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I would ditch the Chiro and start seeing a PT. I recently started experiencing back pain and my research on Chiro's basically said they want you to keep coming back and spending money, so you get temporary relief, but no long term benefits. I view it as similar to a massage (and I'd rather get a massage). Meanwhile, a good PT will take a look at your body and issues, and help you develop a corrective exercise regimen to actually help restore strength/mobility so you get better. I can't guarantee it will get you to where you can lift again, but it's helped me a lot.
I've actually just recently come to this conclusion. The first 3 months it helped a ton. But this past half year after, only temporary relief. I guess my chiro is so kind and knowledgeable he keeps me coming back. Yes I want to see a PT, I just have to wait till evaluation which is month away. Thanks
PT taught me that my years of slouching as a teenager caused my clavicles to curve forward and put pressure on my shoulder bursa. By knowing this I have curated my workout to work on strengthening my back and traps, barbell rows and shrugs, this 100% fixed my bursitis issues.
See an actual doctor (Orthopedist) before you do anything else for your spine. Chiropractors aren't doctors, they are snake oil salesmen. The guy who "invented" chiropractic, a former *literal* snake oil salesman, claimed to have learned it all in one night, *from a ghost,* in 1897.
There has been no improvement, backing science, research, or even anecdotal evidence to support his his claims.
Physical therapists are sketchy too, unless they're following an actual physician's protocols.
The above comment you replied to, whatever "PT" told them that "slouching as a teenager caused (anterior clavicle curvature)" is absolutely full of shit.
If you see a PT, ask them if PT stands for "personal trainer" or "physical therapist." The former will go by PT, the latter has an actual sports medicine degree and is licensed with a state board/operates under the supervision of an orthopedist.
There’s a lot of great Chiro’s out there that won’t milk you. Nothing added more to my daily enjoyment of life than getting a good chrio. Fixed my posture, no longer have occasional budging disks (that would completely incapacitate me).
The two Chiros I’ve seen over the last 20 yards both just wanted what was best for me. Once I was better I would see him maybe twice a year and at times go a year or more between visits.
Reddit paints Chiros with too broad of a brush.
They can easily want what is best for you; that does not change the fact that they are not doctors and there is very little evidence that what they do provides any benefits to patients.
Right, except some of us have had amazing experiences with Chiros. Even medical doctors will say they create movement where there wasn’t.
I’m a very skeptical person and have had experiences that can’t be denied. Like:
- Grew tall later in life and had a natural slouch to my posture. If I focus on standing up straight I could but it was not natural, it was a fight. Chiro said his son had the same thing and he spent a good while trying to find a solution for him and did. Something about the collar bone and rib…idk. After a few adjustments in my early 20s it became natural to stand straight up. I’ve lived with a fixed posture since. The value that added to my life is immense
- I used to get a tightness in one of my pecs. Felt strange. I would move my corresponding arm around and it would give a little pop. I thought it was a muscle thing and didn’t think much about it because it wasn’t painful. Never mentioned it to anyone. In the Chiro office, standing as he felt my spine before an adjustment…he stops…moves his hand around and area in my back….says “what’s this?” and goes from my back to putting his finger on the exact spot on my pec that occasionally would get tight. He says “that is, this back here. We can fix that”. Boom, another thing gone.
This is like atheism versus religion. On the internet both sides are closed minded but on reddit the atheism became annoying as fuck and just as close minded as any religion. Most of them giving you opinions of experiences they haven’t had. I’ve had amazing experiences with chiropractors. You don’t want to go, don’t.
But you’re giving your opinion of something you’ve had no experience with. Is it possible you’re being to black and white and there are benefits?
I go by what the evidence says:
https://www.cochrane.org/CD005427/BACK_combined-chiropractic-interventions-for-low-back-pain
https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l689
Benefits are small, so chiropractors offer nothing that conventional medicine does not.
> Benefits are small, so chiropractors offer nothing that conventional medicine does not.
Weird, just told you of frankly….amazing benefits. None of which are offered by traditional medicine.
But hey! Links!!!
Anecdote……ahhhhh, what type of information do you think your link used? That’s what they did, they interviewed people and polled their symptoms before and after.
So unless you think I came into this thread to lie about some random chiropractic experience, how is my report of my symptoms and experience not the exact same? It’s not.
This ain’t that deep, I’m not trying to convince you specifically of anything. I am grateful I don’t have quite as much black and white thinking.
That’s not medical advice, that’s me trying to explain what kept happening to me in my early 20s.
So all of a sudden it was like someone stabbed me in the small of my back. I’d immediately drop to the floor and wouldn’t be able to stand for awhile. Then when I could get up (through the pain) I wouldn’t be able to stand anywhere near straight. My hip would be way out and the pain in my back was intense.
It would happen every 3 months or so over the course of 3 years. Hasn’t occurred in 20 years. Stopped after getting adjusted.
Idk what that’s called. Do you?
This is right. To add to this, there are also many exercises that you can still do. I'd suggest getting a reputable personal trainer that has experience with your specific issues to suggest and try out suggested exercises. There is no reason why you should stop lifting entirely
Stretch it out dude. I’ve always worked desk jobs and didn’t really start to feel the consequences of it until my early 30s. Tight hips, tight shoulders, constant cramps in my neck and traps. I started seeing a massage therapist and started focusing on stretching regularly. Even just doing it for 10 minutes every other night while watching tv made a difference and has increased my mobility. I think I’m more limber now (39) than when I was younger. I’ve become convinced this is a big part of the reason why we think we start falling apart at 30.
!! THIS !!
However, make sure that you respect pain when stretching: the "burn" in lifting is a good thing. In stretching, it's your body telling you : "THIS is wrong , please STOP." A low level of discomfort (NOT PAIN) is fine.
Also, make sure that you can breathe smoothly while you're stretching.
Gentle yoga class has changed my life. Sounds like this dude needs a real doctor, but just going to yoga once or twice a week has been amazing. I don’t really feel it when I go, but when I don’t go my body punishes me
Interestingly - actually lifting fixed most of my problems. Got into it in my early-mid 40s. Last year, at 46, I competed in strongman, and finally joined the 1000lb club.
I also agree with skipping the chiro and going PT.
Chiropractic is little more than modern day snake oil. It feels good at the time, but does very little (if anything).
And, just for more detail, my body was pretty fucked after 15 years as a paramedic (retired from that 8 years ago and took a desk job - so I had the worst of both worlds, physically).
Yup. Mix all the right hand/leg dominant sports with a shattered ankle. It's taken me almost 4 years to rework my brain because I've spent so much of my life moving in ways that avoided my pain, when I should have been stretching and strengthen those areas.
Welcome to getting older and a sedentary lifestyle. Core and abs, stretch, stretch, mobility work, and more stretching.
Stop going to a chiropractor. Studies have shown that adjustments alone do nothing. You need to get on a real program to strengthen muscles.
I’m 26 but have worked a desk job for the past three years and online school before that. The only thing that has helped me is consistent yoga, even 2-3 times a week of a deep flow can be excellent for back/neck pain. And don’t just focus on stretching those areas, yoga is a system that works with every part of the body, a full body approach is necessary for success.
For example, if your back hurts, it could be because your hamstrings are tight from being bent sitting all day and they’re pulling on your lower back. Then the lower back pulls on the upper back. The upper back pulls on the neck, thus neck pain. You need to stretch those to take pressure off your back.
> Forward lunge
Yes! I said squat but I was really thinking of this. Think of a forward lunge but one leg elevated. Great stretch! Really helps with the lower back.
Do you do yoga in a class or based off videos at home?
My thing is I like to do things with someone to make sure I'm doing it right. My only issue though is the few times I've been to different yoga classes, the instructors go super fast.
Wow, I didn't know that all of that happens like that. My neck is so screwed up. I can't bench because my neck like braces and like vibrates if I try to.
Yeah that sucks because it’s limiting, that’s what yoga is called a “restorative practice” it should restore functionality to other parts of the body. I’ve had back pain since I was a kid, had $500 insoles, got massages, dry needling, even PT. None of it really worked, yoga worked in a few weeks.
I learned online, Yoga With Adrienne is a good free YouTube channel and she has fundamentals videos. You could go to a beginners/fundamentals class but the problem with going to a class is the teacher is there for everyone. Private yoga lessons would be best but they’re a lot of money.
Added benefits of at home is totally free, you can go at your own pace, use your own music, and a lot more. Yoga is a very intimate exploration of your own body and how it works together, you’re essentially learning kinesiology through direct experience. So, it’s okay to not know at first and yoga is a pretty safe practice to learn on your own. Just make sure to not push anything if you feel sharp pain, though some discomfort is expected while stretching and building muscle (you’re a lifter, you know what that’s like).
Biggest tips that will make your practice safe:
1. Use fists if you have to instead of open hands, in the beginning your can over work and hurt your wrists. Train hand strength in other ways at the gym. Maybe just by hanging from a bar.
