Physical therapist from Germany here. Thank you so much for your opinion. So many people in my field are hugely biased and think they have the golden solution to back pain or other illnesses.
As a Physio, I really enjoyed this video and very nice that it can have a great reach to more people! Very important to note as menno has mentioned here in the video multiple times. This approach really works well when there is an underlying issue in the tissue! So in most cases acute injuries! When your pain persists for longer than the natural history (estimated timeline of tissue healing) it is best to get in contact with a professional in that field! But again not everyone may feel that they have enough control over their pain and even with just having one session to make sure there isnt something more serious can be helpful and reassuring.
I don’t think I’ve ever watched TH-cam content better than this about injury management. I’ve had a few injuries and this definitely connects to my experience.
Thank you for this spectacular video. As a physio I strongly agree with most of the sentiments in this video. Two things that are key in my opinion: 1) A good physio's job is to help people find movement alternatives and exercises that are within the capacity threshold that you talked about, as well as provide optmisim for these individuals going through a very challenging time. 2) Your video makes it sound like it is necessary to completely avoid pain ("staying below the threshold"). I would argue that working into a small amount of TEMPORARY pain (lasts only during the movement/exercise or dissipates shortly after - within a couple of hours) is actually slightly more optimal (albeit more challenging to attain). There is also some research backing up the fact that you recover slightly faster if you exercise into a small amount of tolerable & temporary pain than if you avoid it completely.
A similar back injury happened to me when I was 28. I had to stop training for months and thought it would never end. I read so many horror stories online and became quite depressed. And yet, it healed! After about 5 months I was more or less pain free, and now almost a decade later I have basically no back pain and train harder than ever. So to anyone reading this, don't let injuries get you down. Pain is hugely affected by your perception and overall levels of mental and physical health. Keep that in check and you should be ok!
I’ve had my disc herniation for almost 8years now, it has seriously gotten worse, I’ve recently found a guy on TH-cam that shows exercises you can do on the back extension, his name is low back ability. Hopefully I’ll be pain free one day
Wow, this is really reassuring. I tore some kind of connective tissue in my knee earlier this year, and never went to the doctor for it and even continued training legs afterwards because I refused to skip a leg day. However, I did lighten my loads to the point I could do my exercises pain-free and gradually increased my loads again during the months afterwards, pretty much what Menno describes you should do. I've been a little worried not going to the doctor was a stupid mistake of mine, but now I feel a little more reassured.
i mean a full tear is somewhat different as it would need surgery to reattach the tendon. But in your case it was probably a partial tear anyway seeing as you were still able to use the muscle so its probably all good.
Very useful suggestions! I'd like to add 2 additional tips: 1) practise mobility work twice a week to prevent injuries. 2) Warm up your spine with banded good mornings before deadlifts (and in general before any back work).
I suffered from sciatica for years and tried everything streching, physiotherapy, yoga. In the end what helped me was RDLs, initially I couldn't even do empty barbell but slowly as my strength increased my pain was gone.
I can relate. After way too long out of the gym, I started getting nerve pain down through the glutes (probably sciatica). After a months of training that included RDLs and Good Mornings (which I had never really tried before), the pain just went away.
me too, RDL cured me. They taught me posture, bracing and strengthened the lower back area. Barbell row as well but it was harder not to get hurt again doing these, where RDL was safer (I still hurted my disk one time doing a mistake in an RDL, but that was not too severe, and at that time I would hurt my back doing anything like puting socks..)
Stretching gave me 9 months of terrible sciatica: could walk for less than 100 meters at a time, etc. I believe it was a bubble, which heals more slowly than a burst. Finally, it healed by itself. And yes, I continued lifting weights...very carefully. I have had the experience of deadlifts or squats fixing a more mild back pain.
@@johnrobinson4445Stretching? How did that happen? Did you stretch too far or simply the action of stretching over periods of time led you to a 9-month injury?
A really great video Menno. As someone with massage, A&P & treatment background this is spot on. Another layer to consider is topical aromatic or cannabinoid applications to assist with local inflammation & pain control during recovery movements. Therapeutic peptides such as BPC-157 have also been found to accelerate healing of soft tissues in both acute & chronic injuries.
This might be one of the best summaries of how to deal with injuries thatI've ever seen, and as a 60yo strength trainee I am constantly dealing with at least one or two minor sources of pain. I also suffer form having an extremely high tolerance to pain (I am fully tattooed, as in head to toe body suit -- survive that experience, and you by definition have a high tolerance for pain), and being one of those stubborn people, used to work through the pain and make things worse. After taking your PT course, injury management was perhaps the most important lesson, and the strategies you discusses in the course, and expanded on here, are the main reason I haven't stopped training, very consistently, for five years now.
I rarely bother to leave comments on videos, but this one was really helpful. I had a meniscus tear and went to the doctor, but ended up just doing what you recommended. I searched for literature on the internet but the information was so conflicting or repetitive that I just (as you recommended) did the exercises I could do, let the pain response be the feedback, and let the knee heal itself over time. However, the medication for the pain and inflammation that I got from the doctor actually did help. Thanks for the wisdom.
I heard that the best physios are primarily good at making people "feel" taken care of from a physio doing a presentation 10 years ago. Whenever I tell people that I dont need to see a doctor for a smaller injury they always look at me like im being silly 😅 I have learned that injuries can take months to heal, doesnt mean that they are very serious, its just what it is. I tweaked my back a month ago, it has gradually been getting better and hopefully I am symptom free by christmas!
This was very encouraging to hear. I had the exact same scenario with a herniated disc where I saw every medical professional you could imagine and they all told me something different, and no one could really pin it down. What finally helped me was cortisone shots via epidural directly into the L5-S1 a few times throughout the year. It just took away the pain enough to VERY carefully start exercising back to recovery over the year.
So would people having access to people that cared for and about them and provided compassionate touch. I don't think this video can satisfy that core need, which I think is at the root of a lot of seeking of medical attention.
This was really helpful. Medicine is generally also the same- more of a placebo than anything else. Most who have dealt with chronic illness or serious injuries know this intuitively.
Had 3 discs go, 2 needed surgery, 1 nearly killed me, (cauda equina, but I reacted to the medication) I'm VERY lucky to have the use of my legs and bowels. 6 months on I'm stronger than ever and it's because I stopped treating my back like it was gonna snap the second I did anything. Full depth leg press, squats, deep stretch hyperextensions, flexion rows with a pause, really working my body how it's meant to move and it's been phenomenal for injury rehabilitation. Your point 4 is just spot on, the sooner we get back to functional, and mobile, the quicker recovery becomes.
Based on my experience with myself and several other people, I now believe that perhaps even the majority of long-term pain (especially back pain) is heavily psychosomatic. Although as you mentioned this may be more commonly the case in the average person where there are very few causes for physical injuries. Often the stress or anxiety that leads to physical pain comes from everyday stuff so that is what needs to be managed.
@@LeVacarois its getting better but yes the pain goes along the sciatica. ibuprofen helps and a lot of walking i do at least 15k steps per day. but yes we got this!
@@lolroflxDhans Same man. The first few minutes of a walk hurt like hell, but after that my symptoms reduce and I can basically walk as long as I want to. You and I are lucky we can still do that, for many people with sciatica it's just not an option. Hope it resolves quickly for you!
