# Any students with back issues?



## hilly1981 (Sep 24, 2020)

Hi, 

Does anyone here train in BJJ or equivalent with known back issues and are able to manage this whilst training?

I am currently training in EPAK and am looking at expanding into ground fighting. Long story short I am 39 and have a compressed disc at L5 and currently getting chiro. Right now I have zero pain in my back but it can flare up from time to time although has improved since treatment.

Just curious if anyone out there is in a similar boat to me? Or should I maybe just steer clear and just focus solely on EPAK due to higher risk of injury?

Thoughts appreciated.

Thanks!


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## Kung Fu Wang (Sep 24, 2020)

hilly1981 said:


> I am 39 and have a compressed disc at L5 ...


You should put on a weight lifting belt when you train. The Altus belt is a good one - not too hard.


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## Flying Crane (Sep 24, 2020)

I think the answer will vary tremendously from person to person, depending on the severity of the condition.

Don’t take medical advice from yokels on the internet who are not medically trained nor in a position to consult with you on your specific situation.  Talk with your chiropractor, and I suggest also talking with a good sports med doctor to get better guidance on what is realistic. 

I personally suspect that BJJ would not do your back any favors.  But then again I’m just a non-medically trained yokel on the internet and I’m not able to consult on your specific condition.   So what do I know?


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Sep 24, 2020)

I found BJJ to help my back. But I have different back issues than you, and what's true for me might not be true for you. Go speak to a doctor or a physical trainer (not personal trainer) or a physical therapist if you are concerned.


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## hilly1981 (Sep 24, 2020)

Thanks everyone for your replies. Yes certainly will speak with the professionals.


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## dvcochran (Sep 25, 2020)

I ruptured a disc in my late 20's (way back in 1986 o r1987) from jumping onto a slick rock in a creek. Both feet went straight up and I landed on my tailbone first. Also busted my head pretty good. After trying PT for a couple of months with no success my doctor gave me an epidural and used a large "horse" syringe with needle and ultra sound to remove some of the discs content. Even with the epidural I could feel the pressure go away. Did it again about 3 weeks later.
I have had little trouble with it sense even when I went back to competing. A positive side effect is it lets me know when I slump when setting.


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## JowGaWolf (Sep 26, 2020)

hilly1981 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone here train in BJJ or equivalent with known back issues and are able to manage this whilst training?
> 
> ...


They only thing I can tell you is...  Heal first then train later.  My brother had back pain and it required surgery to fix, the surgery was probably necessary because he probably tried to push through it and made it worse. I don't train BJJ but I use dot injure my back all the time.  Not saying this will work for you, but here's what I did.

1.  Stopped training and focused 100% on rehabbing my back.  It took almost 6 months to get through the worlds most boring exercises for the back. I even shared part of that Journey here.

2. In the past my back pain was related to a worn out mattress.  Eventually I will need to replace the one that I have now.  I was able to buy some foam that helps, but it makes the bed too soft, but at least now I'm not suffering from the sags in the mattress.

3. I try not to sit down for long periods of times.  I often eat dinner standing up at the counter.

4. I drink tea with Tumeric  daily to help manage minor swelling.  As far as tastes, it's not the best.  But I've gotten to the point where I can tolerate it.

You can follow up with your doctor or your Chiro on what types of exercises that you can do to rehab your back.  I would recommend taking a look at some of your daily activities and your mattress to make sure those aren't the root cause of your problem.  The rehab exercises will strengthen your back in the right place.  The key is to not over do it and to just be patient with it.  It's healing process so it takes a long time to before it works.  After rehab still continue to strengthen your core so that your muscles are supporting your spine more.

Backs are always tricky because just when you think it has healed, you'll end up messing it up again.  Backs take a long time to heal,  Doctors also have tools to help them see things that you can't see, so it's always good to make sure that nothing is out of order.   The only thing I can tell you with certainty is that the healing time will be a long journey.  The sooner you accept that the better.


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## hilly1981 (Oct 31, 2020)

Thank you for your comments. Much appreciated!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


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## Hanzou (Oct 31, 2020)

hilly1981 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone here train in BJJ or equivalent with known back issues and are able to manage this whilst training?
> 
> ...



I train in Bjj, and a good way to test out if you can handle it is by going to a class and trying it for yourself. A reputable gym should offer a trial class on the house. Give it a whirl and see if your back can handle it.

Outside of that, if you can do a sit up, a crunch, an oblique sit up, a shoulder bridge, a forward roll, hip lifts, a side roll, and similar movements, you should generally be okay. Still I would try before I buy.


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## JKDJade (Nov 1, 2020)

hilly1981 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone here train in BJJ or equivalent with known back issues and are able to manage this whilst training?
> 
> ...



I have that too..just be uber careful and stretch before and after getting on the mat. If anything the more you strengthen your back muscles, the better the outcome. I still have flareups here and there.


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