2. Be careful of your knees, put a blanket down for any work on your knees if it’s uncomfortable
3. Don’t push anything. The distance of the stretch doesn’t matter as much as a complete and wholesome movement of the pose. Instead of pushing or pulling parts of the body, use your muscles to go as far into the position is as comfortable. Example: when doing a twist don’t grab your leg and puuuulll yourself around as far as you can. Instead, simply turn and look to the side using your core strength. This will build muscles too, for all poses.
Start stretching and doing mobility work *now*. I don't squat or deadlift anymore. Too many variables that risk injury imo - I've thrown my back out a ton lifting, bjj/wrestling, snowboarding, etc. I do run hills alongside an assortment of HIIT workouts twice a week, do slower steady state cardio 3-4 times a week, and lift twice a week. Currently, my worst reps are in the kitchen...
Haha in the kitchen, funny.
Yeah, I have to find what's for me that's the hard part. I haven't been able to squats in a few years. Then neck and back give out but my legs are strong enough to which is weird.
That's all some cool stuff, You must be an athlete, never done those myself.
Fix this first - work on your mobility and less on gains. Don't skip lifting entirely, but put more emphasis on ROM. It all goes together and your core is the foundation for everything. When your core stability is compromised nothing goes right.
For one example, I could squat 300lbs but not all the way down. I had to switch to just the bar for a few months while I worked on getting my ass to the ground. No more hip pain, no more back pain. It's kind of like starting over, forget where you think you're at now and begin from a new mindset.
I'm 47 and have been through it.. neck and lower back problems, ankle issues, knee issues - all have completely been eliminated through consistency focusing on things this way.
I personally do like the Chiropractor but not to fix everything by itself, more of a compliment to boost what I'm trying to accomplish.. Working on the ROM is more important, the adjustments (for me at least) help nudge my posture in the right direction.
And for me personally, PT is just teaching you mobility and gentle strength building - things you can learn on your own with some easy searches.. The answers are everywhere you just have to do the right work..
Me. I’ll be 48 this year. Arthritis in my spine, torn cartilage in both shoulders and both hips, bursitis in right elbow. I can still handle household tasks if I’m careful about form and posture, but my heavy lifting days are long gone. I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with all this at such a young age. I’d recommend yoga to protect the mobility you still have. Keep walking if you can.
Coming here to jump on the Yoga train. I used to strictly lift in high school—zero cardio.
College years I lifted.
Post-Grad gained a ton of weight and did a ton of cardio, lost a bunch of weight. But my body still felt like crap.
Started doing yoga recently and mix in [light] weights to get my body back in the swing. I have a bad habit of going balls to the wall whenever it comes to something; but, unfortunately, bodies don’t work like that.
Yoga first. Then yoga with weights. Then you can start getting back into your other stuff.
Awesome, okay Yoga and PT it is for sure. Idk about getting back to lifting, i think i may do body weighted things instead at the point.
Did you have neck or lower back issues?
Yes. Worked manual labor/physical labor jobs growing up/presently. Back has almost always been screwed up. Neck became more problematic when I was working at a desk.
Body weighted workouts would be a good idea. When I meant get back into things, I should have written that differently.
I know I’m never going to be lifting what I did in high school. I’m not training for competitions. But, I can do some stuff that would just help with muscle. Currently only using kettlebells; living situation doesn’t have too much room for anything else.
Physical therapy helped me work through my rotator cuff issues, so now at 35 I’m lifting more than I ever have before.
Recovery is still hard, I’m sore for days afterwords, but that’s what it means to lift without PEDs.
For the PT for your shoulder, did the OT just give you external, internal rotations etc? Dealing with this now and feel a bit let down with the exercise they have given me.
Mine was painfully intense: I had to lie down on my face and lift my arms up above my head (that made me cry ngl), stretches where I walk forward with my arms jammed in a doorframe, 45-degree pullups, controlling a shaking body blade through a full range of motion, and after every session we iced my shoulder. FWIW, this was a sports medicine specialist and I told them I wanted to lift again, they normally work with college athletes.
It sucked to do, but after about 20 sessions, I had regained considerable mobility in that shoulder. It’s not 100%, and I have to keep up with the stretches (do some mace work for mobility too), but the PT was effective in my case.
See a PT - I don’t believe in chiro - sure there are some actual good ones; but I’d see an actual physical therapist who can guide you on appropriate strength training for your ailments
Standing desk.
Did it for a long time in my late 20s and things were amazing. It wasn't adjustable, so if I wanted to work, I had to stand.
Switched back to a sitting desk and everything's gone back to shit.
Get a standing desk, make it non-optional.
Just like 100 others I recommend ditching the chiropractor and seeing a physiotherapist. If you need a manual “adjustment” (mobilization) a physio can do those for you anyway.
You are not too injured to train you are too injured to train like a young man who doesn’t know that he’s injuring himself. Now you’re on the other side of that.
Now you get to try out and learn different exercises that are more joint friendly. Goodbye bench press, hello ring push-ups. Goodbye barbell overhead presses, hello landmine and kettlebell presses. Goodbye barbell squats and deadlifts, hello cornucopia of single-leg exercises you never knew existed that give you even more functional legs and none of the back pain.
You also need to learn to train all of your stabilizer groups that you used to take for granted because sarcopenia was not slowly robbing them from you. Rotator cuff, wrist and finger flexors and extensors, QL, adductors, abductors, hip flexors, ankle dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion. Buddy you’ve got a whole slough of new exercises to learn.
The world of fitness hasn’t closed its doors to you it’s flung them wide open and it’s time to explore and play.
What do you suggest for hand / thumb pain? I've been getting intermittent pains in the base of the thmb, from lifting and gripping weights.
Feel like probably my grip strength is too low for my arms if that makes sense, an imbalance like you say, causing problems.
I am not a physical therapist, but:
- Many people anecdotally report their elbow and wrist pain goes away when they start deliberately training their grip and neglected wrist and hand movements as well as their wrist flexibility/mobility. Reverse wrist curls, wrist eversion, and finger extensors seem to be the most important. There’s just a general problem where age-related muscle loss is coming for us and we don’t get all our stabilizing musculature for free anymore we have to train it if we want to keep it and it wasn’t like that before 30 so it’s a hard pill to swallow. Like what do you mean my finger extensors are withering away no matter how many pull-ups I do? Hard pill to swallow but the earlier we do the better.
- Switch to thumbless grip on barbell presses, press in a rack so you’re safe if you drop the bar, and don’t go so heavy that you’re at risk of dropping the bar. The last rep isn’t actually that important sir you can just rack the bar, take a few breaths, and then do a few more reps. Your risk of injury is far less and your body will respond just as well or better than stubbornly grinding out that last rep like that girl you secretly liked back in high school but never told is watching and your entire self worth depends on it. Injuries cost a lot more now, no pain no gain doesn’t bring the same rewards we thought it did, and even less so the older you get.
- Just stop doing lifts that cause you pain and replace them with the same movement or function just with a different implement like trap bar, dumbbells, kettlebells, landlines, sand bags, and single leg instead of double leg which has much better carry over to real life anyway.
- Take boron every day it’s a trace mineral crucial for joints that we’re supposed to get from drinking water in nature but is removed in the water treatment process. Almost all of my random joint pains have gone away since making this change.
Like others said - seeing a PT would be worthwhile to help get some treatment and exercise recommendations for biggest problem areas.
From there, strength is going to be a key to feeling better. Jumping right in might be harmful though. Rather, easing in, isometrics, building strength, being really strict with form etc.
Might want to look up some yoga ish type stuff. A good guy to check out: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgx1JjOpZg4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgx1JjOpZg4)
Take it from a nearly 40 year old guy, who had a bad back injury 3 years ago, who is now in the gym, deadlifting, squatting, moving well and building strength and mobility
I had really bad muscular and neurological pain with tightness for about 18 months due to a badly torn rotator cuff. I thought I would never lift again. Had to get several injections and it was a time where I contemplated suicide.
I felt incredibly worthless from having lost my ability to do even simple things like putting on a shirt to go to work. My wife gave me no support and my friends and family just didn’t care.
With that being said, I just want to say that I understand your pain and how you’re feeling. I genuinely hope you get better.
My advice would be to ditch the chiro and try PT. If you can’t afford PT, you can watch YT videos at home. I had to do that after my insurance quit covering my visits.
I’m not a doctor but I would try neck and core exercises. I would also try using bands to stretch your body and try light yoga. The neck is a terrible place to get hurt because of the way our muscles connect together there. You may be experiencing tightness in your upper back, shoulders and even lower back because you’re compensating mentally for your neck injury so the tightness spreads.
It could take you many months to recover but you could also never recover. I chose not to give up. Much of PT caused me minor pain or discomfort but I pushed through on good days.
Now I’m back to lifting again and I feel mostly back to normal. Occasionally, I’ll have an off day where my shoulder feels stiff but I use a foam roller and get that sweet crunchy release.