I can absolutely agree with Menno. My anecdote: in early 2005 my C6 needed to be fixed in a surgery. The pain before and after was top level. I had signed up for a racebike marathon in the Alps later that year and I asked my doctor what I should do instead. Biking 8 hours is not just what my back needs, I thought. My doctor: what?? I am not your excuse to do avoid the hard training and even cycling is good therapy for your spine. He was right.
Ice sunny (icy) day and I slipped hiking, fell back onto my outstretched arm now supported by the hiking pole, my leg now three feet off the ground. I quickly got my leg under me as to catch my balance which is what caused the pop, my whole body tremored a nervous buzz up and down my back, oh the pain was sharp, it was really only my shoulder or was it?That was four years ago. At first my shoulder slowly got better (still shovelling show, x-country skiing, bike riding..basically still everything). Then at year two my whole body froze, no new injuries just my body saying no more. Slowly things eased up all except a 5 square inch spot on my right lower back. Which now after agressively rolling it reviled a super tender soft back joint. Thats where Im at now. Gym three days a week, elipital 20minutes (whole body, intermediate), then 10 minutes sitting bike, 20 minutes sauna. Tight and stiff rear end, sore lower back, still strong feel fine all but the stiff areas. Oh my, still more to come.. ugg 😢
The thing I have found with injuries is just that it's difficult to know how to avoid irritating them. I hurt my back this year deadlifting and after like a week or two of letting things heal I tried some bodyweight back extensions a couple times a week as a rehab exercise. It didn't hurt at all while I was doing it, it felt pretty good, but the next day I had way more pain than before hand, which is not what I wanted
Knees over toes guy is a great resource as well. Dont work through the pain, work To the pain.....whatever area hurts dont shy away from exercise there, just dont go to the pain point. Eventually you'll be able to go deeper and have more motion in the area as it strengthens. Even a sprained ankle should be exercised progressively loading more weight as the pain subsides.
Having injured my back rather seriously in my youth (sports injury, 3 holes ripped into my spinal erector), I get severe back pain appr. 1-2 times a year. Generally, it's a severe muscle cramp that requires some muscle relaxants and painkillers to relax. Until that, the pain is debilitating, making it impossible to stand straight and causing occasional loss of consciousness. Even though the injury is 99% healed to the full mobility, the 1% sucks. And training through the pain/enduring pain is spot on. I had filled "8" as my self-perceptive pain amount, out of 10. Then I told the doc that I had lost my consciousness due to the pain. They asked why didn't I put 10+. I told them that the most intense pains I had endured didn't have a common courtesy of knocking me out, so 9 and 10 are reserved for those. They laughed and then asked if I was an athlete. Then told me that if I lose the consciousness, it's 10+ from now on. This is an important video.
I've had many disc issues over decades which lasted from a few days to several months. All were painful. To their credit, the few times I consulted orthopedic, and neuro surgenons, they all advised against surgery and reinforced that my injuries would heal themselves.
Listen to Menno. The principles he teaches in his PT Course I used after I herniated my discs and with many clients. I couldn't even shake people's hands for months, but thanks to the knowledge he shares, I finished the workout that day and have skipped none since then. Adjust movements, adjust intensity, and other variables. Might injuries avoid you all.
This is pure gold, fellows. Absolutely on spot, as usual. Keep rocking & sharing the best advices, mate 💪🏻🔥 PS: 44 yo ISSA CPT, with 10+ of experience, already in your waitlist 😎
had a bulging disc at L5 hitting my S1 Nerve, i also had an MRI but it showed easily, 2 cortisone shots and 25 physical therapy sessdions later i felt better than ever, took around 8 months to get better. weak core is what gets most people. certain yoga stretches and lifting weights again. lot of good points in this video.
I've had a similar story and im pretty sure alot in the chat went through something alike in different degrees : I got scar tissue in my semitendinosus and the approximate glute fibers due to injury → Hip misalignment and immobility → scoliosis → Chronic pain and probably cns overstimulus because of it → lack of hip scap and spine mobility → bad breathing habits→ jaw problems → "frozen" ribs → more reduction in hip scap and spine mobility → partial subscap tear and same in my vmo (knee) → foot problems. And this goes on and on. ( The succession is not 100% accurate though. ) I mean almost all of my joints were moving with compensatory patterns. It certainly wasn't fun to train with constant fear and pain. The worst of all was the helplessness.- The projection of it into the future was also fun to deal with. And all of that just because I couldn't get the right information/therapy after my injury. Most "specialists" lacked the conceptual understanding to help me. I mean you cant assume that your "every day person" will understand that theyre getting bullshited and that they then go on their own research journey and... also find what they need. There's a good thing, thou. It helped me to understand what most people don't .But at the same time, I now recognize just how many people suffer from similar dynamics and that the majority of them won't get adequate help IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE ?! More people need to see this vid! All that bullshiting just to secure wages has to stop.
@@xSports_Science Hey! This video is a good starter when it comes to volume and load. Stopping activity at all is usually the wrong approach. Your tissues need a load to regenerate and not to atrophy. An exception is if the tissues have to regenerate to a certain degree before you can load them again (certain tears f.e. but the line is not dichotomous). So the approach is some kind of "lineraish" progression system with load and intensity. -But if the movement patterns during rehab enhances compensations, i.e. your not acutally rehabing, than you'll probaly feel better to a certain degree but most certainly never get to the point where you can move without major restrictions, with confident, powerfull, explosive and so on. That is sad, it's right that most injuries heal without further intervention. I'm talking about certain cases, although my anecdotal evidence says that even those small injuries need some kind of rehab. I'll try to keep this short and guide you in one direction:. In my point of view, the most important part is what kind of strategy your joints go through to get you from "a" to "b" and if your joints can actually get into "position a" and "position b" and also shift freely from one into the other. (there's no universal correct biomechanic - that has to be mentioned) In an ideal world where you don't have any restrictions or neuromechanical inhibition, teaching the muscles to bear a load in certain positions would be the fix. -It's often not that easy though. More further down. F.e. Rows: Can your scap rotate around your ribcage to enable the proper motion of your arm and also shift the activation FROM certain muscles like real dealts, biceps and upper traps, levator scap etc. TO the lower traps, seratus anterior, allthough that's controversial: the lower lat fibers, romboinds etc. in a relational way. Your scap needs to be able to get up, down, to the spine and away from it and rotate in different ways. -That's what most people actually need to learn instead of doing endless band work which will never improve your movement pattern. Your body is smart and follows the "leastaction principle" not the "best healthiest optimal biomechanics so I can be jacked and healthy principle" ;). Now it is getting a little more complex. How the scap moves is determined by how your joints are stacked over each other (feet, knees, hip, ripcage , head etc.). - Remember your body wants to keep the center of gravity in the middle so you don't fall over. Imagine one side of the hip hiking and thus your center of gravity shifting. Now either the hip hiking gets corrected or another joint will move to shift the center of gravity to the middle again. A typical compensation (i.e. moving joints to align your center of gravity again) would be a shoulder drop on the hiked upside. So if your scape can't move into certain positions in a certain way, you'll probably have a hard time activating certain muscles. Imagine how similar dynamics contribute to the movement patterns of your hip complex and thus altering the whole body again. -You can never tell from where the problems originally arise without an accesment but you dont really need to find the first culprit because conected problems always lead to each other. So start with one thing ask yourself what you can and can not do and what other joint might influence this. You can also imagine that your whole ripcage could rotate in the frontal plane to re-align the body and with this compress your ribs on one side, ending in an altered shape of your ribcage, which might lead to restrictions, in the way your ribs themselves can move ( don't forget they move with every breath for you, to be able to get enough air in. now what happens if you can't get enough air because the ribs don't move and where would tension build up? your shoulders will hike (scap gets pulled up and around), and your head will go forward to increase space for your lungs for you to be able to breath again) wich leads to the scap not beeing able to move around the ribcage freely if the scap gets chronically "stuck" there. - (see, this might not be a "direct" muscular issue like a weak muscle) Above is of course just a theortical - pratical example which is not in any way an imperative. Now notice how I don't point out a single culprit, because most of the time, it's a systemic issue. Of course there are cases where the problem arises locally and gets fixed locally too. Theres ALOT more to say (it doesnt really get more complex though) which people like Mr.- "conor_harris_", -"adammeakins" , -"integratedkineticneurology" , -"davidgreyrehab" , -"mvmtbymatt" , -"alex.effer" and more will tell you about. I hope this didnt get to confusing.
