That is exactly what gave me recovery, as long of a process as it was. ...
When people with back issues talk to me in the club (and there are a lot of them), I always ask, would you rather have a strong back or weak back? They of course answer strong back. But strong back does not necessarily mean healed back. Many back issues persist for life. But in many cases, those issues do not mean the back cannot be strengthened. Lots of people who have imperfect backs have strong backs too.
In weightlifting circles, a famous example of this is Lamar Grant.
Read his story here.
Having herniated disks, scoliosis, a fused spine, or other causes of back pain are often cited as reasons to not exercise. But, often, exercise is the very thing that can relieve pain, restore at least some function, and reduce the risk of future injury.
We see in the healthcare community two default instincts. One is to treat pain by minimizing use of the painful area. The other is to focus on function and actually using the injured component to the extent possible, which in many cases reduces pain. In weightlifting gyms, it is common to hear people say their back pain disappeared as they built strength by lifting weights.
Each case is different so if someone else is reading this who has back pain, do not trot immediately to a gym to start lifting weights on your own. Back pain is serious business and you should talk to professionals before designing a plan of your own.
But when you talk to doctors, therapists and/or trainers, be sure to ask about building strength and restoring function. If you don't, many will simply default to pain avoidance because that's what they think most people want, and they are not wrong. Most people want the easy pill or manipulation by a chiropractor or the relaxing massage more than they want to do the planed, consistent and hard work required to build strength.
If you find yourself with a doctor who steers you away from strength after you ask, find another doctor who cares more about your back than his legal liability.
Your comments about sitting should be taken to heart by every expediter.
As your case illustrates, sitting is a serious health hazard, and expediters sit a lot. You sit when you drive. You sit when you eat. You sit or lay when you wait for loads. As an experiment, track the amount of time you spend on your feet and off your feet in a typical day. You'll likely be shocked to learn how much time you spend taking your spine out of use.
Your muscles, bones and connective tissues are use-it-or-lose-it components. And age adds to their weakness if you don't do something about it.
The good news is you don't have exercise as much as you sit to offset the negative effects of sitting. Investing just 3%-5% of your time in well-planned workouts and doing them consistently can produce wonderful results and surprising strength gains.
I'm 67. In the last year-and-a-half, I have been lifting weights 3-4 times a week. I can lift more now than I have been able to lift at any other time in my life. I am stronger now than I have ever been. And I started with a shoulder injury so severe that I could not even get under the bar to do a squat. Now I squat with ease.
As with you, Mr. Loyalty, the positive results did not come quick. It took a good amount of time and work. But investing that time and doing that work is well worth it. The alternative is pain and loss of function. And with loss of function comes other issues because your body is stressed in ways it was not designed to handle as it compensates for the component that is no longer well.
Short message to expediters: Get off your ass enough to offset the negative effects of sitting. Spend 3-5 hours a week in a gym to use the back, joints and muscles you seldom use. Get on a good strength program so you literally don't waste away.