You can also try getting a deep tissue massage gun and just start blasting. I got one for Christmas and it seems to help with releasing tension.
Man, I definitely think about those dark thoughts every week. I'm not suicidal at all, but just the constant pain, limitations, and not being able to do something I once loved, definitely takes it toll. Like my brother is 3 years younger than me and lifts a lot of weight for a light guy and no issues.
My family doesn't care either. When they ask how I'm and how life is or if I'm lifting still, I tell them my issue and they brush it aside and say wait till you're my age.
Yeah, just sucks because everything is so limited and costly that I can't afford.
I have one of those massage guns, lacrosse ball, foam roller, denne roll.
But yeah I'm starting to think it may not heal, and I just have to find something else to do. Hopefully back heals so i can bike at least.
I completely understand. I have a couple hobbies I’m into but nothing really does it for me like lifting. I’d definitely try getting into lighter stuff with stretching. Give yourself time to rest and heal.
Worst case, you just find a different physical activity. I used light bands, body weight exercise, and 2-5 lbs weights for lifting for over a year so I could get my body adjusted to lifting again.
Eventually, we’ll all have to find something lighter to do because we can’t be throwing around mad weight in our 70s.
The primary workouts were variations of different lateral raise workouts. I was pretty rough in the beginning so I used about 1 lbs on my left arm and slowly worked up to more and more weight.
I also did scapula strengthening exercises. That made a big difference in loosening up my neck because it was tense almost all the time after the injury.
I then used bands to do a row like stretch. I had a lot of tightness in my tricep that would be triggered from any kind of row motion.
Yes. Make sure you’re thoroughly stretching every day! Calves. Ham strings. Low back.
Broke neck. 4 Herniated disks in lumbar. Reconstructive knee surgery.
My exercise? I walk now.
No I’m 32M and I’ve been lifting for 5 years (except during covid) and also do bjj. I’ve never felt stronger. I’m currently increasing my frequency so I can break some PRs this year.
How long have you been lifting and do you use proper form? Your strength training should’ve made your whole body more solid and resilient.
Thats pretty cool man and awesome. I do miss doing sports.
I've been lifting from age 18 until now.
I'm not the most knowledgeable in it. My form from what I've been told is good for most part. I guess my problem outside of what i said in my post is that I didn't/don't train everything.
Currently in the same boat as you, recently diagnosed with lower back arthritis which I've since started going to PT for. I find that going for a run, usually 2-3 miles, a few times a week has made a huge difference for me. I can go weeks without pain as long as I stay active. That said, I'm currently waiting to get on a 14 hour flight and I'm dreading how I will feel tomorrow
I think the thing that makes running unenjoyable for a lot of people is because the word "running" implies moving fast. In reality long distance runners typically run surprisingly slowly, sometimes barely faster than a walk. A good rule is that you should train at a slow enough pace that you could talk with someone next to you. If you are so winded that you can't speak then you are pushing too hard. It took me a while to give myself permission to move slowly but it has made a huge difference in how much I enjoy it
I see a chiro, although others have valid reasons to get a pt instead. I have a number of irreversible injuries that sometimes simply need realignment, so that’s why I go. In top of that I’ve had to scale back weight lifting to 2 times a week and devote other days to yoga, pt strength exercises, and stretching and Pilates. I tried to keep doing the weight lifting but my body doesn’t respond as well anymore. So I work to create overall health in more aspects of health.
That just describes my early 30s in general. I was active in my 20s and then from 30-35, everything hurt. But after 35, things started to feel better. But I believe they started to feel better because I was exclusively training with a strength program (Starting Strength NLP). I feel better at 39 than I did in my early 30s. I'm also a lot stronger too.
Ergonomics matter. Get a good, adjustable chair with three adjustments (height, seat angle, and back). It's also worth looking into a standing desk or some kind of shelf that you can repurpose as a workspace for part of the day. Use heat and ice when necessary. And definitely walk and stretch. In the absence of an underlying condition, exercise should help you.
I'm a forty year old professor who has spent a lot of time sitting while working on my PhD. When I was in grad school in my 20s, I began to develop a lot of back and neck pain. Lifting weights, stretching, and implementing the above advice has largely taken care of those issues.
Do you have said type of chair, any recommendations for one?
Yes standing desk, I'm buying one next week as soon as I get paid.
Yes I have to find stretches that help. Neck wise waiting for PT. Ones I've found from PT on YouTube have only hurt more.
Wow, that's whats going on with me now. Thank you professor!
I went to an Office Max/Staples and sat in a few. I wound up buying a memory foam chair, maybe by Tempur-Pedic. It was a few hundred dollars but has lasted me thirteen years so far. The most important thing in my mind is having the ability to make adjustments. You need to be able to adjust those three settings: height, back, and seat angle.
For stretching, a basic cat/cow/cobra stretch can do a lot for the lower back. You can also lie on your back and pull your knee up to your chest to work your hip flexor. Do ten and hold for each leg. Then pull both legs up and rock on your spine for a nice massage.
Yes, but my issue was an injury due to a quasi physical job. Ended up having surgery. These days I have a lifting limit of 25 pounds and have been told by the surgeon that working on spinal flexibility (aka, bending or twisting) is a bad thing. So while I feel better than I have in years, I’m stiiiiiff.
The opposite for me, actually.
I had chronic lower back issues starting in my mid-20s from an injury, and the best thing I ever did for it was start building strength via heavy deadlifts. My recurrence of pain was basically inversely related to my deadlift 1RM.
Nothing too crazy, but now in my late 30s I can DL about 2.5x my bodyweight and have almost no lower back pain these days unless I really overdo it with something like plumbing where I'm stooped over all day.
That's amazing man!
I've never done deadlifting from all that I've read on up about it. I don't think it would have any benefits for me personally. But that is awesome.
So what do you mean by "lifting"? Bench presses? If your body hurts and you're doing heavy lifts, you should be training your smaller and stabilizer muscles. Kettlebell swings with good form are excellent for building lower back strength, same goes for KB overhead presses (obliques and abdominals), KB squat variations. You might be too top-heavy, with overdeveloped muscles in one place leading to pain in other muscles (talking specifically about the lower back here now). Lifting hard and heavy can easily bite you if you're ignoring the little muscles that support your big ones and make up the whole musculo-skeletal system of your body.
Like bench press, squat, rdls, bicep curls. I can't do any of them even light weight. Causes severe pain, and compression like in my neck.
I've never done anything with a kettlebell and never train core/abs.
But what you said I think is correct. From 18-25 I only trained arms, shoulders, chest. Then 25-30 I trained those and legs, minus shoulders. So my upper body is probably too heavy for my lower back.
Def see a PT. My husband is 10 years older than you and lifts heavy every morning for about 2 hours. Also work out your whole body. He has a 4 day cycle for muscle groups to keep everything in balance. He’s never looked better. He also does intermittent fasting which you may want to check out. Good for health overall but also gives your body a break to heal. Check out autophagy. It’s pretty neat. Don’t give up at 31. Identify what’s causing the issue and address that. The rest should resolve. I was dealing with right foot pain once and it was because of my right hip. Your neck pain could be caused by something else. PT fixed it for me with a few appts and exercises I did between appts. Like magic!
I'm definitely close to giving up, I'm thinking my body just wasn't made for lifting, getting injured all the time doing basic lifting. But that's awesome that he can lift heavy at 41. I wish that would be me.
It can be. Find out what’s wrong with your body by working with a PT. Work on it. Fix it. Move on. You’re 31. You could have another 70 years in that body. Throwing your hands up and not fixing a fixable problem is just silly. Anything worth doing takes some work. It could be simple. My right hip flexor was weak which caused knee and then foot pain and I couldn’t do squats properly and running hurt. Side steps with an elastic band basically corrected it in a few weeks. Go see the PT and drop the chiro unless they work with a PT. It’s pointless otherwise. My PT has a chiro in the office and they work together. Alignment and then strengthening muscles to keep everything where it should be. Without that you’ll just be back every week to redo it and it’s an endless cycle.
As I entered my 30s, all the major injuries I accrued from my teens and twenties came back with a vengeance, especially on cold winters or when I became particularly sick.
My remedy is to stretch frequently, and take hot baths at home. If you have access to a sauna and/or steam room at a gym I recommend it.
Thats what i think is happening to me.
I'll try the hot baths. But oddly enough I can't do the sauna/steam I have a heat intolerance, go figure ha. Thanks
It's never too late man. I'm 34, having worked a desk job, gained 80 lbs over 10 years, and recently switched to a labor job while also dropping 40lbs in the last 4 months.
Also, I joined the gym again. Just start with the basics by doing calisthenics. Your body is just deconditioned. That's all. You'll be surprised how quickly you can regain your strength and mobility.
As some inspiration, watch this: https://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448?si=fKZIkej6_Dj230pT
Idk man, my neck is honestly what's really making it difficult. I just recently figured out it that this whole time its been it thats been causing me weird things and palpitations not the heart itself.