I strained my right pec once and was proscribed physical therapy sessions at 40 bucks a pop. I stopped going after a couple weeks because I was worthless. I was back in the gym lifting with no discomfort a couple weeks later.
Honestly, everytime I tweaked something was during a high bar squat even if my form was very controlled....I have since ditched squats while focusing on machines and less taxing deadlift variations like RDLs instead of deadlifts. My back no longer feels a bit beaten up and my legs are growing like mad! Some exercises are not for everyone.
Suffered from lower back pain and injuries for years (bedridden & had to crawl around). Releasing my psoas and TFL with massage and then lengthening with stretches saved me. Hip flexors were locked up tight and yanking on my lower spine 24/7. Any wrong move and pop! Strengthening glutes (side glutes especially), hamstrings & obliques helped a lot too. All the $$$ to doctors and chiropractors couldn't help!
Had L5/S1 herniation confirmed by MRI. Severe pain down left leg when bending forward even slightly at the waist. Happened while squatting highbar. Kept training the lifts I could, kept walking…completely pain free in about 12 weeks. I took 8-9 months however to slowly reintroduce certain movements starting with low weights.
I am sorry to hear this as I know exactly what itbmeans, i have identical pain, however CT Scan and MRI showed nothin, i also do not remember it to be acute, but i'm 34 and been in pain on/off 12 yrs, i do work out 5-6/week. Any tips that work for u to improve?
My back has been a nightmare since teenage years. Heavy physical job and heavy squats & deadlifts messed it up pretty bad as I had a mri for a month ago. Its time to stop doing heavy lifts and focus on maintain as much muscle ass possible and some mobility for the rest of my life.
Extension intolerance in the younger population with disc herniation with radicular pain typically occurs when your lumbar joint mobility is poor, especially into extension. Usually the as you improve your lumbar joint mobility, tolerance to extension improves and the radicular pain down the leg will centralize. If you have extension intolerance without radicular pain, there is a solid chance that it’s not your herniated disk that is generating the pain. It’s usually something like a facet joint.
Imaging often not being useful is something all lawyers who work with civil claims know - absolutely true that no matter who you image, you’ll find something. I’ve had cases with sub 10mph impacts and they do some imaging and bam it’s a $50k case
Breathing, bracing ,core strengthening hinging are the best things on can master also crucial that only a few specialists address. A disc buldge it's a weakened stage which means you don't have to worry, but be awaoken to practice safe lifting as the above mentioned techniques become an absolute must. Dehydration of the disc with improper lifting is the Spark that sets the bomb to go off POP in this case ,a disc....been a candidate for surgery and hence sharing. However Mennos advice is obviously going to be the best as he's a specialist not me.
Tore my SI joint, and was in pain for 7 months before I got help. Hurt myself squatting, and struggled with sitting for long periods for a year (SI join tear happened later and reignited the back pain). PS. Physical therapy helped me solve the SI joint tear.
I herniated a disc 20 years ago. Since then I've been able to do no deadlifts (they instantly re-hurt me, and I can't walk for weeks) and haven't had 12 consecutive months without re-injury. I still lift, including split squats and straight-leg deadlifts, so the strength and musculature is there, and I haven't had any type of injury from working out in over 10 years. Yoga and stretching several times per week -- at the direction of a PT 15 years ago -- also helps a lot. But I feel like this video glosses over the very real issue of chronic back injury. When everything's great for 3-9 months, and then suddenly stepping off a curb (or putting on socks) causes a snap, followed by 3 weeks of inability to walk, "just work out around the pain" isn't very useful advice. Nor is, "you'll never know exactly what the issue is."
I needed to see that this I got 3 bulging disks in my neck and I’ve been afraid to exercise or even do anything got the nerves stuff going, mentally I’ve been struggling for the last three months I’m gonna really try to exercise with super light weights and walk a lot more so I can keep my mind more positive til this injury will eventually dissipate
Hi Menno, as a proponent of full body every day, i would really like to hear your thoughts on Dr. Mike's recent video on full body workouts. Kind regards
I often have slight lower back pain and I've noticed that doing some exercises where lower back is involved (like heavy seated cable rows as opposed to chest supported rows) reduces my pain.
I wish I saw this video a 1.5 years ago. Had a bad herniated disc as well, suffered for 2 months before committing to surgery. The main concern my doctors told me about back then is that the spinal compression of the disc on my leg nerve could kill or damage the nerve and it would not recover, rendering my leg either not functional or weakened forever. Of course at the time I didn't have all the context in the world and honestly am happy I did the surgery, as I am now fully recovered and doing weight training. My question, does the science support the concerns my doctors had?
Would love a pyschosomatic/ pyschogenic pain video. Great video! living with back pain for over 15years and lifting through it looking for any advice. Thank you!
Thank you very much for this video, Menno! Could I ask about your experience/knowledge with chiropractic care for this kind of pain? Are they helpful for preventing or reducing pain as a complement to the exercises mentioned in your video?
The MRI on my neck clearly showed two herniated discs. One was 6mm into my spinal cord. That really sucked. Years of recovery. Never fully recovered. Two doctors recommended surgery, but insurance didn’t agree.
I herniated my discs doing back squats. I've been waking up and doing glute, hip flexor, ab and spine exercises which have helped immediately. I think my herniated disc is very low down, near my tailbone.
As a physical therapist, I don’t believe my job is to heal the body. It is to educate the patient and show them what they are capable of. Regardless of healing times and types of injuries there are many people that simply don’t don’t know enough to get back to their previous level of function. So yes they heal but did their movement patterns improve? Did they learn anything? Do they know how to participate in their hobby/sport without re-injury?
