Back rehab 2.0

[Bigbrother24]

Hello again Coaches,

You probably won't remember but month ago posted this thread http://startingstrength.com/resource...207-rehab.html

So I was taking it easy putting on belt for everything then weeks ago I decided to go back to doing Texas method rather than rehab since my back was feeling fantastic and pretty much back to normal.

I had a 10% Deload and was squatting 340 for 5x5, first and second set felt easy no back pain, 3rd set however back began to ache so I stopped at 3rd rep and called it a day. I then took a week off which again made me feel great.

So I though to try squatting again 5x5, this time did it with 315 however first set 2nd rep I had to stop. Back pain was there again with horrible sciatica it was as bad as what I had post initial injury (Couldn't bend down, sitting on the toilet was painful etc etc...).

My Questions are three-fold.

1- How should one transition from rehab to training. (I can do bill starrish rehab but obviously weights that you can do for 3x10 are not as heavy as 5x5)

2- How can I limit de-training, I haven't done a single squat training session in almost 6 weeks getting depressed over here, it's the only lift i'm actually good at.

3- I have a huge suspicion that I herniated a disc should I just take a full month or so off lifting altogether rather than this constant limbo of injury rehab injury?

Again many thanks and apologies for possible repeated inquiry.

[Tom Campitelli]

Yeah, sounds like you have pissed a disc off. Back the weight off to the point that training makes you feel better not worse and work up conservatively from there. Don't do 5x5s, especially not heavy, at the moment. The bad news is that you are going to detrain. The good news is that doing some training is better than none and will limit the detraining you will suffer. Starr Rehab will help here. In most cases, the rehab to lifting transition takes care of itself. I would probably do Starr > Linear Progression > Texas Method instead of Starr back into 5x5s. Be smart. Do what you can. Make progress on the lifts that don't hurt you and build things back up in a measured fashion. My bet is that in another three months, or so, you will have this well in hand and be on your way to squatting nirvana. Not moving is not going to help.

[Lactateislove]

Yeah, sounds like you have pissed a disc off. Back the weight off to the point that training makes you feel better not worse and work up conservatively from there. Don't do 5x5s, especially not heavy, at the moment. The bad news is that you are going to detrain. The good news is that doing some training is better than none and will limit the detraining you will suffer.YStarr Rehab will help here. In most cases, the rehab to lifting transition takes care of itself. I would probably do Starr > Linear Progression > Texas Method instead of Starr back into 5x5s. Be smart. Do what you can. Make progress on the lifts that don't hurt you and build things back up in a measured fashion. My bet is that in another three months, or so, you will have this well in hand and be on your way to squatting nirvana. Not moving is not going to help.

Have you found the Starr protocol to be beneficial for injuries other than muscle belly tears, since it's what Rip tends to only recommend it the protocol for? If so any specific injuries that are do's and don'ts for protocol? I guess it make sense that it'd work for other injuries because "backing the weight off to the point that training makes you feel better, not worse and working up conservatively from there" sounds like solid general rehab advice.

[Tom Campitelli]

I have used variants of it on my back and on others' back injuries. In general, the way to heal things up is to give them as much work as they can handle without making the injury worse.