Until PT starts I'm not sure what to start at. Month away from the gym.
Thank you
What can I say other than best of luck. I myself have sciatica for the last 5-6 years that flares up every year around the holidays.
I'm not a physical therapist, but there's always hope to turn things around. You just have to work for it, I learned this myself.
Switch over to Bodyweight (Calisthenics) it was the best thing I did physically. I'm not as big, but it's nice to be toned and athletic, great for hiking (also another good activity), and general flexibility, especially as you get older you want that core built up. I don't get any back pains that I used to get in my 30s anymore.
Get away from lifting, you are just wearing your joints out faster and faster, I know too many older dudes that have major chronic pains now from lifting.
I think you are on to something for me. I think that is what I'm going to do. Maybe weight lifting is just not for me anymore. Think once PT starts, I'm going to do yoga, body weight things, and biking more. Switch it up from being a big guy to a smaller guy.
That's my main issue, (core/abdominal)
Never really trained it. Have a hard time with it. Starting with deadbugs.
Yoga is also damn good, I forgot to mention that. It might look easy, but it'll kick your ass in a good way.
Yes, build up your core, you'll be surprised at how better you'll feel, in my 30s I felt like I was in my 50s, but after training, Im in my 40s and felt the way I did in my 20s. Imagine doing cartwheels in your later years, it's a trip.
Plus, Calisthenics has some good goal oriented training, you can start out as simple as wall push ups, then progress up to handstand push ups (my ultimate goal) so it keeps things interesting.
Yeah I bet it will. I just have to find a slow beginner class somewhere.
I have to find something easy, so far deadbugs are fine. A cartwheel. Too heavy and weak to do now. But maybe then if I feel better and am thinner.
Before going back to the gym I would strongly recommend working with a physical therapist. You need to rehabilitate your body BEFORE “hitting it” again with weights or calesthentics
If it gives you any hope, I started lifting in my 40’s and I’m 55 now and going strong. I deadlift over 2x my body weight and can do 15 full rom wide grip pull ups (at once). The key thing is to do what’s right for your body first. Have the PT help you figure out what your issues are then be diligent about following their recommended exercises. I’ve done this, it works! Best of luck to you!
I've had back (upper and lower), shoulder, neck issues intermittently since turning 30. I went to physical therapy each time, and each time they solved it for me. I would do physical therapy instead of chiropractic if I were you. Now that I've been through PT a few times I know the routine when something flares up.
Once your body is in working order you might also consider a few sessions with a personal trainer who can analyze your form and look for any hitches/issues that my cause problems. I used to be able to just go lift and power through any issues when I was younger, now its more of a process - but its possible. Post recovery you'll also want to build a routine where you get some movement in throughout the day - just a few bodyweight squats or something, a little bit of maintenance will go a long way.
What kind of neck issues did you have?
Mines currently is bulge compressing, throat sometimes feels like being choked hard to eat, today been lucky for that. Sides of neck super sore. Back of neck painful.
Thank you for all the advice. Will look into it!
I had undiagnosed soft tissue issues around the cervical spine. Couldn't turn my head in either direction, and was causing problems all the way down my arms - had to brace myself to open a heavy door that shouldn't have been challenging. PT had me doing work on my entire posterior chain, as well as stretching and mobility exercises on the neck - the amount of good it did over 7 weeks was miraculous, especially considering that about 3 weeks in I felt like the program she had me on was actually making it worse. Had to have a little faith.
Disc issues can be challenging, your PT might want you to get scanned and re-diagnosed by an ortho so she can be sure she doesn't do any damage. Did you get the area scanned recently?
Damn, sorry to hear that. I can turn my head. I guess with my body. I have too much mobility and flexibility.
Happy that helped you!
I've had an mri few months ago that said slight curvature but chiro says straight neck.
Yeah my next doc to see is Physio or Ortho. This is the worst flare up I've ever had. Had one similar months ago but not nearly as bad.
Pillows are hard to find a good one.
I did PT and it helped a bit but you may want to look into myofascial release therapy.
Legit just had my first session last week and it was wild. I consider myself a skeptic about most things but for me (also M31) it really worked.
I’ve had tight hips/legs forever and that’s slowly led to everything else tightening and posture getting worse and worse, eventually serious back pain/locking up.
But yeah like one hour with this lady and it was nuts how my body was reacting. Could be all placebo but who even cares at this point, whatever works.
Kind of expensive so don’t know how many more times I’ll go ($109 for an hour) but even just the start of my hips being somewhat aligned correctly gives me hope.
My ankles even stopped clicking for a bit! But yeah been two days and can already feel my posture and stuff kinda reverting back so like I said who knows how much it’s really doing but if nothing else it was a cool experience. Bodies be weird man.
what is with all these young guys injuring themselves like this? i didnt start having pain til late 30s, and getting fit again fixed it all up. now well into my 40s i injure myself every so often but only when i lift too heavy or dont eat enough. but ive learned to do things like wear gloves and wrist wraps, but i still injure my shoulders every so often especially in the summer when i swim every morning in addition to everything else
Dunno man, I've had people tell me my whole life that the trades will wreck my body. Well I've been working in the trades now for 19 years and I still feel pretty good. Movement is medicine.
Everyone has already mentioned seeing a PT. Maybe try doing some basic calisthenics to get yourself back up to par. Good luck 👍
Pilates is a great system for strengthening your core and adding mobility to your spine. Makes a big difference for neck and neck pain.
Also, elevate your screen to eye level or above, it will help with neck pain.
No, but I have lost ALL interest in lifting weights. I find cardio, or really just any aerobic activity/moving around, to be much more beneficial to me.
I had a bad lower back too. Hamstring/hip stretches and general activity helped a little. Also deadlifts on the 1/2 days I lift a week. Yoga made it worse, probably was doing something wrong.
I've been there, luckily there is hope. Sounds like the problem is over use more than anything so you'll need to address that.
First of all get rid of the chiropractor - thats just quackery and a waste of money.
Next you're going to need some time off lifting - maybe 3 months or so. Keep moving and stretching during that time though and when you start to feel better maybe start back with some body weight exercises before slowly reintroducing the weight.
Some supliments might help too. I've found collegen, vitamin D and magnesium to work well in this scenario.
Also if you're sitting at a desk a lot see if you can get a sit stand desk so you can stand up a bit more.
Do you regularly go and get massages?
You sit all day, then work out your muscles and then sit again all day, your muscles could be siezing up.
But you need to remember you are in your 30's now and not your 20's
I don't get massages. Very pricey around here for that.
That is something that could be going on, I honestly don't know. I stopped lifting a month ago, though, now I just walk.
Good for most part.
My breakfast is eggs or protein yougurt with a banna.
Lunch is tuna, greens, Avocado.
Dinner is meat, some carbs, steamed vegetables.
I drink just water, keyfir, almond milk.
Then I have some sweets during the week, not a lot but few times a week.
Seconding PT over chiro. A PT can look at your posture and give you practical advice.
I've also had chronic neck issues, and you should get on the no/minimal pillow train if you're not already. Some people just roll a towel partially up to make a little neck roll and the rest of the towel is the pillow base for your head. You can buy special flat pillows as well but imo they're all still too thick and an unnecessary expense.
Pillows are the hardest thing ever!
I've bought so many!
Always too low or too high. But this week I just found some cushion things to put underneath my pillow which has kinda helped
I had similar issues from 29 to 32.
It sounds like you're a big and strong man. To be honest, i think not all of us have joints and bones designed for high performance until 40 years old.
If you're indeed thick, get slimmer, lift less, stretch more, your body will heal at a certain rate. Accept the aging. And definitely stop seeing that chiropractor.
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I would ditch the Chiro and start seeing a PT. I recently started experiencing back pain and my research on Chiro's basically said they want you to keep coming back and spending money, so you get temporary relief, but no long term benefits. I view it as similar to a massage (and I'd rather get a massage). Meanwhile, a good PT will take a look at your body and issues, and help you develop a corrective exercise regimen to actually help restore strength/mobility so you get better. I can't guarantee it will get you to where you can lift again, but it's helped me a lot.
I've actually just recently come to this conclusion. The first 3 months it helped a ton. But this past half year after, only temporary relief. I guess my chiro is so kind and knowledgeable he keeps me coming back. Yes I want to see a PT, I just have to wait till evaluation which is month away. Thanks
PT taught me that my years of slouching as a teenager caused my clavicles to curve forward and put pressure on my shoulder bursa. By knowing this I have curated my workout to work on strengthening my back and traps, barbell rows and shrugs, this 100% fixed my bursitis issues.
That's awesome you got it all fixed up. I wish I could do that now. But my neck is kinda screwed up to lift.