I injured my left shoulder doing too many bear crawls and KB swings. I went to the top shoulder ortho in Seattle, and he x-rayed and sent me to PT. The guy tried Dry needling and massage and it felt great. But he was dismayed when I told him it didn't really help. Then the pt said I should go back the Shoulder dr and get it looked at again and that I might need surgery. Internally, I laughed and just decided to let it heal, and in about year and a half it was all better. Waste of money.
wtf bro, mri to show my l5 s1 disk is how i got surgery. that shit saved my life after over a decade of debilitating pain. i thought this was a science based channel. mris are amassing tech
Back injuries are no fun I've injured my back twice on Romanian Deadlifts years ago. I never got imaging done because I figured it wouldn't change that I would show up to the gym (which was hard because I struggled to get in and out of my car) and do exercises I could tolerate for light reps, eventually time heals it. I'm back to RDLs and doing them with a proper range of motion that isn't excessive, which I think my problem was before, and filling in the rest of my Hamstring volume with leg curls and back extensions. I currently only do 2 sets of 6-10 on RDLs, once a week.
My wife suffers from pyriformis syndrome of the left gluteal area. She has had this for more than three years. All the exercises she does and therapies have not make any good. Do you have a pyriformis training routine suggestions she may try?
The part where you say "people just feel cared for" is so underestimated though. I get a Shiatsu massage every two-ish weeks. Not because I believe it does much physically to my soft tissue - but it is nice to feel cared for by a trusted person, and compassionate touch has been scientifically shown time and time again to be hugely beneficial. We can file that under placebo, but I think that the strictly separated view of body and mind is outdated. My body performs and heals better with stress release, and as a social primate is get huge stress relief from being massaged by a benevolent person. Really no magic there. 😊 What is unfortunate is that care and compassionate touch are beginning to become a privilege for those who can afford it, when it is a core human need that used to be provided by close knit social networks.
I live in the country, so we only go to the doctor once a year. I've retrained bicep tears, delt tears, pulled something in my leg once that made me limp for over a year but is good now, broken foot, broken fingers, etc etc.. Tend to do my own minor surgeries removing warts and what have you. Oh and don't forget all the various tendonitis over the years. Used to have really bad carpal tunnel too which I mostly fixed with yoga and lifting.
Excellent video doctor. This resonates my experience as well. A question though, I have suffered for few months of sudden weekness in my left arm for biceps, back exercises and chest exercises. The left triceps exercises are not affected by this. I have been following same approach. Gradually increase strength of these exercises but this has taken such a long time, 5 months now and slow improvements. Seems that the issue maybe neurological. Am I doing this right?
Menno, I greatly enjoy your content. "Muscle memory" is often cited by bodybuilding and physio professionals, and it was covered in my undergraduate and graduate university studies (many years ago). Can you direct me to a source that actually examines the cell physiological of this phenomenon? Cheers
Stronger by Science made an article about this recently. Just google muscle memory Stronger by Stronger by Science and there should at least be an article on it from this year (2024) I believe.
Herniated discs destroyed my lifting career. Sometimes I can't even walk. No matter how many videos of mckenzie techniques etc I watch, one bad move and it's over.
But… I hurt my knee.. I got an mri.. my acl was torn… I needed surgery.. I got the surgery. I got a treatment plan specific to my injury (which would have been different if I had, for example, a patellar or meniscus injury). Is your position I should have just ‘exercised’?
Really appreciate you putting in words the issues Ive had and the path I’ve taken Sadly I’m still in pain, herniated disc, horribly herniated too, they called it extruded I think. Anyways, went from being on oxycodone and not leaving bed to now being back in the gym and doing some leg exercises. Sadly I’m not as far as I’d like to be after over a year post injury. I’m wondering if you have any more tips for people with severe disc herniations or if you have any marker for when surgery should be more strongly considered. Or maybe I’m just being too much of a dang meathead and need to listen to my body even more lol
I partially disagree, had elbow tendinitis, found E3 rehab channel, the exercices they provided for my specific injuries (wrist curl / reverse wirst curl) were a game changer for me. I would have had no idea what to do if not for them, and I don't think it would have gotten any better. There is value in having some knowledge of what is happenning or seeing a professional sometimes, because I probably wouldn't have guessed myself that I needed to do that.
2:00 you know "a" doctor in the Netherlands? Literally EVERY single doctor in the Netherlands (especially huisarts / family doctor) always does that hahaha. "Take some paracetamol and come back in 2 weeks if you still have pain" (and if you're still alive). It's pretty much how the system works here
Menno here is spitting facts so hard that this video could get flagged as inappropriate Incredible video and really goes well with my anecdotal experience about back pain
Much of the internet absolutely believes the McGill Big 3 are indeed magical. In fact, I've often found that I you say that McGill didn't help you out very much, they will attack you and tell you didn't do it right.
I herniated disc dealifting - or was told this after MRI. Had awful sciatica, from butt to foot. Saw a few physios. None helped, one made it worse. Couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes for over 7 months. Then found reverse hypers and after a few days of doing a few sets a day I walked for 2 hours. Then the next day 4 hour walk. Thanks Louie Simmons. Combined those with lat pulldowns (holding top stretch), hanging leg raises, nerve flossing and wore ankle weights when I could. This protocol if interested th-cam.com/video/arHCIA5saYo/w-d-xo.html Had sciatica again since and the reverse hypers DIDNT help, so they aren't a miracle, they just worked a small miracle for me at that time. They could make others peoples symptoms worse. But I found other ways to fix it. Can no longer deadlift or back squat or I get sciatic symptoms so I just don't bother, so I found other exercises which in a way was blessing as I've built more muscle mass without Back Squats and DLs. And yes, treat symptoms not an MRI scan result.
Physical therapist from Germany here. Thank you so much for your opinion. So many people in my field are hugely biased and think they have the golden solution to back pain or other illnesses.
As a Physio, I really enjoyed this video and very nice that it can have a great reach to more people! Very important to note as menno has mentioned here in the video multiple times. This approach really works well when there is an underlying issue in the tissue! So in most cases acute injuries! When your pain persists for longer than the natural history (estimated timeline of tissue healing) it is best to get in contact with a professional in that field!
But again not everyone may feel that they have enough control over their pain and even with just having one session to make sure there isnt something more serious can be helpful and reassuring.
I don’t think I’ve ever watched TH-cam content better than this about injury management. I’ve had a few injuries and this definitely connects to my experience.
Thank you for this spectacular video. As a physio I strongly agree with most of the sentiments in this video. Two things that are key in my opinion:
1) A good physio's job is to help people find movement alternatives and exercises that are within the capacity threshold that you talked about, as well as provide optmisim for these individuals going through a very challenging time.
2) Your video makes it sound like it is necessary to completely avoid pain ("staying below the threshold"). I would argue that working into a small amount of TEMPORARY pain (lasts only during the movement/exercise or dissipates shortly after - within a couple of hours) is actually slightly more optimal (albeit more challenging to attain). There is also some research backing up the fact that you recover slightly faster if you exercise into a small amount of tolerable & temporary pain than if you avoid it completely.
I’ve had many injures and ops over the years training and this is by far the best piece of advice I’ve had from anyone. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏼
Yes boy this is the video I needed right now. Excited to learn how right or wrong my current routine is.
Great video! once again Thank you Menno!
