My achy breaky back

[jake.in.sj]

Good day!

I lived my life with with very little back problems until this past December. Had a really bad spasm that locked my back/ hips/ left leg up for a couple weeks, then a bit of recovery time with discomfort and pain but good movement, for about another month. Cause unknown, go figure. I'm suspecting it had something to do with moving a piano [wrong] a few weeks prior.

I'm 30, male, 6'1, 170 today, 165 a few days ago (got to 175 a couple weeks ago before this layoff), and my lifts really suck because I'm just getting started. I was 155 after a bout of diahhrea and coinciding dehydration/lack of food in February. It was right after that I decided that "excercising" was stupid, and I would do the starting strength L.P. sometime in the near future and lift what I could progressively until procuring a barbell and rack. That went well, gained 10 lbs back, and started my LP in early July.

I was already rehabbing my deadlift (low back tweak) with high volume bottom pin rack pulls, adding weight each time, got to 185 rack pulls 2x5 (little less volume) after warmups and started 1x5 at 175 from the floor to get on the damn program since my back was feeling REALLY good from rack pulls and squats. Got that to 200lbs 1x5.

Started having hip pain(in the joint itself) doing squats at 165, ground through it to 185 3x5 squat. It hurt too bad even deloading and I decided to let the hip joints calm down and 're evaluate my stance. I was way too wide stanced with toes way out (this felt stronger but my hip joints disagreed). Did some experimenting and found a little narrower with toes a tiny bit more in didn't cause pain, and I'd resume training in 4 or 5 days.

Then my low back started hurting again during a small planned layoff, I don't believe it had much to do with training. I know I have
s c o l i o s i s, and a shitty weak back.

By recommendation of one chiro, I went and got x rays from a different chiropractor. I'm missing 4 or 5mm from my L5,S1 disc with accompanying deformed L5 vertebrae, not true bone spurs yet but it looks crappier than the others. Also 13° of scoliosis in the lumbar itself, more in thoracic but this guy doesn't seem concerned about that this second. Also sacrum is sitting in the joint kind of crooked (inter related with the scoliosis he thinks). Hips aren't level but he says that is quite normal and probably will never be an issue.

This guy seems less quacky than most chiros out there. Seems the clinical type. He says he wants me squatting and deadlifting heavy again soon, with good form, that it will be great for my back long term (good sign right?). But he wants to do a lot a lumbar and SI joint adjustments first and wants my body to hold these properly before hitting the squats and deadlifts. He said go ahead and OHP/ bench press for now. He thinks he can remove just a couple degrees of lumbar scoliosis and straighten my SI joint a good amount since its not too severe, and this should slow down the rapid loss of that bottom disc a lot, and get the vertebrae/discs off my nerves and soft tissue by making a little room so I stop having so many little back episodes.

I've never had a chiro actually adjust my SI joint or lumbar, just thoracic and neck and then various quacky things. I feel good from the adjustments, but kind of sore from them as well. I decided I'd give his methods a shot since his price is quite reasonable (for the bay area anyway), and I'm not interested in silly stretches and spinal wiggling of therapists and if he can slow that disc degeneration down a bit it might save me from surgery in a couple decades. Maybe I got snake oiled, we'll find out if future imaging shows less scoliosis, same disc thickness, and a straight SI joint, I'll report back on that.

I'm pissed though, because I WANT TO TRAIN. haven't had a proper squat session since 8.16.17, or deadlift since 8.19.17. Been seeing this guy for exactly 1.5 weeks, symptoms are much improved, my hips are all calmed down, and I know that squats and gaining 20 pounds as soon as possible will be great for me (lurked these forums and articles for some time). But I also don't want to mess this guys work up, he said "about a couple more weeks" about a week ago.

I'm guessing you'll all say "f*** that nerdy chiro, go squat and eat, skinny piece of s%$t". Which is what I want to do.

If that's the case, where do I deload to after three weeks off?

Squat was 185
deadlift was 200
press 90 3x5
bench 120 3x5

And threw some rows in at the same weight on bench day. Some chins and farmer's walks when I'm feeling energetic.

Sorry for the 60 page biography. I suck at forums, seriously.

I'd appreciate all thoughts, experiences, tips, and mockery. Thanks!

[Tom Campitelli]

It is unlikely the adjustments are going to do anything to your scoliosis, or much of anything else for that matter. When you are ready for a deep dive into chiropractic:

Does Spinal Manipulation Work?

I think what you need is a coach, my friend. You are quite underweight. I feel your pain. I used to be 6'2" and 172 pounds when I was 30. My back was not in good shape and I hurt it pretty badly on a few occasions. Getting bigger and stronger helped my back more than anything else has. Learn how to lift. Eat some food. Proceed steadfastly, yet with a measure of caution, and things will get better.

[Austin Baraki]

It is unlikely the adjustments are going to do anything to your scoliosis, or much of anything else for that matter. When you are ready for a deep dive into chiropractic:

Does Spinal Manipulation Work?

[Katherine Bickford]

I assume you're in San Jose from your name. Get thee to one of the 5 (five!) SSCs in the east bay, or go see The Real Matt Bickford, SSC, at SF Iron. If you "WANT TO TRAIN" it will be a good idea.

[Michael Wolf]

When Dr. Baraki uses a Star Wars meme...

[Tom Campitelli]

I thought Austin would enjoy that link. Then Wolf showed up with his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air GIF. My morning is complete.

[jake.in.sj]

It is unlikely the adjustments are going to do anything to your scoliosis, or much of anything else for that matter. When you are ready for a deep dive into chiropractic:

Does Spinal Manipulation Work?

I think what you need is a coach, my friend. You are quite underweight. I feel your pain. I used to be 6'2" and 172 pounds when I was 30. My back was not in good shape and I hurt it pretty badly on a few occasions. Getting bigger and stronger helped my back more than anything else has. Learn how to lift. Eat some food. Proceed steadfastly, yet with a measure of caution, and things will get better.

Thanks! In the meantime, I have compromised with squatting light for a few extra reps, everything else too except haven't deadlifted again yet. Tomorrow will be work out 3 since i posted this. I have bookmarked that link, sir. Since I'm still trying to wade through "your back is not out of alignment".

I'm eating like a starved fucking dog tbh. I know this is more for Jordan's sub, but today I ate an omelette sandwich, 3 egg chorizo scramble w potatoes, steak and rice/ veggies, al pastor burrito, half gallon of whole milk, two slices of pizza. I could eat again =). The only thing that makes me gain is the weights, I'm pretty sure I eat plenty. Don't gain if I'm not training though. I'll be posting form checks here when there's some weight on the bar again soon, I'd appreciate feedback from you guys.

My back totally feels better after squats, even light, and OHP. Big surprise I'm sure 🙄.

I know I need a coach eventually, but I'm time poor, money's ok right now.

[jake.in.sj]

Oh shit, they're ganging up on me =[

[jake.in.sj]

I assume you're in San Jose from your name. Get thee to one of the 5 (five!) SSCs in the east bay, or go see The Real Matt Bickford, SSC, at SF Iron. If you "WANT TO TRAIN" it will be a good idea.

Thanks! but getting to the east bay or the city on an even semi regular basis (more than once a month) is not going to happen for many reasons. Please send a missionary/ emissary to start a gym in SJ, Fremont, Mo Hill, mtn view, anywhere down here p l e a s e. Lol.

PS: currently training with my buddy in our storage space, "Fools Gold" gym hehe. The music's always good at least.

[ChrisRozon]

Leah is over in Santa Cruz...