The Steps I Took to Herniating My Disc!

Let me explain to you the gradual process I took to herniating a disc in my neck, levels C – T1.

Months of poor ergonomics. I was sitting at my workstation with my monitor too high. In essence, I was maintaining excessive cervical extension while typing.

Totally craptacular workout prep. My warm-up was totally inefficient, not geared specifically towards the workout ahead, and I sped through my post-workout (“warm down”).

Poor form. I went way too heavy with the weights and sacrificed great form and technique.

Tips 💡to avoiding a disc herniation.

1. (Don’t do what I did!) “What we do in life, echoes in eternity.” – Maximus, Gladiator. Really, what you’re doing throughout most of the day adds up. If you are sitting with bad posture during the day, your body may adapt to this and grow weak or restricted.
2. I cannot emphasize this enough. Focus on your warm-up and warm-down (I no longer use the word “cool-down“ because I don’t want your body getting “cold“ and tight after training) as much as you do on the workout itself. Remember, these are all important components of your workout and your workout is not complete without a good beginning and ending.
3. Know your capacity. Progressive overloading is great for muscle strengthening. But going too heavy too soon, trying to keep up with the Joneses places your joints and muscles at risk of injury.
4. Technique, technique, technique. Find that spectacular Physical therapist or strength coach to show you the basics, show you how to build a solid foundation of form technique and body mechanics -way before you start to load the body with more weight.

Learn great body mechanics, when to load, and when to rest and recover. Return to play and sport safely HERE.