Comments on: So, seriously. How hard is it to become a cyborg?

By: Rome Za

Rome Za — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:05:06 +0000

Have you tried Yoga? or trigger point therapy?
Yoga helps me out all the time when I have back pain. Just some awesome stretches for a few days relieve the pain and totally limber up my body.

By: John

John — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:47:20 +0000

I have disc degeneration as well. I have had blowouts lasting up to 7 weeks where I could barely walk.

Lately it is much better (as in the last 3 years). I attribute the improvement to a number of factors.

1) Weight loss
2) Better hydration
3) Working on flexibility
4) Lifting properly EVERY time. No lifting and twisting
5) Posterior chain work (deadlifts, yoga etc)
6) NSAIDs and glucosamine
7) I limit ballistic movement (I don’t do cartwheels etc and I’m careful with takedowns)

I had some bouts that made me feel like I was going to die the pain was so bad. Virtually zero mobility.

I have been training at BJJ now since Feb, 3 to 4 days a week. I am almost 47 years old.

There is hope.

By: mathieu

mathieu — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:10:55 +0000

Ouch… bad back here too. a visit to the chiro each month.
ugh…

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:54:08 +0000

Hi Steve,

It has been my experience that a) lots of low back pain comes from “length/tension imbalances” and that b) some stuff in yoga is actually terrible for low back pain. For instance, if my back is feeling trixy, the last thing I want to do is the standing forward bend – if you’re doing these in class, you might try clasping your hands together behind your back and keeping your back straight while you do them. Things like that. Overstretching the low back *always* leads to pain, IME, while I’m not at all sure it’s even possible to overstretch the hammies, and my back usually feels great after I spend 20 min stretching and rolling out my hammies and IT bands (if you don’t have a foam roller, you might take a look – in my case, it was $20 well spend for both low back and IT bands).

I share your skepticism of chiropractic, though – I’ve had one fantastic chiro and about half a dozen total quacks and scam artists. The good one was more akin to a massage therapist than anything though – he’d stretch my back out and crack more or less everything, and I’d feel fantastic afterwards. So there is hope!

Best of luck.

By: DrSean

DrSean — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:26:36 +0000

Good advise. Very few of us take time to cool down properly before we head out of the gym. (Especially into the freezing cold!)

By: DrSean

DrSean — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:25:05 +0000

I think I’ve only told one person they were going to have to live with it and I truly believed that person continued to come in because they wanted attention. They were mental!

Otherwise, unless we can find irreversible damage from a specific trauma, there is always reason for the symptom and we just have to dig until we find the cause of the problem. That may be a particular adjustment or it may be a stretch or exercise. In my experience it is usually a combination of both and, it is part of the routine of maintaining your body for optimal health over a lifetime.

Ill be in the academy this weekend hope to see you!

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:55:39 +0000

Thank you! At some point, I’ll figure this out.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:55:07 +0000

I’m telling you, meerkatsu, bionics are the way to go. If it was good enough for Col. Steve Austin, it’s good enough for me. And that nifty bup bup bup bup sound when you run would be great.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:54:04 +0000

I know what you mean about the web. It’s almost too much information. But at the same time, I’ve found that doctors, particularly in the USA, run their practices as a business, and they benefit from a snappy diagnosis. For example, I’m going to have to see a specialist in order to get an actual MRI done. The family practice doctors will only prescribe more drugs and tell me to get used to it.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:51:19 +0000

I heard about a lab, but it’s in a place called Island of Despair. I’m not sure I’m going to go with that particular Dr. Evil is, after all, his middle name.