Herniated Disc Advice

[Ace]

Hello All,

A few years ago I was diagnosed with a herniated disc on L5. For the past few years, I have been able to particpate in virtually any activity without any real problem or discomfort.

Lately, though, I've begun feeling a twing or two in that area. Consultations with medical doctors & chiroprators alike show that there is no significant worsening as far as they can tell, but I have received admonitions as to not doing anything that could potentitally worsen the disc problem.

I would like to get some feedback from any willing members here as to which of the "big three" internal arts might prove best for my situation. I have a strong attraction to Bagua, Hsing-Yi & Taiji but am unsure as to which one to devote my energies to given the circumstances. Whichever of the three, I want to also make sure that I can apply it for actual combat/self-defense purposes as I believe any internal art must be trained as a MARTIAL art in order to be complete.

A friend of mine told me that I should check out Wing Chun based on his experience with an acquaintance that has a similar back issue.

Any thoughts/opinions/experiences out there? I'd appreciate any input

[count]

Don't look for any good advice from internet bulletin boards with questions as complex as yours. That out of the way, I would say all three run the risk of getting you dumped on your ass every now and again, and again. I have seen good results with back problems like yours from all three. My friend from bagua class had 7 vertebrae fused together about 2 to 3 years ago and through hard work is in as good a shape as anyone I know. He takes the hard knocks and gets right back at it. Bagua probably uses the spine in more different ways than the other two. I should mention that my friend also trains hard at tai chi as well. I have seen good results from tai chi alone too. In fact, that would be what I would recommend without knowing your physical shape and abilities. But remember to train smart and be careful when fighting. Also, and I think you already figured this out, SURGERY IS A LAST RESORT!!!

[Ace]

Count,

Thank you very much for your advice & feedback. I have actually been considering Taiji very strongly.

On the other hand, I was also thinking of Hsing-Yi given it's somewhat more linear approach. Do you (or anyone else on the board) have any thoughts on Hsing-Yi given my situation?

Oh, a little more background on me: I'm 5'8, around 155-160 lbs and in reasonably good shape from a muscular & cardiovascular standpoint. The combat orientation idea is still paramount to me.

[count]

Ace,

It's all good with good instuction and attention to proper alignment. Although I personally don't see anything linear about Hsing-I at all, but that's another topic.

Hsing-I will definately get you focused on the martial aspect faster, but given your back problems I would focus on the 5 elements chi kung and a lot of standing or San Ti until you feel really strong.

[jafc]

ace,
"herniated" is a difficult term to quantify. based on your description of your symptoms, you probably have minimal pressure on your nerve root in the spine. therefore, any exercise regimen- MA, yoga, whatever- that improves back flexibility, strength and posture will help keep you out of the operating room. Could that disc cause you problems in the future? maybe and some forms of exercise - heavy lifting- are more risky than others. that being said, proper body mechanics (think integrated strength) can prevent injury and are taught in the martial arts par excellence. further, if that one level goes south, your better off if the other levels are in good shape if it comes to surgery.
train hard, train smart and enjoy whatever MA you choose.

[count]

Advice from a Neurosurgeon about back problems on a martial arts forum is rare but must be taken into a"count" and is helpful indeed.

[Bu Laide]

Ace,

From your symptoms you mentioned you have a very mild disc prolapse. I have severe L4 & L5 herniations (4 yrs now). The symptoms for this are strong pains down the leg, pins and needles to the toes, dramatic loss of strength and lower back pains. As a consequence to these if you compensate through your posture in walking, sitting etc you can create more problems in other areas of the body.

Having said this these are all symptoms and do not actually do anything other than cause pain or on the rare occasion cause a muscle to temporarily shut down (sucks when your on stairs). I would suggest you not to have any surgery to rectify this as I did (2 operations that did nothing except give me a great big scar on my back). 3 years of physio also did nothing for me except increase the pain.

My advice is keep active, don't lift heavy weights, sit with proper posture and don't gain weight. This should keep the pains you feel to a minimum and reduce the risk of increasing the size of the disc bulge.

This is only my opinion as a sufferer as I am not a doctor.

[Ace]

Thank you everyone for your replies. This all gives me something to go on.

As a follow-up, what do you all think of training in Hsing Yi vs Taiji. Which one might be less likely to magnify the injury during practice and/or use? Or would there really be a major difference?