be in his life either way.</p>
<p>notrichenough, I am hoping that people who say what you say are correct. Now, if we can get S2 to do a rest and PT maybe he’ll be fine. Spring practices start in about a month and run for about 5 weeks. The practices should be ok because they are no-pads in the spring. It’s to practice plays and stuff. Then in August the serious training starts. </p>
<p>mini, it’s up to him and the doctors whether he continues to play or not. Until we see what they say I don’t know. He is D3, but he won’t be a bench rider. If he weren’t so stinking strong we probably wouldn’t be in this situation. I really think it was the weight room that did it…no way to ever know.</p>
<p>At his age, it was almost certainly the lifting that caused the injury and almost certainly heavy back squats and heavy barbell dead lifts that did him in. Both of those load the lumbar spine precariously and young men are more concerned with posting the big number than exquisite technique.</p>
<p>Boyle’s approach is single leg deadlifts and squats. Half the load on the back for the same or better gains in leg strength. Here’s an article he wrote on the issue (It’s a weightlifting site, so pardon the grotesque steroid-riddled photos):</p>
<p>Stuart McGill’s back research is incredible. He wires up professional athletes with muscle activation sensors and has them do their thing: throwing, batting, hitting a golf ball, weight lifting, MMA kick boxing, punching, whatever. He uses the sensor readings to drive a model of the spine on a computer so he can actually see spinal loading and core muscle stiffness during athletic movements. He specializes in getting elite level athletes with lumbar pain back in the game. Core strength, core strength, core strength. If your son wants to be able to live pain free, he needs to commit to a very intensive program of core exercises. All those muscles protect the spine by preventing lumbar rotation and bending, both in sports and everyday stuff like tying shoes. McGill’s research and books are driving the changes in strength training at the top levels. </p>
<p>For example, all the guys following McGill’s work have completely eliminated crunches because that motion is precisely the motion that causes lumbar disc herniation. It’s insane to do crunches as a workout exercise, using up what is a finite number of bending cycles in a human spine that has to last for 80+ years.</p>
<p>“mini, it’s up to him and the doctors whether he continues to play or not. Until we see what they say I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Is he over 18? Is he mature enough to make informed decisions about what his life will be like when he’s 45? Can he make a rational decision about the risk/reward ratio? (I know for sure that I couldn’t.)</p>
<p>The gym in his life forever is a good thing. I have an athletic d. who was headed (perhaps) for substantial college athletics before injuries took their toll. I was so relieved when the athletic “career” was over. Now (completing graduate school) she still spends major time in the gym, and likely always will. </p>
<p>(And if the coaches DON’T consider him damaged, he’s got the wrong coaches.)</p>
<p>Uh oh. D2 does crunches all the time. She has these beautiful long abdominal muscles. She also does a lot of yoga. With my history of disc problems, she may also be at risk. What should she do to replace the crunches?</p>
<p>I’ve had numerous herniated discs, and most of them have resolved with physical therapy and NSAIDS. If her son gets some good PT and changes the way he is lifting in order to protect his back as I-dad has recommended, I think the chances are good that he will heal up just fine.</p>
<p>With proper rehabilitation, he’ll be fine. Hopefully they will be able to get his pain under control, work on strengthening, and be taught proper body mechanics that he’ll be able to use down the road…</p>
<p>^^I disagree as well. 95% of herniated discs clear within a year. With no nerve impingement on MRI, the herniated disc may not even be what is bothering his back. </p>
<p>It’s best to avoid MRI’s. Most of us have stuff going on in our back it’s best not to know what is going on. Staying active is the key and ID is right that core strength is important. But studies do show that the best way to strengthen your core for a sport is to do the sport. Additional core strengthening is not a benefit to performance. But, it may help your back.</p>
<p>She probably would. It is an excellent program. I am trying to learn some of it myself and do about 10 minutes of it a couple of times each week…</p>
<p>Obviously we will guide him, and if we think he should NOT play we would override his decision. If he gets this under control maybe he will play. </p>
<p>Another factor in his decision is the opportunity to live away at school. He is close enough to commute, but with the demands of football we agreed he could live on campus. If he’s not going to play he should move home, so he’s hit with a lose-lose…I do think he is building some independence, and sometimes finds it boring enough to actually study. If he were home I think he’d be out more with his local friends and stuff.</p>
<p>Hubby and I are undecided what to do, and we will have to wait to see the progress…I have to deal with my Dad (former physician, and back sugery victim) who thinks we should have him right off to his favorite neuro an hour away and that there is no way he should play ever again. He may be right, but we’ll see.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your replies. I will see what the docs say and for now work toward relieving his pain and getting him pain free.</p>