i had a question about swimming and recovering from back surgery. i just wanted some input from anyone that is in or has been in my position. i am 30 and had a microdiscectomy in december 2007 on l4/l5. i was a competitive swimmer until college and that's when the back problems started. ok so enough with the boring stuff, i have finished therapy after about 9 months and i began swimming again. my questions are more related to fears about rehernaition as i am not really sure how my back got messed up so bad in the 1st place. do i need to be worried about reherniation by swimming hard or doing flip turns, or really anything i used to take for granted in the pool? i have had some back spasms this past week on my 'good side' so i am beginning to worry a bit. its been tough because i literally think about every step or movement i make on dry land because i dont want to end up back on that operating table. as you could imagine its stressful :)
any input is appreciated.
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Rob,
I do suspect that the SDK is involved. I had my first major flair up before the biggest meet of my senior year in college at a time when I was very focused on my kick. I also know of two other swimmers who had very good dolphin kicks who have had chronic low back pain and one finally went in for surgery.
I don't think it was the repetition of the motion so much that caused it. More likely, it was occasional incidents where the motion was pushed to an extreme; a bad start, an over enthusiastic kick or something like that.
Anyway, since my surgery, I don't have any concerns or pain doing dolphin kick.
Rob,
I do suspect that the SDK is involved. I had my first major flair up before the biggest meet of my senior year in college at a time when I was very focused on my kick. I also know of two other swimmers who had very good dolphin kicks who have had chronic low back pain and one finally went in for surgery.
I don't think it was the repetition of the motion so much that caused it. More likely, it was occasional incidents where the motion was pushed to an extreme; a bad start, an over enthusiastic kick or something like that.
Anyway, since my surgery, I don't have any concerns or pain doing dolphin kick.
