My backs blown!!

Jeff G. wrote:Not a herniated or bulged disc unless you are having numbness/pain into your legs or you've lost bowel/bladder control. Probably a facet joint injury. Ice and take some drugs and be careful for a few days. Go see the Doctor after a week or two if it's not better. Waste of money and time to get an MRI if you are only having back pain and not having leg pain or loss of bowel/bladder control.

Jeff G offers the advice that has real science behind it. If you have "red flag" symptoms, such as loss of bowel/bladder control or weakness (not just pain) in your legs, imaging studies are indicated. If not, well, MRI for back pain without red flags is one of THE most notorious wastes of time, money, and effort in all of health care. It makes really high-tech images that impress heck out of people, but doesn't provide information that improves outcome.

As far as seeing the doctor if it doesn't improve in a week or two, make that at least two. Injuries such as you describe improve in about 50% of people by 2 weeks and over 80% by 6 weeks. Don't be discouraged!

Mark E Dixon wrote: Do you climb much at bouldering gyms? Because jumping down is pretty much SOP.

For who? Maybe sub 20 year olds. I've hurt my knees and back throughout my life and I have to agree...jumping down is pretty stupid. Nothing worse that hurting yourself like this which for all practical purposes not really worth it. Plus you get the added benefit of doubling your route if its under your limit, but I'd use the downclimb most gyms have.

BUT that of course comes with the wisdom gained from injuries that were probably caused from jumping off sh*t like an idiot. You start being a lot more cautious when an injury affects your quality of life for long periods.

I agree with Lee and Jeff on this matter. However, that is dependent on the severity of the pain (with obvious reasons). If it is persistent, severe pain that cannot be alleviated with repositioning/standard remedies, please get in to a health care provider ASAP.

It's all but disappeared. It hurts a bit when I bend over and keep my legs straight but that's it. I iced it before I went to sleep and at lunch every day and took it real easy at work. I'm going to do a bit of climbing tonight and stay away from
Jumping down until I'm At 100%. That's right in dumb enough to keep doing it. It helps me learn what not to do when I fall at the top of a problem.

mustardtiger wrote:It's all but disappeared. It hurts a bit when I bend over and keep my legs straight but that's it. I iced it before I went to sleep and at lunch every day and took it real easy at work. I'm going to do a bit of climbing tonight and stay away from Jumping down until I'm At 100%. That's right in dumb enough to keep doing it. It helps me learn what not to do when I fall at the top of a problem.

To each their own and I don't know how old you are, but my back goes out every 1-2 years. SI, sciatica, office work, lifting weights or whatever, but once you get it you are more prone. And I do a lot of core work etc.

I can tell you every time it goes out it's a little bit worse. Like rolling out of bed, crawling to the bathroom, can't sit down worse. Careful man..

Also, some thoughts on backs 'going out' and other structural issues. It used to be titled 'Your Back is Not Out and Your Leg Length is Fine.' Enjoy.

saveyourself.ca/articles/st…

I'm 24. I have a little extra baggage in the front but my core is somewhere in there and it's stronger then ever. I will be gun shy tonight I'm sure. I plan in sticking to problems I know I will not fall on and downclimb until I get completely spent then I'll probably take my first jump. I would rather jump off a problem and take my chances then be on the Crux fifteen up and take a spill and have it come back. Not to mention I am headed to Colorado to climb in three weeks so I need to know I can take a good drop before I get out into the mountains and get stranded by myself with a blown out back.

Scott McMahon wrote: For who? Maybe sub 20 year olds. I've hurt my knees and back throughout my life and I have to agree...jumping down is pretty stupid. Nothing worse that hurting yourself like this which for all practical purposes not really worth it. Plus you get the added benefit of doubling your route if its under your limit, but I'd use the downclimb most gyms have. BUT that of course comes with the wisdom gained from injuries that were probably caused from jumping off sh*t like an idiot. You start being alot more cautious when an injury affects your quality of life for long periods.

On reflection, if there's a top out, most folks in the gym go over the top. But otherwise, my observation is that most people jump off rather than down climb. Whether down climbing is "worth it" kind of depends on what the individual values and hopes to train. And whether they are actually likely to get hurt. Most folks at bouldering gyms around here are fairly young.

Anyway, what's with the pervasive "blame the victim" attitude on MP?
If you get hurt, the first response is "how could you be so stupid as to do that?"
If somebody steals your stuff, it's "how could you ever trust other climbers to leave your gear alone?"
If you get ripped off, it's "why did you use paypal gift?"