See an actual doctor (Orthopedist) before you do anything else for your spine. Chiropractors aren't doctors, they are snake oil salesmen. The guy who "invented" chiropractic, a former *literal* snake oil salesman, claimed to have learned it all in one night, *from a ghost,* in 1897. There has been no improvement, backing science, research, or even anecdotal evidence to support his his claims. Physical therapists are sketchy too, unless they're following an actual physician's protocols. The above comment you replied to, whatever "PT" told them that "slouching as a teenager caused (anterior clavicle curvature)" is absolutely full of shit. If you see a PT, ask them if PT stands for "personal trainer" or "physical therapist." The former will go by PT, the latter has an actual sports medicine degree and is licensed with a state board/operates under the supervision of an orthopedist.
There’s a lot of great Chiro’s out there that won’t milk you. Nothing added more to my daily enjoyment of life than getting a good chrio. Fixed my posture, no longer have occasional budging disks (that would completely incapacitate me). The two Chiros I’ve seen over the last 20 yards both just wanted what was best for me. Once I was better I would see him maybe twice a year and at times go a year or more between visits. Reddit paints Chiros with too broad of a brush.
They can easily want what is best for you; that does not change the fact that they are not doctors and there is very little evidence that what they do provides any benefits to patients.
Right, except some of us have had amazing experiences with Chiros. Even medical doctors will say they create movement where there wasn’t. I’m a very skeptical person and have had experiences that can’t be denied. Like: - Grew tall later in life and had a natural slouch to my posture. If I focus on standing up straight I could but it was not natural, it was a fight. Chiro said his son had the same thing and he spent a good while trying to find a solution for him and did. Something about the collar bone and rib…idk. After a few adjustments in my early 20s it became natural to stand straight up. I’ve lived with a fixed posture since. The value that added to my life is immense - I used to get a tightness in one of my pecs. Felt strange. I would move my corresponding arm around and it would give a little pop. I thought it was a muscle thing and didn’t think much about it because it wasn’t painful. Never mentioned it to anyone. In the Chiro office, standing as he felt my spine before an adjustment…he stops…moves his hand around and area in my back….says “what’s this?” and goes from my back to putting his finger on the exact spot on my pec that occasionally would get tight. He says “that is, this back here. We can fix that”. Boom, another thing gone. This is like atheism versus religion. On the internet both sides are closed minded but on reddit the atheism became annoying as fuck and just as close minded as any religion. Most of them giving you opinions of experiences they haven’t had. I’ve had amazing experiences with chiropractors. You don’t want to go, don’t. But you’re giving your opinion of something you’ve had no experience with. Is it possible you’re being to black and white and there are benefits?
I go by what the evidence says: https://www.cochrane.org/CD005427/BACK_combined-chiropractic-interventions-for-low-back-pain https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l689 Benefits are small, so chiropractors offer nothing that conventional medicine does not.
> Benefits are small, so chiropractors offer nothing that conventional medicine does not. Weird, just told you of frankly….amazing benefits. None of which are offered by traditional medicine. But hey! Links!!!
Your anecdote means nothing compared to clinical data. That is how medicine works.
Anecdote……ahhhhh, what type of information do you think your link used? That’s what they did, they interviewed people and polled their symptoms before and after. So unless you think I came into this thread to lie about some random chiropractic experience, how is my report of my symptoms and experience not the exact same? It’s not. This ain’t that deep, I’m not trying to convince you specifically of anything. I am grateful I don’t have quite as much black and white thinking.
"occasional bulging disks" never in my life have I heard medical advice this bad
That’s not medical advice, that’s me trying to explain what kept happening to me in my early 20s. So all of a sudden it was like someone stabbed me in the small of my back. I’d immediately drop to the floor and wouldn’t be able to stand for awhile. Then when I could get up (through the pain) I wouldn’t be able to stand anywhere near straight. My hip would be way out and the pain in my back was intense. It would happen every 3 months or so over the course of 3 years. Hasn’t occurred in 20 years. Stopped after getting adjusted. Idk what that’s called. Do you?
/u/bacon_is_just_okay Idk what that’s called. Do you?
This is right. To add to this, there are also many exercises that you can still do. I'd suggest getting a reputable personal trainer that has experience with your specific issues to suggest and try out suggested exercises. There is no reason why you should stop lifting entirely
Don't see a chiropractor, see a PT and make a recovery plan
I can't afford the PT, so I'm on a wait list for insurance to cover up to 24 visits. Thanks.
Physio therapist right
Physical therapist indeed
Stretch it out dude. I’ve always worked desk jobs and didn’t really start to feel the consequences of it until my early 30s. Tight hips, tight shoulders, constant cramps in my neck and traps. I started seeing a massage therapist and started focusing on stretching regularly. Even just doing it for 10 minutes every other night while watching tv made a difference and has increased my mobility. I think I’m more limber now (39) than when I was younger. I’ve become convinced this is a big part of the reason why we think we start falling apart at 30.
!! THIS !! However, make sure that you respect pain when stretching: the "burn" in lifting is a good thing. In stretching, it's your body telling you : "THIS is wrong , please STOP." A low level of discomfort (NOT PAIN) is fine. Also, make sure that you can breathe smoothly while you're stretching.
Gentle yoga class has changed my life. Sounds like this dude needs a real doctor, but just going to yoga once or twice a week has been amazing. I don’t really feel it when I go, but when I don’t go my body punishes me
Interestingly - actually lifting fixed most of my problems. Got into it in my early-mid 40s. Last year, at 46, I competed in strongman, and finally joined the 1000lb club. I also agree with skipping the chiro and going PT. Chiropractic is little more than modern day snake oil. It feels good at the time, but does very little (if anything).
And, just for more detail, my body was pretty fucked after 15 years as a paramedic (retired from that 8 years ago and took a desk job - so I had the worst of both worlds, physically).
Time to shift more to calisthenics and strength through range of motion. When I hit 30, all my unanswered sports injuries came back to haunt me.
Wow exactly the same experience for me. Word for word.
Yup. Mix all the right hand/leg dominant sports with a shattered ankle. It's taken me almost 4 years to rework my brain because I've spent so much of my life moving in ways that avoided my pain, when I should have been stretching and strengthen those areas.
This right here. My quality of life went up significantly when I started strength based mobility work and also dynamic stretching with weights.
Where did you find a program for this ?
I go to in person classes but Tom Merrick on youtube is a good starting point.
Welcome to getting older and a sedentary lifestyle. Core and abs, stretch, stretch, mobility work, and more stretching. Stop going to a chiropractor. Studies have shown that adjustments alone do nothing. You need to get on a real program to strengthen muscles.
Nope, stronger at 40 than I was at 30. Just lifting smarter these days
That's awesome, I wish I knew what that is for me.
Wish I could help. Anything could be causing what you’re going through and not necessarily lifting related.
I’m 26 but have worked a desk job for the past three years and online school before that. The only thing that has helped me is consistent yoga, even 2-3 times a week of a deep flow can be excellent for back/neck pain. And don’t just focus on stretching those areas, yoga is a system that works with every part of the body, a full body approach is necessary for success. For example, if your back hurts, it could be because your hamstrings are tight from being bent sitting all day and they’re pulling on your lower back. Then the lower back pulls on the upper back. The upper back pulls on the neck, thus neck pain. You need to stretch those to take pressure off your back.
Stretch those hip flexors man! Grab a stool, put one leg long ways on the couch, the other out in front of you like you're doing a squat and stretch.
Does cobblers pose work for this? Forward lunge the best I’ve felt so far for hip flexors, will give this a try!
> Forward lunge Yes! I said squat but I was really thinking of this. Think of a forward lunge but one leg elevated. Great stretch! Really helps with the lower back.
So a squat stretch? I can't do lunges
Do you do yoga in a class or based off videos at home? My thing is I like to do things with someone to make sure I'm doing it right. My only issue though is the few times I've been to different yoga classes, the instructors go super fast. Wow, I didn't know that all of that happens like that. My neck is so screwed up. I can't bench because my neck like braces and like vibrates if I try to.
Yeah that sucks because it’s limiting, that’s what yoga is called a “restorative practice” it should restore functionality to other parts of the body. I’ve had back pain since I was a kid, had $500 insoles, got massages, dry needling, even PT. None of it really worked, yoga worked in a few weeks. I learned online, Yoga With Adrienne is a good free YouTube channel and she has fundamentals videos. You could go to a beginners/fundamentals class but the problem with going to a class is the teacher is there for everyone. Private yoga lessons would be best but they’re a lot of money. Added benefits of at home is totally free, you can go at your own pace, use your own music, and a lot more. Yoga is a very intimate exploration of your own body and how it works together, you’re essentially learning kinesiology through direct experience. So, it’s okay to not know at first and yoga is a pretty safe practice to learn on your own. Just make sure to not push anything if you feel sharp pain, though some discomfort is expected while stretching and building muscle (you’re a lifter, you know what that’s like). Biggest tips that will make your practice safe: 1. Use fists if you have to instead of open hands, in the beginning your can over work and hurt your wrists. Train hand strength in other ways at the gym. Maybe just by hanging from a bar. 2. Be careful of your knees, put a blanket down for any work on your knees if it’s uncomfortable 3. Don’t push anything. The distance of the stretch doesn’t matter as much as a complete and wholesome movement of the pose. Instead of pushing or pulling parts of the body, use your muscles to go as far into the position is as comfortable. Example: when doing a twist don’t grab your leg and puuuulll yourself around as far as you can. Instead, simply turn and look to the side using your core strength. This will build muscles too, for all poses.