A similar back injury happened to me when I was 28. I had to stop training for months and thought it would never end. I read so many horror stories online and became quite depressed. And yet, it healed! After about 5 months I was more or less pain free, and now almost a decade later I have basically no back pain and train harder than ever. So to anyone reading this, don't let injuries get you down. Pain is hugely affected by your perception and overall levels of mental and physical health. Keep that in check and you should be ok!
I’ve had my disc herniation for almost 8years now, it has seriously gotten worse, I’ve recently found a guy on TH-cam that shows exercises you can do on the back extension, his name is low back ability. Hopefully I’ll be pain free one day
Wow, this is really reassuring. I tore some kind of connective tissue in my knee earlier this year, and never went to the doctor for it and even continued training legs afterwards because I refused to skip a leg day. However, I did lighten my loads to the point I could do my exercises pain-free and gradually increased my loads again during the months afterwards, pretty much what Menno describes you should do. I've been a little worried not going to the doctor was a stupid mistake of mine, but now I feel a little more reassured.
i mean a full tear is somewhat different as it would need surgery to reattach the tendon. But in your case it was probably a partial tear anyway seeing as you were still able to use the muscle so its probably all good.
@@sw-gz9ps Yes, I think the same way.
Very useful suggestions! I'd like to add 2 additional tips: 1) practise mobility work twice a week to prevent injuries. 2) Warm up your spine with banded good mornings before deadlifts (and in general before any back work).
I suffered from sciatica for years and tried everything streching, physiotherapy, yoga. In the end what helped me was RDLs, initially I couldn't even do empty barbell but slowly as my strength increased my pain was gone.
I can relate. After way too long out of the gym, I started getting nerve pain down through the glutes (probably sciatica). After a months of training that included RDLs and Good Mornings (which I had never really tried before), the pain just went away.
me too, RDL cured me.
They taught me posture, bracing and strengthened the lower back area. Barbell row as well but it was harder not to get hurt again doing these, where RDL was safer (I still hurted my disk one time doing a mistake in an RDL, but that was not too severe, and at that time I would hurt my back doing anything like puting socks..)
Stretching gave me 9 months of terrible sciatica: could walk for less than 100 meters at a time, etc.
I believe it was a bubble, which heals more slowly than a burst. Finally, it healed by itself.
And yes, I continued lifting weights...very carefully.
I have had the experience of deadlifts or squats fixing a more mild back pain.
@@johnrobinson4445Stretching? How did that happen? Did you stretch too far or simply the action of stretching over periods of time led you to a 9-month injury?
A really great video Menno. As someone with massage, A&P & treatment background this is spot on. Another layer to consider is topical aromatic or cannabinoid applications to assist with local inflammation & pain control during recovery movements. Therapeutic peptides such as BPC-157 have also been found to accelerate healing of soft tissues in both acute & chronic injuries.
This might be one of the best summaries of how to deal with injuries thatI've ever seen, and as a 60yo strength trainee I am constantly dealing with at least one or two minor sources of pain. I also suffer form having an extremely high tolerance to pain (I am fully tattooed, as in head to toe body suit -- survive that experience, and you by definition have a high tolerance for pain), and being one of those stubborn people, used to work through the pain and make things worse.
After taking your PT course, injury management was perhaps the most important lesson, and the strategies you discusses in the course, and expanded on here, are the main reason I haven't stopped training, very consistently, for five years now.
I rarely bother to leave comments on videos, but this one was really helpful. I had a meniscus tear and went to the doctor, but ended up just doing what you recommended. I searched for literature on the internet but the information was so conflicting or repetitive that I just (as you recommended) did the exercises I could do, let the pain response be the feedback, and let the knee heal itself over time. However, the medication for the pain and inflammation that I got from the doctor actually did help. Thanks for the wisdom.
Hi, so you believe your knee healed better when performing pain-free knees exercises than if you hadn't exercised them at all?
I heard that the best physios are primarily good at making people "feel" taken care of from a physio doing a presentation 10 years ago. Whenever I tell people that I dont need to see a doctor for a smaller injury they always look at me like im being silly 😅 I have learned that injuries can take months to heal, doesnt mean that they are very serious, its just what it is. I tweaked my back a month ago, it has gradually been getting better and hopefully I am symptom free by christmas!
This was very encouraging to hear. I had the exact same scenario with a herniated disc where I saw every medical professional you could imagine and they all told me something different, and no one could really pin it down.
What finally helped me was cortisone shots via epidural directly into the L5-S1 a few times throughout the year. It just took away the pain enough to VERY carefully start exercising back to recovery over the year.
Showing this video to patients as a first sitting could probably lower healthcare cost related to physical injuries by 80%
So would people having access to people that cared for and about them and provided compassionate touch. I don't think this video can satisfy that core need, which I think is at the root of a lot of seeking of medical attention.
This was really helpful. Medicine is generally also the same- more of a placebo than anything else. Most who have dealt with chronic illness or serious injuries know this intuitively.
Had 3 discs go, 2 needed surgery, 1 nearly killed me, (cauda equina, but I reacted to the medication) I'm VERY lucky to have the use of my legs and bowels. 6 months on I'm stronger than ever and it's because I stopped treating my back like it was gonna snap the second I did anything. Full depth leg press, squats, deep stretch hyperextensions, flexion rows with a pause, really working my body how it's meant to move and it's been phenomenal for injury rehabilitation.
Your point 4 is just spot on, the sooner we get back to functional, and mobile, the quicker recovery becomes.
Cauda equina sounds like the worst. Great to hear you made it through and are doing so well. Stay strong man!
Based on my experience with myself and several other people, I now believe that perhaps even the majority of long-term pain (especially back pain) is heavily psychosomatic. Although as you mentioned this may be more commonly the case in the average person where there are very few causes for physical injuries. Often the stress or anxiety that leads to physical pain comes from everyday stuff so that is what needs to be managed.
absolutely 100% agree and I'm 68 and have had a lifetime of injuries. the WORST is chiroquactors! you should have 82m subscribers, btw.
i have the same it started 2 weeks ago the pain is massive thanks for the video
Hope you feel better buddy.
Seems like we got injured at the same time. Are you dealing with sciatica too? It's a b*tch, ain't it? Keep your head up, we got this!
@@LeVacarois its getting better but yes the pain goes along the sciatica. ibuprofen helps and a lot of walking i do at least 15k steps per day. but yes we got this!
@@lolroflxDhans Same man. The first few minutes of a walk hurt like hell, but after that my symptoms reduce and I can basically walk as long as I want to. You and I are lucky we can still do that, for many people with sciatica it's just not an option. Hope it resolves quickly for you!
Watching you feels like making sense of everything I told others, despite lacking an academic background, just relying on logical reasoning.
Well said.
These were prettymuch my thoughts as well.
I can absolutely agree with Menno.
My anecdote: in early 2005 my C6 needed to be fixed in a surgery. The pain before and after was top level. I had signed up for a racebike marathon in the Alps later that year and I asked my doctor what I should do instead. Biking 8 hours is not just what my back needs, I thought.
My doctor: what?? I am not your excuse to do avoid the hard training and even cycling is good therapy for your spine.
He was right.
