Hello Everyone,
Well, toward the end of last week, I suddenly began to notice that I was feeling much discomfort in my lower back/spinal area when I was seated for a long time. It wasn't a pain as such, but just some sort of pressure that used to make me feel uncomfortable and to want to stand up straight in an effort to relieve the discomfort. This week I noticed that I began feeling the same thing whenever I had to bend down to pick up something or do any strenuous movement that involved my lower back and of course, in my current office I feel the same strain on my back while seating. I remembered that last week I went very intensively on one of those rowing-type machines at the gym, and did 100 kg of weight on it to work my triceps etc and that I used it at least three times last week.
Yesterday I went to see a doctor and based on the x-ray results, she told me it could be the beginning of a herniated disc and that she advises me to completely cease lifting weights or anything heavy because as I continue doing so, the hernia (if it is the case) will begin to grow within my body and cause complications that may necessitate an operation. And here like in most African countries where healthcare is of such poor quality, getting operated is synonymous to a death sentence because the survival rates after being sent into an operating room are extremely slim. She said I should take seven days of rest off from work, prescribed a pain killer for me to take for 10-14 days and told me to do some physical therapy for a week (including getting massaged, etc). Now, this doctor simply did general medicine, so I intend to take my x-rays to a specialist in the domain to get his thoughts as well.
So guys I wanted to get your respective thoughts. If continuing to lift weights in case I'm able to treat this issue succesfully may cause more harm than good, what other kind of sports would you suggest I consider? Some have proposed swimming to me but the thought of losing all of this muscle I have worked so hard to build since 2006 really pains me. Nonetheless my health comes first. Others say I could still continue to lift weights/use machines but at very reduced weights in order to avoid any complications. I wish there were some other less strenuous method for me to either maintain or continue building muscle.
Well, toward the end of last week, I suddenly began to notice that I was feeling much discomfort in my lower back/spinal area when I was seated for a long time. It wasn't a pain as such, but just some sort of pressure that used to make me feel uncomfortable and to want to stand up straight in an effort to relieve the discomfort. This week I noticed that I began feeling the same thing whenever I had to bend down to pick up something or do any strenuous movement that involved my lower back and of course, in my current office I feel the same strain on my back while seating. I remembered that last week I went very intensively on one of those rowing-type machines at the gym, and did 100 kg of weight on it to work my triceps etc and that I used it at least three times last week.
Yesterday I went to see a doctor and based on the x-ray results, she told me it could be the beginning of a herniated disc and that she advises me to completely cease lifting weights or anything heavy because as I continue doing so, the hernia (if it is the case) will begin to grow within my body and cause complications that may necessitate an operation. And here like in most African countries where healthcare is of such poor quality, getting operated is synonymous to a death sentence because the survival rates after being sent into an operating room are extremely slim. She said I should take seven days of rest off from work, prescribed a pain killer for me to take for 10-14 days and told me to do some physical therapy for a week (including getting massaged, etc). Now, this doctor simply did general medicine, so I intend to take my x-rays to a specialist in the domain to get his thoughts as well.
So guys I wanted to get your respective thoughts. If continuing to lift weights in case I'm able to treat this issue succesfully may cause more harm than good, what other kind of sports would you suggest I consider? Some have proposed swimming to me but the thought of losing all of this muscle I have worked so hard to build since 2006 really pains me. Nonetheless my health comes first. Others say I could still continue to lift weights/use machines but at very reduced weights in order to avoid any complications. I wish there were some other less strenuous method for me to either maintain or continue building muscle.
