Climbing mid-life with lumbar L5 concern

Hey Community,

I am curious for insight from fellow climbers on what their climbing lifestyle looks like at mid life (45+) and with mild low back issues.  Thanks in advance.

    Some color ... I am approaching 46 years old, very active, discovered climbing about 12 years ago.  The past 10 years exercise during the week with a working career has been intensity workouts like Crossfit, followed by weekend adventures in the mountains.  The past 2 years I have been adjusting with getting older, my body not recovering as fast, and need more rest days.  Last winter I tweaked my back working out which lead to months of recovery.  After months of therapy, I had an x-ray with showed a bilateral pars defect on my L5.  Basically hairline fractures on both sides of the transverse processes (lateral wings) on my bottom vertebrae, which is the greatest weight bearing vert in the spine.  No wonder the irritation that often inflamed my hip and made even walking around the block a challenge.  This lead to nearly 6 months of doing absolutely zero exercise, necessary to rest and recover.  The cause is genetic. My L5 transverse processes are abnormally thin compared to all my other vertebrae.  Therefore, ligaments and tendons have less bone structure to which to attach, which increases the stress on the L5.  As I am getting older, I suppose the L5 is weaker and suspect to such injury.  I am slowly back to running, but several doctors advise my future should never be more than body weights.  The risk of reinjuring my L5 does make me leary of future alpine ascents.  

    I would never want to be high alpine and re-injure my lumbar spine, incapacitating me from a descent.  Such would not only put me at risk, but put lives of friends and fellow team members at risk.  

    I imagine with proper strength and conditioning, I could climb alpine for many years and such an event never happen (but it could).  Or as I age, perhaps a spinal surgery to fuse L5 is inevitable one day, and would reinforce the vertebrae to reduce risk.  Or, perhaps I need to consider letting go of alpine and stick to climbing rock and ice close to home.  

    If anyone has experience dealing with a similar lumbar concern and continuing to climb late 40's and beyond, please feel free to share thoughts.  Happy to learn from other's experience.  Thanks again,

Ken 

A par defect is readily treatable, especially if the fractures are relatively new (based on CT scan images). It's one the the things that responds uniformly well to fusion, unlike many other types of spine problems. If your doctors offer you a single level fusion, I would consider it, then go back to full activity including crossfit and alpine climbing. Alternatively, if its more chronic and mostly asymptomatic, then more extreme and remote alpine objectives may not be prudent (in case it acts up), but weight lifting and cross-fit, with proper and controlled form, may in fact help. I think with additional rest, extra protein, and consistency in training you should be able to maintain or improve your climbing and fitness over the next decade or longer. 

I had a lumbar fusion, L5-S1, 4 years ago.  My issue was a bit different, degenerated disc causing severe sciatica in my left leg that had gotten progressively worse over the course of a few years.  It had gotten to be crippling, I was having trouble standing or walking for any length of time.  The fusion worked great.  As soon as I was up from surgery I could tell that the pain was gone and it has not come back.  Recovery was fairly quick.  By 6 weeks post-surgery I was top roping 10s and easy 11s in the gym, being careful not to fall.  I got back to where I can climb, backcountry ski, mountain bike and carry a pack with no real issues outside of just being an old geezer.  I can climb hard 11s/easy 12s.  Bending over to put on my right shoe takes a bit more effort.   I do not do any bouldering any more and try to avoid taking multiple hard lead falls.  After surgery I was always worried about the spine but as time went by I gained more confidence in it and I am not constantly worried about it anymore.  At the time I was terrified of having the surgery and thought my life would be over, but looking back it was not that big a deal and certainly glad I did it.  Probably wish I had not put it off so long.  One thing about lumbar fusions is they put additional stress on adjacent non-fused discs, so that has the potential for problems down the road.  Doing everything you can to maintain good core strength and flexibility will help.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do.  If it reaches a point that a fusion seems necessary I would just say that while it is certainly not a fun thing to have to go through, it is not the end of the world.