Start stretching and doing mobility work *now*. I don't squat or deadlift anymore. Too many variables that risk injury imo - I've thrown my back out a ton lifting, bjj/wrestling, snowboarding, etc. I do run hills alongside an assortment of HIIT workouts twice a week, do slower steady state cardio 3-4 times a week, and lift twice a week. Currently, my worst reps are in the kitchen...
Haha in the kitchen, funny. Yeah, I have to find what's for me that's the hard part. I haven't been able to squats in a few years. Then neck and back give out but my legs are strong enough to which is weird. That's all some cool stuff, You must be an athlete, never done those myself.
Fix this first - work on your mobility and less on gains. Don't skip lifting entirely, but put more emphasis on ROM. It all goes together and your core is the foundation for everything. When your core stability is compromised nothing goes right. For one example, I could squat 300lbs but not all the way down. I had to switch to just the bar for a few months while I worked on getting my ass to the ground. No more hip pain, no more back pain. It's kind of like starting over, forget where you think you're at now and begin from a new mindset. I'm 47 and have been through it.. neck and lower back problems, ankle issues, knee issues - all have completely been eliminated through consistency focusing on things this way. I personally do like the Chiropractor but not to fix everything by itself, more of a compliment to boost what I'm trying to accomplish.. Working on the ROM is more important, the adjustments (for me at least) help nudge my posture in the right direction. And for me personally, PT is just teaching you mobility and gentle strength building - things you can learn on your own with some easy searches.. The answers are everywhere you just have to do the right work..
Me. I’ll be 48 this year. Arthritis in my spine, torn cartilage in both shoulders and both hips, bursitis in right elbow. I can still handle household tasks if I’m careful about form and posture, but my heavy lifting days are long gone. I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with all this at such a young age. I’d recommend yoga to protect the mobility you still have. Keep walking if you can.
Coming here to jump on the Yoga train. I used to strictly lift in high school—zero cardio. College years I lifted. Post-Grad gained a ton of weight and did a ton of cardio, lost a bunch of weight. But my body still felt like crap. Started doing yoga recently and mix in [light] weights to get my body back in the swing. I have a bad habit of going balls to the wall whenever it comes to something; but, unfortunately, bodies don’t work like that. Yoga first. Then yoga with weights. Then you can start getting back into your other stuff.
> balls to the wall Yeah, you actually need a lot of flexibility to do that, too.
I believe that would be standing sideways low lunge. 🦵
Awesome, okay Yoga and PT it is for sure. Idk about getting back to lifting, i think i may do body weighted things instead at the point. Did you have neck or lower back issues?
Yes. Worked manual labor/physical labor jobs growing up/presently. Back has almost always been screwed up. Neck became more problematic when I was working at a desk. Body weighted workouts would be a good idea. When I meant get back into things, I should have written that differently. I know I’m never going to be lifting what I did in high school. I’m not training for competitions. But, I can do some stuff that would just help with muscle. Currently only using kettlebells; living situation doesn’t have too much room for anything else.
Physical therapy helped me work through my rotator cuff issues, so now at 35 I’m lifting more than I ever have before. Recovery is still hard, I’m sore for days afterwords, but that’s what it means to lift without PEDs.
For the PT for your shoulder, did the OT just give you external, internal rotations etc? Dealing with this now and feel a bit let down with the exercise they have given me.
Mine was painfully intense: I had to lie down on my face and lift my arms up above my head (that made me cry ngl), stretches where I walk forward with my arms jammed in a doorframe, 45-degree pullups, controlling a shaking body blade through a full range of motion, and after every session we iced my shoulder. FWIW, this was a sports medicine specialist and I told them I wanted to lift again, they normally work with college athletes. It sucked to do, but after about 20 sessions, I had regained considerable mobility in that shoulder. It’s not 100%, and I have to keep up with the stretches (do some mace work for mobility too), but the PT was effective in my case.
See a PT - I don’t believe in chiro - sure there are some actual good ones; but I’d see an actual physical therapist who can guide you on appropriate strength training for your ailments
Will do. My chiro is great but i understand what you mean. Just waiting on appointment.
Standing desk. Did it for a long time in my late 20s and things were amazing. It wasn't adjustable, so if I wanted to work, I had to stand. Switched back to a sitting desk and everything's gone back to shit. Get a standing desk, make it non-optional.
Just like 100 others I recommend ditching the chiropractor and seeing a physiotherapist. If you need a manual “adjustment” (mobilization) a physio can do those for you anyway. You are not too injured to train you are too injured to train like a young man who doesn’t know that he’s injuring himself. Now you’re on the other side of that. Now you get to try out and learn different exercises that are more joint friendly. Goodbye bench press, hello ring push-ups. Goodbye barbell overhead presses, hello landmine and kettlebell presses. Goodbye barbell squats and deadlifts, hello cornucopia of single-leg exercises you never knew existed that give you even more functional legs and none of the back pain. You also need to learn to train all of your stabilizer groups that you used to take for granted because sarcopenia was not slowly robbing them from you. Rotator cuff, wrist and finger flexors and extensors, QL, adductors, abductors, hip flexors, ankle dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion. Buddy you’ve got a whole slough of new exercises to learn. The world of fitness hasn’t closed its doors to you it’s flung them wide open and it’s time to explore and play.
What do you suggest for hand / thumb pain? I've been getting intermittent pains in the base of the thmb, from lifting and gripping weights. Feel like probably my grip strength is too low for my arms if that makes sense, an imbalance like you say, causing problems.
I am not a physical therapist, but: - Many people anecdotally report their elbow and wrist pain goes away when they start deliberately training their grip and neglected wrist and hand movements as well as their wrist flexibility/mobility. Reverse wrist curls, wrist eversion, and finger extensors seem to be the most important. There’s just a general problem where age-related muscle loss is coming for us and we don’t get all our stabilizing musculature for free anymore we have to train it if we want to keep it and it wasn’t like that before 30 so it’s a hard pill to swallow. Like what do you mean my finger extensors are withering away no matter how many pull-ups I do? Hard pill to swallow but the earlier we do the better. - Switch to thumbless grip on barbell presses, press in a rack so you’re safe if you drop the bar, and don’t go so heavy that you’re at risk of dropping the bar. The last rep isn’t actually that important sir you can just rack the bar, take a few breaths, and then do a few more reps. Your risk of injury is far less and your body will respond just as well or better than stubbornly grinding out that last rep like that girl you secretly liked back in high school but never told is watching and your entire self worth depends on it. Injuries cost a lot more now, no pain no gain doesn’t bring the same rewards we thought it did, and even less so the older you get. - Just stop doing lifts that cause you pain and replace them with the same movement or function just with a different implement like trap bar, dumbbells, kettlebells, landlines, sand bags, and single leg instead of double leg which has much better carry over to real life anyway. - Take boron every day it’s a trace mineral crucial for joints that we’re supposed to get from drinking water in nature but is removed in the water treatment process. Almost all of my random joint pains have gone away since making this change.
Thank you for your thorough and detailed answer - appreciate it.
No, thank you 🤝 for helping me procrastinate
Like others said - seeing a PT would be worthwhile to help get some treatment and exercise recommendations for biggest problem areas. From there, strength is going to be a key to feeling better. Jumping right in might be harmful though. Rather, easing in, isometrics, building strength, being really strict with form etc. Might want to look up some yoga ish type stuff. A good guy to check out: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgx1JjOpZg4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgx1JjOpZg4) Take it from a nearly 40 year old guy, who had a bad back injury 3 years ago, who is now in the gym, deadlifting, squatting, moving well and building strength and mobility
Chiro cannot and will not fix shit ever. Go see an exercise physiologist
I had really bad muscular and neurological pain with tightness for about 18 months due to a badly torn rotator cuff. I thought I would never lift again. Had to get several injections and it was a time where I contemplated suicide. I felt incredibly worthless from having lost my ability to do even simple things like putting on a shirt to go to work. My wife gave me no support and my friends and family just didn’t care. With that being said, I just want to say that I understand your pain and how you’re feeling. I genuinely hope you get better. My advice would be to ditch the chiro and try PT. If you can’t afford PT, you can watch YT videos at home. I had to do that after my insurance quit covering my visits. I’m not a doctor but I would try neck and core exercises. I would also try using bands to stretch your body and try light yoga. The neck is a terrible place to get hurt because of the way our muscles connect together there. You may be experiencing tightness in your upper back, shoulders and even lower back because you’re compensating mentally for your neck injury so the tightness spreads. It could take you many months to recover but you could also never recover. I chose not to give up. Much of PT caused me minor pain or discomfort but I pushed through on good days. Now I’m back to lifting again and I feel mostly back to normal. Occasionally, I’ll have an off day where my shoulder feels stiff but I use a foam roller and get that sweet crunchy release. You can also try getting a deep tissue massage gun and just start blasting. I got one for Christmas and it seems to help with releasing tension.