10:30 is a great point to make. appreciate the videos
Ice sunny (icy) day and I slipped hiking, fell back onto my outstretched arm now supported by the hiking pole, my leg now three feet off the ground. I quickly got my leg under me as to catch my balance which is what caused the pop, my whole body tremored a nervous buzz up and down my back, oh the pain was sharp, it was really only my shoulder or was it?That was four years ago. At first my shoulder slowly got better (still shovelling show, x-country skiing, bike riding..basically still everything). Then at year two my whole body froze, no new injuries just my body saying no more. Slowly things eased up all except a 5 square inch spot on my right lower back. Which now after agressively rolling it reviled a super tender soft back joint. Thats where Im at now. Gym three days a week, elipital 20minutes (whole body, intermediate), then 10 minutes sitting bike, 20 minutes sauna. Tight and stiff rear end, sore lower back, still strong feel fine all but the stiff areas. Oh my, still more to come.. ugg 😢
The thing I have found with injuries is just that it's difficult to know how to avoid irritating them. I hurt my back this year deadlifting and after like a week or two of letting things heal I tried some bodyweight back extensions a couple times a week as a rehab exercise. It didn't hurt at all while I was doing it, it felt pretty good, but the next day I had way more pain than before hand, which is not what I wanted
Great video. Lines up with my experience.
Knees over toes guy is a great resource as well. Dont work through the pain, work To the pain.....whatever area hurts dont shy away from exercise there, just dont go to the pain point. Eventually you'll be able to go deeper and have more motion in the area as it strengthens. Even a sprained ankle should be exercised progressively loading more weight as the pain subsides.
This lesson was just what I needed right now 🙏🏻 thank you
Having injured my back rather seriously in my youth (sports injury, 3 holes ripped into my spinal erector), I get severe back pain appr. 1-2 times a year. Generally, it's a severe muscle cramp that requires some muscle relaxants and painkillers to relax. Until that, the pain is debilitating, making it impossible to stand straight and causing occasional loss of consciousness.
Even though the injury is 99% healed to the full mobility, the 1% sucks.
And training through the pain/enduring pain is spot on. I had filled "8" as my self-perceptive pain amount, out of 10. Then I told the doc that I had lost my consciousness due to the pain. They asked why didn't I put 10+. I told them that the most intense pains I had endured didn't have a common courtesy of knocking me out, so 9 and 10 are reserved for those. They laughed and then asked if I was an athlete. Then told me that if I lose the consciousness, it's 10+ from now on.
This is an important video.
I've had many disc issues over decades which lasted from a few days to several months. All were painful. To their credit, the few times I consulted orthopedic, and neuro surgenons, they all advised against surgery and reinforced that my injuries would heal themselves.
Listen to Menno. The principles he teaches in his PT Course I used after I herniated my discs and with many clients.
I couldn't even shake people's hands for months, but thanks to the knowledge he shares, I finished the workout that day and have skipped none since then.
Adjust movements, adjust intensity, and other variables.
Might injuries avoid you all.
This is pure gold, fellows. Absolutely on spot, as usual. Keep rocking & sharing the best advices, mate 💪🏻🔥 PS: 44 yo ISSA CPT, with 10+ of experience, already in your waitlist 😎
Thank you for such refreshing and brave point
Fascinating exposition. It rings true to me.
1:39 Nice quote :-)
Here's another one I like from him: "I've decided to be happy because it's goof for health."
had a bulging disc at L5 hitting my S1 Nerve, i also had an MRI but it showed easily, 2 cortisone shots and 25 physical therapy sessdions later i felt better than ever, took around 8 months to get better. weak core is what gets most people. certain yoga stretches and lifting weights again. lot of good points in this video.
Wonderfully timed video for me.
I've had a similar story and im pretty sure alot in the chat went through something alike in different degrees :
I got scar tissue in my semitendinosus and the approximate glute fibers due to injury → Hip misalignment and immobility → scoliosis → Chronic pain and probably cns overstimulus because of it → lack of hip scap and spine mobility → bad breathing habits→ jaw problems → "frozen" ribs → more reduction in hip scap and spine mobility → partial subscap tear and same in my vmo (knee) → foot problems. And this goes on and on. ( The succession is not 100% accurate though. )
I mean almost all of my joints were moving with compensatory patterns.
It certainly wasn't fun to train with constant fear and pain.
The worst of all was the helplessness.- The projection of it into the future was also fun to deal with.
And all of that just because I couldn't get the right information/therapy after my injury.
Most "specialists" lacked the conceptual understanding to help me.
I mean you cant assume that your "every day person" will understand that theyre getting bullshited and that they then go on their own research journey and... also find what they need.
There's a good thing, thou. It helped me to understand what most people don't .But at the same time, I now recognize just how many people suffer from similar dynamics and that the majority of them won't get adequate help IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE ?!
More people need to see this vid!
All that bullshiting just to secure wages has to stop.
Hi! So how did you heal your injuries? Did you train with lower loads and volume to rehabilitate yourself or did you completely stop exercising?
@@xSports_Science Hey!
This video is a good starter when it comes to volume and load. Stopping activity at all is usually the wrong approach.
Your tissues need a load to regenerate and not to atrophy. An exception is if the tissues have to regenerate to a certain degree before you can load them again (certain tears f.e. but the line is not dichotomous).
So the approach is some kind of "lineraish" progression system with load and intensity. -But if the movement patterns during rehab enhances compensations, i.e. your not acutally rehabing, than you'll probaly feel better to a certain degree but most certainly never get to the point where you can move without major restrictions, with confident, powerfull, explosive and so on.
That is sad, it's right that most injuries heal without further intervention. I'm talking about certain cases, although my anecdotal evidence says that even those small injuries need some kind of rehab.
I'll try to keep this short and guide you in one direction:.
In my point of view, the most important part is what kind of strategy your joints go through to get you from "a" to "b" and if your joints can actually get into "position a" and "position b" and also shift freely from one into the other. (there's no universal correct biomechanic - that has to be mentioned)
In an ideal world where you don't have any restrictions or neuromechanical inhibition, teaching the muscles to bear a load in certain positions would be the fix. -It's often not that easy though. More further down.
F.e. Rows:
Can your scap rotate around your ribcage to enable the proper motion of your arm and also shift the activation FROM certain muscles like real dealts, biceps and upper traps, levator scap etc. TO the lower traps, seratus anterior, allthough that's controversial: the lower lat fibers, romboinds etc. in a relational way.
Your scap needs to be able to get up, down, to the spine and away from it and rotate in different ways. -That's what most people actually need to learn instead of doing endless band work which will never improve your movement pattern. Your body is smart and follows the "leastaction principle" not the "best healthiest optimal biomechanics so I can be jacked and healthy principle" ;).
Now it is getting a little more complex. How the scap moves is determined by how your joints are stacked over each other (feet, knees, hip, ripcage , head etc.). - Remember your body wants to keep the center of gravity in the middle so you don't fall over. Imagine one side of the hip hiking and thus your center of gravity shifting. Now either the hip hiking gets corrected or another joint will move to shift the center of gravity to the middle again. A typical compensation (i.e. moving joints to align your center of gravity again) would be a shoulder drop on the hiked upside.
So if your scape can't move into certain positions in a certain way, you'll probably have a hard time activating certain muscles. Imagine how similar dynamics contribute to the movement patterns of your hip complex and thus altering the whole body again.
-You can never tell from where the problems originally arise without an accesment but you dont really need to find the first culprit because conected problems always lead to each other.
