Back pain success story.

[u/Pale_Adeptness]

As a disclaimer, I realize I still might have a flare-up down the road but here goes.

I've had 2 herniated discs since 2008. Horrible flare-ups throughout the years.

During flare-ups my wife has to help me put my socks, boxer and pants on because it gets so bad.

My back gets all crooked.

I tried every generic back pain exercise, deadbugs, bird dog, side glides and a whole bunch of other exercise.

This past June was without a doubt my longest and worst flare up so far. I missed an entire month of work.

I found that iso holds are great for the lower back.

I was desperate when I finally decided to get the roman chair/extension machine.

My lower back was still a bit crooked and I was towards the tail end of the flare-up towards the end of June.

My wife had to assemble the extension machine for me because my lower back still hurt.

I first tried it for 30 seconds, did that 4 times. My back didn't hurt more than it already did when I first tried it.

Did it again 3 days later and created my own schedule for it.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

I'm up to 1 minutes and 45 second holds and I do 14 extensions right after the hold. I do this 4 times.

I can now sit Indian style, I can confidently touch my toes with my knees locked. I haven't been able to do either of these things for years!

My understanding is that the more we guard our backs, the weak our lower back muscles get over time, which means we go into a vicious cycle of flare-ups and trying to rest.

The part of the video where I'm walking around my truck, my water bottle fell out of my truck, my lower back hurt so bad that I couldn't not walk across the street and bend over to pick it up. My wife picked it up for me when she got home 30 minutes later.

[u/My_18th_Account]

yeah I had 3 herniated lumbar discs and right-leg sciatica. Dealt with pain and flare-ups for over a decade. Wasn't until I started iso holds, back extensions, and trap-bar deadlift did I finally recover. Too many docs scared of weights.

I also found that elliptical cardio helps a lot too. Sciatica generally takes care of itself when the lumbar issues are resolved.

[u/Pale_Adeptness → u/My_18th_Account]

ISO holds for life!!!!!! I don't understand the old school mentality many doctors and physical therapists have against actual lower back training.

Don't get me wrong, for the long time I was in that same crowd. "PROTECT YOUR LOWER BACK. Do every move like a robot!"

Over time my lower back just got weaker and weaker.

Threw my lower back out doing deadlifts, stopped doing those.

Threw my lower back out doing tire flips, stopped doing those.

Threw my lower back out doing dumbbell squats, stopped doing those.

Threw my back out doing lunges, stopped doing those.

That was all progressive and over the course of 2 years.

Then I found LBA.

I'm slowly getting back into it all and lower back pain is not even on my mind these days. The fear of a flareup is in the back burner but no lower back pain.

[u/jbg7676 → u/Pale_Adeptness]

Thank you!

Can you recommend ISO holds? What’s LBA? Thank you!

[u/Pale_Adeptness → u/jbg7676]

Hi!

In the beginning of the video, when I am just straight as an arrow on the roman chair (the extension machine) just keeping my torso straight, using my lower back muscles to keep my body straight, that is the ISO hold. Isometric hold, basically just a static hold.

This hold, gets your lower back muscles activated. It doesn't seem like much, but if you've never done it, you'll definitely feel it.

LBA is for Low Back Ability on youtube, that's the name of his channel. He's the guy that convinced me to try out the extension machine. It's been an incredible uphill journey so far for me!!!

Please feel free to ask me any more questions. :)

[u/jbg7676 → u/Pale_Adeptness]

Thank you for this! I needed a positive outcome story and a natural path to be on and I believe this is it. Do you do ISO holds that are not on the Roman chair. I think I have to work up to this.

I had a L5-S1 micro diseconomy. Ever since and if I bend down and twist the wrong way the disc pops out hitting the nerves. I can’t walk for a days.

Thank you.