Am I risking my neck?

[Patrol1]

Rip,

I broke my neck almost two years ago and I have a cervical vertebrae fusion from C5 to C7 that has not caused me discomfort so far. My current weights are so light that I don’t think I have anything to worry about. My concern is that if I ever get in gear and DTFP and my weights increase significantly, that I may end up doing some damage. Do you see any of the five core exercises placing any major stress on the cervical spine? The neurologist that performed the operation told me to carry on as I had before my accident, and warned that contact sports could cause issue with the surrounding vertebrae over time.

On a related note, I managed to separate my right shoulder as well in the same accident and the orthopedic doc. surprised me when he said to do as many weight lifting exercises that I could think of to strengthen it. The pushing is fine; chin-ups are fine; I just can’t do pull-ups. Whenever I attempt pull-ups, there is a very sharp pain on top and in the front of the right shoulder. Does this sound like a common, prolonged issue with shoulder separations?

Thanks for any feedback-

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have a C6-7 fusion, and I'm going to press 185 x 1 x 10 here in about 30 minutes. A shoulder separation should have healed by now, so it could probably stand an exam. On a related note, DTFP.

[Patrol1]

Got it. Good to hear that I am not limited by a bunch of metal in my neck.

I need to go hit the gym myself and DTFP.

[Sticks]

A shoulder separation should have healed by now, so it could probably stand an exam.

I separated my left shoulder in 2000. It hurt during bench press, push ups, forward leaning rest, rowing (in a boat, not with a barbell), and when doing the shoulder stretch where one pulls the straightened left arm across the chest until 2004. My orthopedic surgeon told me to just keep beating the shit out of it until either the pain went away or I couldn't stand it any more and wanted surgery to fix it. The pain finally went away. I don't know if this helps any or not.

[Patrol1]

Sounds like a different kind of pain. All things considered, I'm lucky that I can do all of the exercises in SS. My ortho told me in no uncertain terms that shoulder surgeries are a rarity now n days. Thanks for the feedback.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Shoulder surgery is a rarity? Have you heard of CrossFit?

[MEbigUsmall]

rip, do you stay at the weight to avoid re-injuring yourself or is that just the weight you are using currently on the press.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'm training for a bodyweight press. The 185 was a typo. I'm doing the workout now, about to do my 4th single with 197.

[Patrol1]

Shoulder surgery is a rarity? Have you heard of CrossFit?

This was one of my deciding factors in choosing SS over CF. I don't have the joints for CF anymore.

[fatcat669]

I had a c2 and c5 (or c7 can't remember now) break 4-5 years ago and I find that training and everything that goes with it (stretching, mobility, overall being active) has been one of the best things for my daily soft tissue and related discomfort i feel. my neck and everything else feel like a million bucks after lifting. stay out of the gym for too long and im fucked