I recently got diagnosed with degenerative disc disease back in December, basically my back is shit...

I recently got diagnosed with degenerative disc disease back in December, basically my back is shit. I'm in the process of getting shots for it, they work well but I only get them once a month and I've only had 2 out of God knows how many.
What cardio exercises should I do to lose weight that won't fucking kill me?
I still have a limp so running/elliptical machines are out of the picture, just can't move that fast.
I would really appreciate any advice Veeky Forums

Stationary cycling

are you a grill?

I remember reading somewhere rowing was good for people with bad backs is that true? My local gym has a water rowing machine
No

Physical Therapist here, I second cycling. Also, don't put too much stock into the diagnoses, most people have degeneration of the spine to some extent it's a normal part of aging. If you haven't already I would highly recommend seeing a physical therapist to get you started.

Im 21, I don't think it's a normal part of aging for me.
I seen a physical therapist when it started but I was too bad to really do anything, but that was back when I could barely even stand up straight, my doctors say I'm reacting good enough to the shots that I probably won't need physical therapy. I just don't want to wait 6 months for when I'm done with the shots to lose weight, I gained a lot when I was in the wheelchair

Hard to give specific advice without knowing your medical history, but think of the shots as a temporary fix. PT would be ideal so that your exercise program is tailored to you and aimed at preventing your symptoms from getting worse if not better.

i hate how no one has mentioned swimming

Also, the best time to do physical therapy is in conjunction with the injections.

Swimming is also a great idea.

I can't swim

This. I don't have ddd but I have back problems and everyone I went to said swimming is lowest impact cardio you can do

bump

Black or non-black they grew up poor?

I was afraid of swimming when I was a kid

How can you be an adult that can't swim? What if you ever fell in water you fucking idiot? Reminds be of my friend who at age 23 can't ride a bicycle. Spend like 3 days and learn how to swim you moron.

I have the same thing.

Running was best for me. Walking/standing I had severe sciatica, but for some reason when I ran the pain went away. Running was literally the only time of the day I got any relieve, so I got pretty into it. Started at 27 min 5k and got down to 17 min over the course of like a year.

Someone else mentioned swimming, which is probably the best thing for a bad back. I never did it because I didn't have access to a pool on a regular basis but its probably the best choice.

I ended up getting surgery and I feel great now, but it was a very long road to get here. Hang in there OP.

Also be super careful with a physical therapist. My first physical therapist was a fucking dumbass and was trying to make me do all kinds of dumb exercises which stress the lower back. Don't trust a PT unless they really know their shit, they could fuck you up worse.

You also definitely want to work on your mobility. The pain will cause your body to take a weird posture to try to compensate, so you need to really focus on good form, good posture, and keeping all of your muscles nice and flexible. This can be very difficult and painful, but its worth it

I wish someone told me that 4 months ago
Since getting out of the wheelchair I can't walk in a straight line, my feet want to walk at opposite angles of each other, my back wants to hunch over and this fucking limp has made me frustrated to no end.

kiss your life goodbye

I just got over a relapse from one .. base of spine.. two weeks of screaming and hobbling around.

now its back to a mere nagging dull ache where it will remain until it disables me again


this started for me in 2001.. I am a ruined shell of my former self..

few other thoughts...

in 2001 I mamaged to get myself to an emergency room which was agaony since sitting upright was triggering the most insane ,mind blowing pain imaginable... the Dr. said;" This is what we used to call Lumbego. Take hot showers as hot as you can stand and here's a scrip for Naproxin."

I should have insited on an MRI

I eventually bought an Inversion Table and the gravity boots..

this was a mistake.. did not help.. sold it on craigslist

hot showers and laying down was all I could do for two weeks..

first time it went out it was more like eight weeks before I could get back to work but work then was being a Van Courier lifting tons of freight on and off the van every day... obviouly what ruined my back.

In 2011 I was rear ended and went to a chiropractor who ordered X rays.

I mentioned my back pain so he ordered the lower back taken as well.

The radiologist noted "mild degeneration" in that first big disc.. looking from the side you can see the rear or dorsal region is thinner

here's some more fun trivia.

It has been discovered chronic pain such as this caused brain damage due to the constant
pain signaling..

Not sure of cutting edge medical repairs but I remember in 1974 my uncle had two vertebra fused

Assume you don't totally live out in the sticks, there should be adult swimming classes near you

fucking degenerates

...

I tried NSAIDs which can help at times but have risks ..

I developed Diverticular pain some time after a number of years fairly freely using Naproxin and I read one of the side effects can be a weakening of the bowel.. they are also linked to higher stroke risks.

I switched to a curcumin supplement called Meriva which I took at 500mg x 2 a day that did also seem to help reduce pain but then I read a study which linked curcumin with triggering heart blood vessel lining cell senescence (death) so I backed off that.

one aspirin a day is currently what I take.. which can moderate the otherwise constant grinding dull ache that just drains all energy and pleasure from my fucked up life.

Not at all interested in Opiates.

I was prescribed tramadol for the pain but I quit taking it because it didn't really do much and if I drank while on it I would die. I quit taking it about a month ago. I'm just hoping on account in young the shots will fix it for a while. If not I'll have to get surgery but my doctors are advising against it because I'm reacting so well to the shots

A friend of mine had degenerative disc disease and he fixed it with yoga and a reverse hyper machine. Years later he found ddp yoga and told me that it is basically the same yoga his pt had him on without the hospital stay.

Biomedical engineer here- you should swim and walk. start doing yoga as well to relieve tension in your posterior chain

Lulz degenerative disc disease isn't degenerative

How do I into yoga?