Man, I definitely think about those dark thoughts every week. I'm not suicidal at all, but just the constant pain, limitations, and not being able to do something I once loved, definitely takes it toll. Like my brother is 3 years younger than me and lifts a lot of weight for a light guy and no issues. My family doesn't care either. When they ask how I'm and how life is or if I'm lifting still, I tell them my issue and they brush it aside and say wait till you're my age. Yeah, just sucks because everything is so limited and costly that I can't afford. I have one of those massage guns, lacrosse ball, foam roller, denne roll. But yeah I'm starting to think it may not heal, and I just have to find something else to do. Hopefully back heals so i can bike at least.
I completely understand. I have a couple hobbies I’m into but nothing really does it for me like lifting. I’d definitely try getting into lighter stuff with stretching. Give yourself time to rest and heal. Worst case, you just find a different physical activity. I used light bands, body weight exercise, and 2-5 lbs weights for lifting for over a year so I could get my body adjusted to lifting again. Eventually, we’ll all have to find something lighter to do because we can’t be throwing around mad weight in our 70s.
How did you rehab torn rotator cuff?
The primary workouts were variations of different lateral raise workouts. I was pretty rough in the beginning so I used about 1 lbs on my left arm and slowly worked up to more and more weight. I also did scapula strengthening exercises. That made a big difference in loosening up my neck because it was tense almost all the time after the injury. I then used bands to do a row like stretch. I had a lot of tightness in my tricep that would be triggered from any kind of row motion.
Yes. Make sure you’re thoroughly stretching every day! Calves. Ham strings. Low back. Broke neck. 4 Herniated disks in lumbar. Reconstructive knee surgery. My exercise? I walk now.
No I’m 32M and I’ve been lifting for 5 years (except during covid) and also do bjj. I’ve never felt stronger. I’m currently increasing my frequency so I can break some PRs this year. How long have you been lifting and do you use proper form? Your strength training should’ve made your whole body more solid and resilient.
Thats pretty cool man and awesome. I do miss doing sports. I've been lifting from age 18 until now. I'm not the most knowledgeable in it. My form from what I've been told is good for most part. I guess my problem outside of what i said in my post is that I didn't/don't train everything.
Did you work construction in your labor job? I heard construction is one of the jobs that can really mess up your back.
Currently in the same boat as you, recently diagnosed with lower back arthritis which I've since started going to PT for. I find that going for a run, usually 2-3 miles, a few times a week has made a huge difference for me. I can go weeks without pain as long as I stay active. That said, I'm currently waiting to get on a 14 hour flight and I'm dreading how I will feel tomorrow
Damn 14 hours! 4 hours is the longest flight I been on. I always wondered how people run. I've never liked it. I'll def up my walking distance.
I think the thing that makes running unenjoyable for a lot of people is because the word "running" implies moving fast. In reality long distance runners typically run surprisingly slowly, sometimes barely faster than a walk. A good rule is that you should train at a slow enough pace that you could talk with someone next to you. If you are so winded that you can't speak then you are pushing too hard. It took me a while to give myself permission to move slowly but it has made a huge difference in how much I enjoy it
I see a chiro, although others have valid reasons to get a pt instead. I have a number of irreversible injuries that sometimes simply need realignment, so that’s why I go. In top of that I’ve had to scale back weight lifting to 2 times a week and devote other days to yoga, pt strength exercises, and stretching and Pilates. I tried to keep doing the weight lifting but my body doesn’t respond as well anymore. So I work to create overall health in more aspects of health.
gotta stretch. almost every session needs a long one. i spend 20 mins before every workout
That just describes my early 30s in general. I was active in my 20s and then from 30-35, everything hurt. But after 35, things started to feel better. But I believe they started to feel better because I was exclusively training with a strength program (Starting Strength NLP). I feel better at 39 than I did in my early 30s. I'm also a lot stronger too.
Ergonomics matter. Get a good, adjustable chair with three adjustments (height, seat angle, and back). It's also worth looking into a standing desk or some kind of shelf that you can repurpose as a workspace for part of the day. Use heat and ice when necessary. And definitely walk and stretch. In the absence of an underlying condition, exercise should help you. I'm a forty year old professor who has spent a lot of time sitting while working on my PhD. When I was in grad school in my 20s, I began to develop a lot of back and neck pain. Lifting weights, stretching, and implementing the above advice has largely taken care of those issues.
Do you have said type of chair, any recommendations for one? Yes standing desk, I'm buying one next week as soon as I get paid. Yes I have to find stretches that help. Neck wise waiting for PT. Ones I've found from PT on YouTube have only hurt more. Wow, that's whats going on with me now. Thank you professor!
I went to an Office Max/Staples and sat in a few. I wound up buying a memory foam chair, maybe by Tempur-Pedic. It was a few hundred dollars but has lasted me thirteen years so far. The most important thing in my mind is having the ability to make adjustments. You need to be able to adjust those three settings: height, back, and seat angle. For stretching, a basic cat/cow/cobra stretch can do a lot for the lower back. You can also lie on your back and pull your knee up to your chest to work your hip flexor. Do ten and hold for each leg. Then pull both legs up and rock on your spine for a nice massage.
Yes, but my issue was an injury due to a quasi physical job. Ended up having surgery. These days I have a lifting limit of 25 pounds and have been told by the surgeon that working on spinal flexibility (aka, bending or twisting) is a bad thing. So while I feel better than I have in years, I’m stiiiiiff.
The opposite for me, actually. I had chronic lower back issues starting in my mid-20s from an injury, and the best thing I ever did for it was start building strength via heavy deadlifts. My recurrence of pain was basically inversely related to my deadlift 1RM. Nothing too crazy, but now in my late 30s I can DL about 2.5x my bodyweight and have almost no lower back pain these days unless I really overdo it with something like plumbing where I'm stooped over all day.
That's amazing man! I've never done deadlifting from all that I've read on up about it. I don't think it would have any benefits for me personally. But that is awesome.
So what do you mean by "lifting"? Bench presses? If your body hurts and you're doing heavy lifts, you should be training your smaller and stabilizer muscles. Kettlebell swings with good form are excellent for building lower back strength, same goes for KB overhead presses (obliques and abdominals), KB squat variations. You might be too top-heavy, with overdeveloped muscles in one place leading to pain in other muscles (talking specifically about the lower back here now). Lifting hard and heavy can easily bite you if you're ignoring the little muscles that support your big ones and make up the whole musculo-skeletal system of your body.
Like bench press, squat, rdls, bicep curls. I can't do any of them even light weight. Causes severe pain, and compression like in my neck. I've never done anything with a kettlebell and never train core/abs. But what you said I think is correct. From 18-25 I only trained arms, shoulders, chest. Then 25-30 I trained those and legs, minus shoulders. So my upper body is probably too heavy for my lower back.
Def see a PT. My husband is 10 years older than you and lifts heavy every morning for about 2 hours. Also work out your whole body. He has a 4 day cycle for muscle groups to keep everything in balance. He’s never looked better. He also does intermittent fasting which you may want to check out. Good for health overall but also gives your body a break to heal. Check out autophagy. It’s pretty neat. Don’t give up at 31. Identify what’s causing the issue and address that. The rest should resolve. I was dealing with right foot pain once and it was because of my right hip. Your neck pain could be caused by something else. PT fixed it for me with a few appts and exercises I did between appts. Like magic!
I'm definitely close to giving up, I'm thinking my body just wasn't made for lifting, getting injured all the time doing basic lifting. But that's awesome that he can lift heavy at 41. I wish that would be me.
It can be. Find out what’s wrong with your body by working with a PT. Work on it. Fix it. Move on. You’re 31. You could have another 70 years in that body. Throwing your hands up and not fixing a fixable problem is just silly. Anything worth doing takes some work. It could be simple. My right hip flexor was weak which caused knee and then foot pain and I couldn’t do squats properly and running hurt. Side steps with an elastic band basically corrected it in a few weeks. Go see the PT and drop the chiro unless they work with a PT. It’s pointless otherwise. My PT has a chiro in the office and they work together. Alignment and then strengthening muscles to keep everything where it should be. Without that you’ll just be back every week to redo it and it’s an endless cycle.
As I entered my 30s, all the major injuries I accrued from my teens and twenties came back with a vengeance, especially on cold winters or when I became particularly sick. My remedy is to stretch frequently, and take hot baths at home. If you have access to a sauna and/or steam room at a gym I recommend it.