PS Sorry to hijack the thread. OP, glad you are doing better. Good luck getting your problem!

Mark E Dixon wrote: Anyway, what's with the pervasive "blame the victim" attitude on MP? If you get hurt, the first response is "how could you be so stupid as to do that?" If somebody steals your stuff, it's "how could you ever trust other climbers to leave your gear alone?" If you get ripped off, it's "why did you use paypal gift?"

How else would talentless climbers feel superior on a climbing website?

Jumping off of boulder problems is sort of like practicing falls. It's good to do them now & then, but you don't have to do them every chance you get.

Herniated disc, cure is maybe cortisone epidural to shrink disc, or surgery.

Having had the surgery, can say that climbing is completely out for 6 months, and I'm still not where I was at before injury, but at least I can climb.

Take it easy for a while, and watch what you do to strain your back, some stretches will hurt it more, don't push through the pain like its just a sore muscle like this dumbass did, but simple core stuff seems to help.

Good luck

I am not going to tell you how to fix your self without knowing all the facts. But there are a lot of people saying it is a bulging disc and such and a couple of the guys have it right... if there are no neurological signs and symptoms such as bowel/bladder changes, shooting/electrical pain, numbness tingling, etc... an MRI is useless.
I see people daily talking about how they have a bulging disc but there back problem is obviously muscle related. The fact of the matter is if you take 10 people off of the street with no pain at all, healthy and no history of back pain 6/10 will have a bulging disc on an MRI, studies have proven this. all to often the disc is getting blamed for things it has nothing to do with.

RyanL wrote: But there are a lot of people saying it is a bulging disc and such and a couple of the guys have it right... if there are no neurological signs and symptoms such as bowel/bladder changes, shooting/electrical pain, numbness tingling, etc... an MRI is useless.

This is not correct ... initially with my blown disks there were no neurological signs or symptoms. Just a hurting/strained back. Yet the MRI showed nice dark spots indicating blown disks. The neurological issues came later.

"My backs blown" does not equal "my back's blown".

Thanks for helping out.

Jeff G. wrote:Not a herniated or bulged disc unless you are having numbness/pain into your legs or you've lost bowel/bladder control. Probably a facet joint injury. Ice and take some drugs and be careful for a few days. Go see the Doctor after a week or two if it's not better. Waste of money and time to get an MRI if you are only having back pain and not having leg pain or loss of bowel/bladder control.

This is simply not true. I have a herniation at L5-S1, confirmed by MRI, and have never had leg pain or numbness, nor lack of bladder or bowel control. Furthermore, many herniations are completely asymptomatic. Stop spreading misinformation.

Yoga on a regular basis, it'll help your back, your overall climbing and you get to hang with girls in lululemon pants :D

Merritt wrote: This is simply not true. I have a herniation at L5-S1, confirmed by MRI, and have never had leg pain or numbness, nor lack of bladder or bowel control. Furthermore, many herniations are completely asymptomatic. Stop spreading misinformation.

I'll rephrase; Not a herniation you need to go have an MRI for if you are not having neurological symptoms. Who cares if you have an asymptomatic disc bulge? Most all of us are walking around with disc bulges, but we don't all need to go have an MRI. If you have neurological symptoms then the MRI is probably a good idea, otherwise, a more conservative treatment approach would be indicated.
I'm not spreading misinformation at all. What good did the MRI do for you? You get to go around and sound important and tell people that you have a herniation at L5S1? Who cares.

Jeff G. is an awesome PT and heck of a nice guy.

Merrit registered 2 days ago, zero info in his profile and has one post to this forum... One.

WTF?

Jeff G. wrote: I'll rephrase; Not a herniation you need to go have an MRI for if you are not having neurological symptoms. Who cares if you have an asymptomatic disc bulge? Most all of us are walking around with disc bulges, but we don't all need to go have an MRI. If you have neurological symptoms then the MRI is probably a good idea, otherwise, a more conservative treatment approach would be indicated. I'm not spreading misinformation at all. What good did the MRI do for you? You get to go around and sound important and tell people that you have a herniation at L5S1? Who cares.

Thank you. If you'd said it this way in the first place I would have had no problem with your statement, as it's accurate.

Was always a skeptic... but a good chiro can do wonders.

Once I blew my back out that first time it has never been right since. NO matter how PT, chiro etc. Malformed Sacroiliac joint... screwed from birth.