Hey guys. Just went to the Denver Spine Center and met with Dr. Dino Pappas. Cool dude, about 40, athletic, he can relate to the CrossFit mindset. However, I heard similar sentiments that I heard from the ortho about my knee: His view was that your body is not designed (like, your bones for example)to get pounded with really heavy weight movements. He specifically mentioned loading and unloading moves that are heavy (like cleans for example). He likes deadlifts ONLY if your form is PERFECT (he was emphatic) through the entire ROM, if it isn't, you'll get hurt. He pretty much says it's not if, but when.
I have to go get a CAT scan for more imaging, but from the X-ray I learned a few interesting things. 1) I have six lumbar vertebrae (this occurs in 4-5% of us) 2) the spiny process of the L6 (the lowest one) is cracked down the middle, this could be congenital or from the injury. 3) The L6 is pushed forward significantly (clearly visible in the X-ray). He says it's possible (but less likely) that I was born that way, but even more likely that this is the "Crunch" I felt the other day, and maybe the pull I felt on 1/18 and it started to move back but with DT on 4/8 and front squats last week I messed it up again. If the forward L6 is congenital, that explaines my propensity for injury, if I did it from lifting, he said "hey, that can happen when you lift heavy..."They can't get conclusive enough info from the X-ray, so they want me to get a CAT scan. I'm gonna schedule that today.
For now, he said body weight stuff is fine as long as it doesn't cause sharp pains, but not GHD's or BE's until we get the CAT scan back. So I'll do my best with lunges, squats, burpees, situps, pushups, pullups, ring dips, etc. for now. He also said no rowing right now either, not till CAT scan is read.
Well there we have it. I'm a mutant, and I've got a messed up spine.
I said "well what about all of these athletes that lift like crazy all the time, how do they get away with it"... he said "they don't.... go see them later in life. They are often hobbled by what they did in the gym all those years."
Not telling you guys not to go heavy, just repeating the conversation. Whatever you do, I think form is key. When we start hauling ass on these heavy metcons we best pay close attention to our form and be careful. Form is key. At the end though, he did say "keep in mind, I am a spine specialist and I see these injuries every day, and a lot of you guys that come in are CrossFitters."
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Ouch dude, that's rough news. Hopefully it'll all end up manageable though. It's such a paradox: Lack of exercise can lead, among all the other things, to bone and back problems later in life, and heavy exercise, despite all its other benefits, can potentially reach a similar end.
ReplyDeleteI had a makeup day today, so I went back and did last week's DL/HPC/PP/Sq WOD. I had to use a barbell. It went:
95#-115-125-135-145
I don't know how you'd score it, but I did break on the 5th set btw HPCs and PPs. All reps completed though.
Hey Fletcher I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that. I hear you though, working out is a bitch. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. The only things that medicine does tell us is that the bigger you are the shorter you live (High BMI = shorter lifespan), and that people who are life long athletes all pretty much develope cardiomegaly (enlarged heart). Body weight stuff is probably the best thing that you can do for yourself, all things considered. So just remind yourself that you can still be extremely fit guy being the master of your body weight and you have to do what's best for your back, HQ aside.
ReplyDeleteHope you get better man...
Let me know.
That's some shitty news Fletch. I know what the doc says is true, but I don't know what I'd do without doing crossfit or working out in general. How can you come to the gym (or do anything for that matter) without trying to improve? Whether that is lifting more weight or trying to do your best at work, it seems counter intuitive to try to maintain the same level.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I made up the HSPU's, db cleans, and L-ups tonight. I didn't really feel like L-ups so I did pull-ups similar to the towel-up subs for rope climbing. Otherwise, as rx'ed.
TT = 33:20
Later fellas.