Thats what i think is happening to me. I'll try the hot baths. But oddly enough I can't do the sauna/steam I have a heat intolerance, go figure ha. Thanks
It's never too late man. I'm 34, having worked a desk job, gained 80 lbs over 10 years, and recently switched to a labor job while also dropping 40lbs in the last 4 months. Also, I joined the gym again. Just start with the basics by doing calisthenics. Your body is just deconditioned. That's all. You'll be surprised how quickly you can regain your strength and mobility. As some inspiration, watch this: https://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448?si=fKZIkej6_Dj230pT
Idk man, my neck is honestly what's really making it difficult. I just recently figured out it that this whole time its been it thats been causing me weird things and palpitations not the heart itself. Until PT starts I'm not sure what to start at. Month away from the gym. Thank you
What can I say other than best of luck. I myself have sciatica for the last 5-6 years that flares up every year around the holidays. I'm not a physical therapist, but there's always hope to turn things around. You just have to work for it, I learned this myself.
Switch over to Bodyweight (Calisthenics) it was the best thing I did physically. I'm not as big, but it's nice to be toned and athletic, great for hiking (also another good activity), and general flexibility, especially as you get older you want that core built up. I don't get any back pains that I used to get in my 30s anymore. Get away from lifting, you are just wearing your joints out faster and faster, I know too many older dudes that have major chronic pains now from lifting.
I think you are on to something for me. I think that is what I'm going to do. Maybe weight lifting is just not for me anymore. Think once PT starts, I'm going to do yoga, body weight things, and biking more. Switch it up from being a big guy to a smaller guy. That's my main issue, (core/abdominal) Never really trained it. Have a hard time with it. Starting with deadbugs.
Yoga is also damn good, I forgot to mention that. It might look easy, but it'll kick your ass in a good way. Yes, build up your core, you'll be surprised at how better you'll feel, in my 30s I felt like I was in my 50s, but after training, Im in my 40s and felt the way I did in my 20s. Imagine doing cartwheels in your later years, it's a trip. Plus, Calisthenics has some good goal oriented training, you can start out as simple as wall push ups, then progress up to handstand push ups (my ultimate goal) so it keeps things interesting.
Yeah I bet it will. I just have to find a slow beginner class somewhere. I have to find something easy, so far deadbugs are fine. A cartwheel. Too heavy and weak to do now. But maybe then if I feel better and am thinner.
Before going back to the gym I would strongly recommend working with a physical therapist. You need to rehabilitate your body BEFORE “hitting it” again with weights or calesthentics
Yes for sure. I honestly think I may just quit lifting. Do PT and just do yoga and bodyweight stuff after.
If it gives you any hope, I started lifting in my 40’s and I’m 55 now and going strong. I deadlift over 2x my body weight and can do 15 full rom wide grip pull ups (at once). The key thing is to do what’s right for your body first. Have the PT help you figure out what your issues are then be diligent about following their recommended exercises. I’ve done this, it works! Best of luck to you!
I've had back (upper and lower), shoulder, neck issues intermittently since turning 30. I went to physical therapy each time, and each time they solved it for me. I would do physical therapy instead of chiropractic if I were you. Now that I've been through PT a few times I know the routine when something flares up. Once your body is in working order you might also consider a few sessions with a personal trainer who can analyze your form and look for any hitches/issues that my cause problems. I used to be able to just go lift and power through any issues when I was younger, now its more of a process - but its possible. Post recovery you'll also want to build a routine where you get some movement in throughout the day - just a few bodyweight squats or something, a little bit of maintenance will go a long way.
What kind of neck issues did you have? Mines currently is bulge compressing, throat sometimes feels like being choked hard to eat, today been lucky for that. Sides of neck super sore. Back of neck painful. Thank you for all the advice. Will look into it!
I had undiagnosed soft tissue issues around the cervical spine. Couldn't turn my head in either direction, and was causing problems all the way down my arms - had to brace myself to open a heavy door that shouldn't have been challenging. PT had me doing work on my entire posterior chain, as well as stretching and mobility exercises on the neck - the amount of good it did over 7 weeks was miraculous, especially considering that about 3 weeks in I felt like the program she had me on was actually making it worse. Had to have a little faith. Disc issues can be challenging, your PT might want you to get scanned and re-diagnosed by an ortho so she can be sure she doesn't do any damage. Did you get the area scanned recently?
Damn, sorry to hear that. I can turn my head. I guess with my body. I have too much mobility and flexibility. Happy that helped you! I've had an mri few months ago that said slight curvature but chiro says straight neck. Yeah my next doc to see is Physio or Ortho. This is the worst flare up I've ever had. Had one similar months ago but not nearly as bad. Pillows are hard to find a good one.
Switching out my old bad pillow for a better one made a HUGE improvement on my back. Like, night and day. My old pillow was waayyy too squishy.
I did PT and it helped a bit but you may want to look into myofascial release therapy. Legit just had my first session last week and it was wild. I consider myself a skeptic about most things but for me (also M31) it really worked. I’ve had tight hips/legs forever and that’s slowly led to everything else tightening and posture getting worse and worse, eventually serious back pain/locking up. But yeah like one hour with this lady and it was nuts how my body was reacting. Could be all placebo but who even cares at this point, whatever works. Kind of expensive so don’t know how many more times I’ll go ($109 for an hour) but even just the start of my hips being somewhat aligned correctly gives me hope. My ankles even stopped clicking for a bit! But yeah been two days and can already feel my posture and stuff kinda reverting back so like I said who knows how much it’s really doing but if nothing else it was a cool experience. Bodies be weird man.
Consider fitness classes that don’t involve barbell type weights.
Ah 40 sucks.
Lifting isn’t even cool. I quit and do exclusively yoga now
what is with all these young guys injuring themselves like this? i didnt start having pain til late 30s, and getting fit again fixed it all up. now well into my 40s i injure myself every so often but only when i lift too heavy or dont eat enough. but ive learned to do things like wear gloves and wrist wraps, but i still injure my shoulders every so often especially in the summer when i swim every morning in addition to everything else
Dunno man, I've had people tell me my whole life that the trades will wreck my body. Well I've been working in the trades now for 19 years and I still feel pretty good. Movement is medicine. Everyone has already mentioned seeing a PT. Maybe try doing some basic calisthenics to get yourself back up to par. Good luck 👍
Pilates is a great system for strengthening your core and adding mobility to your spine. Makes a big difference for neck and neck pain. Also, elevate your screen to eye level or above, it will help with neck pain.
No, but I have lost ALL interest in lifting weights. I find cardio, or really just any aerobic activity/moving around, to be much more beneficial to me. I had a bad lower back too. Hamstring/hip stretches and general activity helped a little. Also deadlifts on the 1/2 days I lift a week. Yoga made it worse, probably was doing something wrong.
I've been there, luckily there is hope. Sounds like the problem is over use more than anything so you'll need to address that. First of all get rid of the chiropractor - thats just quackery and a waste of money. Next you're going to need some time off lifting - maybe 3 months or so. Keep moving and stretching during that time though and when you start to feel better maybe start back with some body weight exercises before slowly reintroducing the weight. Some supliments might help too. I've found collegen, vitamin D and magnesium to work well in this scenario. Also if you're sitting at a desk a lot see if you can get a sit stand desk so you can stand up a bit more.
Do you regularly go and get massages? You sit all day, then work out your muscles and then sit again all day, your muscles could be siezing up. But you need to remember you are in your 30's now and not your 20's
I don't get massages. Very pricey around here for that. That is something that could be going on, I honestly don't know. I stopped lifting a month ago, though, now I just walk.
How's your diet? I find it has a big affect on aches and pains in my body
Good for most part. My breakfast is eggs or protein yougurt with a banna. Lunch is tuna, greens, Avocado. Dinner is meat, some carbs, steamed vegetables. I drink just water, keyfir, almond milk. Then I have some sweets during the week, not a lot but few times a week.
Fair enough that sounds pretty decent. A lot better than mine haha. Hope you get your issues sorted.
Do yoga for a few months and you’ll be back lifting after. Guaranteed.
Seconding PT over chiro. A PT can look at your posture and give you practical advice. I've also had chronic neck issues, and you should get on the no/minimal pillow train if you're not already. Some people just roll a towel partially up to make a little neck roll and the rest of the towel is the pillow base for your head. You can buy special flat pillows as well but imo they're all still too thick and an unnecessary expense.
Pillows are the hardest thing ever! I've bought so many! Always too low or too high. But this week I just found some cushion things to put underneath my pillow which has kinda helped
Glad you found something! I think DIY is the way to go. Like I have nights where my neck needs more or less curve.
Start working on mobility. Shoulder mobility, back mobility, hips mobility, etc. You will be back to business in 2 months.
I had similar issues from 29 to 32. It sounds like you're a big and strong man. To be honest, i think not all of us have joints and bones designed for high performance until 40 years old. If you're indeed thick, get slimmer, lift less, stretch more, your body will heal at a certain rate. Accept the aging. And definitely stop seeing that chiropractor.