So start with one thing ask yourself what you can and can not do and what other joint might influence this.
You can also imagine that your whole ripcage could rotate in the frontal plane to re-align the body and with this compress your ribs on one side, ending in an altered shape of your ribcage, which might lead to restrictions, in the way your ribs themselves can move ( don't forget they move with every breath for you, to be able to get enough air in. now what happens if you can't get enough air because the ribs don't move and where would tension build up? your shoulders will hike (scap gets pulled up and around), and your head will go forward to increase space for your lungs for you to be able to breath again) wich leads to the scap not beeing able to move around the ribcage freely if the scap gets chronically "stuck" there.
- (see, this might not be a "direct" muscular issue like a weak muscle)
Above is of course just a theortical - pratical example which is not in any way an imperative.
Now notice how I don't point out a single culprit, because most of the time, it's a systemic issue.
Of course there are cases where the problem arises locally and gets fixed locally too.
Theres ALOT more to say (it doesnt really get more complex though) which people like Mr.- "conor_harris_", -"adammeakins" , -"integratedkineticneurology" , -"davidgreyrehab" , -"mvmtbymatt" , -"alex.effer" and more will tell you about.
I hope this didnt get to confusing.
@hanspeter919 Thx a lot for the knowledge!
I strained my right pec once and was proscribed physical therapy sessions at 40 bucks a pop. I stopped going after a couple weeks because I was worthless. I was back in the gym lifting with no discomfort a couple weeks later.
Honestly, everytime I tweaked something was during a high bar squat even if my form was very controlled....I have since ditched squats while focusing on machines and less taxing deadlift variations like RDLs instead of deadlifts. My back no longer feels a bit beaten up and my legs are growing like mad! Some exercises are not for everyone.
It was the same for me until i tried elevated heel squats, now i only feel it in my quads and not my back
That’s interesting, I’ve never heard those causes of pain before.
@ it's about finding movements that suit your anatomy, not everyone is build the same way therefore not all exercises are for everyone
@@JackGames212 did you get weight lifting shoes or did you put a plate under your heels??
Suffered from lower back pain and injuries for years (bedridden & had to crawl around). Releasing my psoas and TFL with massage and then lengthening with stretches saved me. Hip flexors were locked up tight and yanking on my lower spine 24/7. Any wrong move and pop! Strengthening glutes (side glutes especially), hamstrings & obliques helped a lot too. All the $$$ to doctors and chiropractors couldn't help!
Had L5/S1 herniation confirmed by MRI. Severe pain down left leg when bending forward even slightly at the waist. Happened while squatting highbar. Kept training the lifts I could, kept walking…completely pain free in about 12 weeks. I took 8-9 months however to slowly reintroduce certain movements starting with low weights.
I am sorry to hear this as I know exactly what itbmeans, i have identical pain, however CT Scan and MRI showed nothin, i also do not remember it to be acute, but i'm 34 and been in pain on/off 12 yrs, i do work out 5-6/week. Any tips that work for u to improve?
Thanks Menno, useful info as always.
My back has been a nightmare since teenage years. Heavy physical job and heavy squats & deadlifts messed it up pretty bad as I had a mri for a month ago.
Its time to stop doing heavy lifts and focus on maintain as much muscle ass possible and some mobility for the rest of my life.
Extension intolerance in the younger population with disc herniation with radicular pain typically occurs when your lumbar joint mobility is poor, especially into extension. Usually the as you improve your lumbar joint mobility, tolerance to extension improves and the radicular pain down the leg will centralize. If you have extension intolerance without radicular pain, there is a solid chance that it’s not your herniated disk that is generating the pain. It’s usually something like a facet joint.
Great video man, really important we try to help people understand this
Another great one, thanks Menno!
Thank you, I'm sure many of us can relate.
I felt really alone when that happened
the body doesn't heal the ACL, it requires surgical intervention. in this case diagnostic tools absolutely change the treatment plan
Imaging often not being useful is something all lawyers who work with civil claims know - absolutely true that no matter who you image, you’ll find something. I’ve had cases with sub 10mph impacts and they do some imaging and bam it’s a $50k case
Breathing, bracing ,core strengthening hinging are the best things on can master also crucial that only a few specialists address.
A disc buldge it's a weakened stage which means you don't have to worry, but be awaoken to practice safe lifting as the above mentioned techniques become an absolute must.
Dehydration of the disc with improper lifting is the Spark that sets the bomb to go off POP in this case ,a disc....been a candidate for surgery and hence sharing.
However Mennos advice is obviously going to be the best as he's a specialist not me.
Tore my SI joint, and was in pain for 7 months before I got help. Hurt myself squatting, and struggled with sitting for long periods for a year (SI join tear happened later and reignited the back pain).
PS. Physical therapy helped me solve the SI joint tear.
I herniated a disc 20 years ago. Since then I've been able to do no deadlifts (they instantly re-hurt me, and I can't walk for weeks) and haven't had 12 consecutive months without re-injury. I still lift, including split squats and straight-leg deadlifts, so the strength and musculature is there, and I haven't had any type of injury from working out in over 10 years. Yoga and stretching several times per week -- at the direction of a PT 15 years ago -- also helps a lot.
But I feel like this video glosses over the very real issue of chronic back injury. When everything's great for 3-9 months, and then suddenly stepping off a curb (or putting on socks) causes a snap, followed by 3 weeks of inability to walk, "just work out around the pain" isn't very useful advice. Nor is, "you'll never know exactly what the issue is."
Listening to your pain signals is a skill on its own, and a rather useful one I suppose.
I needed to see that this I got 3 bulging disks in my neck and I’ve been afraid to exercise or even do anything got the nerves stuff going, mentally I’ve been struggling for the last three months I’m gonna really try to exercise with super light weights and walk a lot more so I can keep my mind more positive til this injury will eventually dissipate
Hi Menno, as a proponent of full body every day, i would really like to hear your thoughts on Dr. Mike's recent video on full body workouts. Kind regards
I often have slight lower back pain and I've noticed that doing some exercises where lower back is involved (like heavy seated cable rows as opposed to chest supported rows) reduces my pain.
I know these are general guidelines and they can be extrapolated to any musculoskeletal injury but, could you make a video on shoulder pain?
I wish I saw this video a 1.5 years ago. Had a bad herniated disc as well, suffered for 2 months before committing to surgery. The main concern my doctors told me about back then is that the spinal compression of the disc on my leg nerve could kill or damage the nerve and it would not recover, rendering my leg either not functional or weakened forever. Of course at the time I didn't have all the context in the world and honestly am happy I did the surgery, as I am now fully recovered and doing weight training.
My question, does the science support the concerns my doctors had?
Would love a pyschosomatic/ pyschogenic pain video. Great video! living with back pain for over 15years and lifting through it looking for any advice. Thank you!
Thank you Menno!
This resonates with me, especially having recent read Dance With Chance by Spyros Makrodakis
Thank you very much for this video, Menno! Could I ask about your experience/knowledge with chiropractic care for this kind of pain? Are they helpful for preventing or reducing pain as a complement to the exercises mentioned in your video?
This is simply the best video on injury rehabilitation out there !
I wish I saw this video when I herniated my lower back disk. would have saved me tons of money and month or more of time.
Good shit Milky. Really important vid.
The MRI on my neck clearly showed two herniated discs. One was 6mm into my spinal cord. That really sucked. Years of recovery. Never fully recovered. Two doctors recommended surgery, but insurance didn’t agree.
Thankyou so much for this brother
Thanks a lot, really interesting and helpful ❤
I herniated my discs doing back squats. I've been waking up and doing glute, hip flexor, ab and spine exercises which have helped immediately. I think my herniated disc is very low down, near my tailbone.
There's no discs there😂
As a physical therapist, I don’t believe my job is to heal the body. It is to educate the patient and show them what they are capable of. Regardless of healing times and types of injuries there are many people that simply don’t don’t know enough to get back to their previous level of function. So yes they heal but did their movement patterns improve? Did they learn anything? Do they know how to participate in their hobby/sport without re-injury?
I injured my left shoulder doing too many bear crawls and KB swings. I went to the top shoulder ortho in Seattle, and he x-rayed and sent me to PT. The guy tried Dry needling and massage and it felt great. But he was dismayed when I told him it didn't really help. Then the pt said I should go back the Shoulder dr and get it looked at again and that I might need surgery. Internally, I laughed and just decided to let it heal, and in about year and a half it was all better. Waste of money.
wtf bro, mri to show my l5 s1 disk is how i got surgery. that shit saved my life after over a decade of debilitating pain. i thought this was a science based channel. mris are amassing tech
A lot of common sense. Thank you very much.
Fantastic very very helpful
Back injuries are no fun I've injured my back twice on Romanian Deadlifts years ago. I never got imaging done because I figured it wouldn't change that I would show up to the gym (which was hard because I struggled to get in and out of my car) and do exercises I could tolerate for light reps, eventually time heals it. I'm back to RDLs and doing them with a proper range of motion that isn't excessive, which I think my problem was before, and filling in the rest of my Hamstring volume with leg curls and back extensions. I currently only do 2 sets of 6-10 on RDLs, once a week.
Stan Efferding said it best. Find pain free movements and do them regularly.
My wife suffers from pyriformis syndrome of the left gluteal area. She has had this for more than three years. All the exercises she does and therapies have not make any good. Do you have a pyriformis training routine suggestions she may try?
The part where you say "people just feel cared for" is so underestimated though. I get a Shiatsu massage every two-ish weeks. Not because I believe it does much physically to my soft tissue - but it is nice to feel cared for by a trusted person, and compassionate touch has been scientifically shown time and time again to be hugely beneficial. We can file that under placebo, but I think that the strictly separated view of body and mind is outdated. My body performs and heals better with stress release, and as a social primate is get huge stress relief from being massaged by a benevolent person. Really no magic there. 😊
What is unfortunate is that care and compassionate touch are beginning to become a privilege for those who can afford it, when it is a core human need that used to be provided by close knit social networks.
I live in the country, so we only go to the doctor once a year. I've retrained bicep tears, delt tears, pulled something in my leg once that made me limp for over a year but is good now, broken foot, broken fingers, etc etc.. Tend to do my own minor surgeries removing warts and what have you. Oh and don't forget all the various tendonitis over the years. Used to have really bad carpal tunnel too which I mostly fixed with yoga and lifting.
Excellent video doctor. This resonates my experience as well.
A question though, I have suffered for few months of sudden weekness in my left arm for biceps, back exercises and chest exercises. The left triceps exercises are not affected by this. I have been following same approach. Gradually increase strength of these exercises but this has taken such a long time, 5 months now and slow improvements. Seems that the issue maybe neurological.
Am I doing this right?
Is it possible to make the injured tissue stronger or is scar tissue always weaker?
How does this translate to let say lumbago? Have it once a year, should you avoid squats for awhile or just get back to it?
Menno, I greatly enjoy your content. "Muscle memory" is often cited by bodybuilding and physio professionals, and it was covered in my undergraduate and graduate university studies (many years ago). Can you direct me to a source that actually examines the cell physiological of this phenomenon? Cheers
Stronger by Science made an article about this recently. Just google muscle memory Stronger by Stronger by Science and there should at least be an article on it from this year (2024) I believe.
A video about muscle memory and how long muscle memory lasts like 5-10 years after quiting strenght training.
Herniated discs destroyed my lifting career. Sometimes I can't even walk. No matter how many videos of mckenzie techniques etc I watch, one bad move and it's over.
But… I hurt my knee.. I got an mri.. my acl was torn… I needed surgery.. I got the surgery. I got a treatment plan specific to my injury (which would have been different if I had, for example, a patellar or meniscus injury).
Is your position I should have just ‘exercised’?
Great video
Really appreciate you putting in words the issues Ive had and the path I’ve taken
Sadly I’m still in pain, herniated disc, horribly herniated too, they called it extruded I think.
Anyways, went from being on oxycodone and not leaving bed to now being back in the gym and doing some leg exercises. Sadly I’m not as far as I’d like to be after over a year post injury.
I’m wondering if you have any more tips for people with severe disc herniations or if you have any marker for when surgery should be more strongly considered. Or maybe I’m just being too much of a dang meathead and need to listen to my body even more lol
I partially disagree, had elbow tendinitis, found E3 rehab channel, the exercices they provided for my specific injuries (wrist curl / reverse wirst curl) were a game changer for me. I would have had no idea what to do if not for them, and I don't think it would have gotten any better. There is value in having some knowledge of what is happenning or seeing a professional sometimes, because I probably wouldn't have guessed myself that I needed to do that.
2:00 you know "a" doctor in the Netherlands? Literally EVERY single doctor in the Netherlands (especially huisarts / family doctor) always does that hahaha. "Take some paracetamol and come back in 2 weeks if you still have pain" (and if you're still alive). It's pretty much how the system works here
Menno here is spitting facts so hard that this video could get flagged as inappropriate
Incredible video and really goes well with my anecdotal experience about back pain
Much of the internet absolutely believes the McGill Big 3 are indeed magical. In fact, I've often found that I you say that McGill didn't help you out very much, they will attack you and tell you didn't do it right.
Would you recommend anything different for people like me who have a straight spine? Also called “flat back syndrome”.
I love this!
I herniated disc dealifting - or was told this after MRI. Had awful sciatica, from butt to foot. Saw a few physios. None helped, one made it worse. Couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes for over 7 months. Then found reverse hypers and after a few days of doing a few sets a day I walked for 2 hours. Then the next day 4 hour walk. Thanks Louie Simmons. Combined those with lat pulldowns (holding top stretch), hanging leg raises, nerve flossing and wore ankle weights when I could. This protocol if interested th-cam.com/video/arHCIA5saYo/w-d-xo.html
Had sciatica again since and the reverse hypers DIDNT help, so they aren't a miracle, they just worked a small miracle for me at that time. They could make others peoples symptoms worse. But I found other ways to fix it.
Can no longer deadlift or back squat or I get sciatic symptoms so I just don't bother, so I found other exercises which in a way was blessing as I've built more muscle mass without Back Squats and DLs.
And yes, treat symptoms not an MRI scan result.
Phenomenal post
i have knee pain only in hack squat when i go for deep stretch what should i do i tried doing them even with out any wieght and still got the pain