I’m now 11 weeks into my healing journey from a herniated disc, and the sciatic pain that once made even sitting unbearable has finally eased. Yay! I can sit—carefully—for short stretches, I’ve
been walking a lot, and I even taught a whitewater kayak Instructor Development Workshop from my stand-up paddleboard last weekend.
It’s been humbling, frustrating, and unexpectedly enlightening. Looking back, there are several things I really wish I’d known—or listened to—before I pushed myself over the edge. If my experience can help you avoid a similar setback, all the better.
1. Check Your Ego at the Door
I took pride in the fact that I care for my body. I practice yoga, I eat well, I train smart—so I thought. When my husband encouraged me to see a doctor early on, I brushed it off. I believed I couldn’t possibly have something as serious as a herniated disc.
What I wish I’d realized sooner is that even the healthiest, fittest people can get injured. Good habits help, but they’re not a guarantee. When pain lingers or worsens, listening to your body—and the people who care about you—is more important than clinging to the belief that “I take care of myself, so I’m fine.”
2. Kayaking is Hard on the Low Back
I sort of understood this, but never having any issues until now (30 years in), I didn’t pay too much attention. Sitting and twisting in a kayak puts a lot of torque on the low back. Add in landing on rocks, off drops, and lifting and loading your kayak. It all adds up over time.
Reading the book Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill really helped me understand the shear and load forces on my back. I highly recommend reading the book to get a better understanding of how your back works, how it moves and how load and shear affect it.
Don’t be stubborn about lifting, carrying and loading your own boat, and if you start feeling tweaks and pains in your low back, it may be a good idea to take some time off, do some PT or focus on strengthening your core to better stabilize the spine.
Or, just start now when you feel great! There are very little downsides (if any) to having a really strong core that stabilizes your spine.
3. Lifting Heavy at 50 – Deadlifts and Kayaking may Not be a Great Combo
I got swept up in the “lift heavy” movement for women in their 50s. The science appears to be sound, and I do feel strong and thriving in this stage of life. There’s no doubt that women in their 50s and beyond can lift, boat, bike, ski, surf, and do any other sport that lights them up.
I’ve always been strong throughout my life, and I was excited to get back to lifting. What I wish I had been more mindful about is the fact that I am 51, not 31 or even 41, AND I’ve spent a lot of time in a kayak – both for work and for fun. The repetitive motions that you’ve done over decades should be considered when you start a training program!
The combo of a sport like kayaking plus deadlifts can be a recipe for back injury, because both are hard on the low back.
I did work with a trainer, and when I did, I was able to not get swept up in doing too much. On the other training day when I did a workout with a small group, it was harder to self-regulate, and sometimes I didn’t totally understand the workout and did too much.
What I noticed is that deadlifts didn’t help my sciatic pain, even though the information I was getting was that the sciatic pain was probably due to sleepy glutes, and deadlifts are great for strengthening glutes. When I mentioned that they made it feel worse, I wish I’d gotten the following suggestion – in that case, it could be your low back. You should stop doing them and get it checked out.
If an exercise consistently aggravates pain, that’s a signal to investigate why, not just push through. In my case, it was a red flag for a disc issue. I wish I’d understood the impact of deadlifts on the back, and paid attention to the pain clue earlier.
4. Get Imaging Sooner
I’d heard people say, “Imaging doesn’t really show much or change the treatment plan,” and that it’s not worth the cost. In my case, that was absolutely wrong.
An X-ray suggested a disc herniation at L3/L4, but my MRI revealed the real problem was a significant bulge at L5/S1. It gave me a clear baseline and the right information. It was worth every penny for the peace of mind alone (and I paid out of pocket because my insurance deductible is high).
Imaging isn’t a magic solution, and it doesn’t necessarily change the treatment significantly, but it does give you important information. If it does show a herniation, you want to know.
5. Learned How to Engage my Core Effectively
Although I’ve felt strong over the course of my life, I’ve always felt that my core was never as strong as it could be. On my first visit with a pelvic floor PT (game changer), I learned that I’d been engaging my core in a way that wasn’t stabilizing for the spine. She taught me how to
engage my core effectively, and it feels so much stronger. The combination of PT exercises plus ‘The Big 3 McGill exercises’ from the book Back Mechanic are helping me retrain my core for effective stabilization of the spine.
I realized that I’d been going to my PT mainly for dry needling, and myofascial release, instead of being open to learning how to move my body effectively.
Hindsight is 20/20, and the truth is, my ego was in my way, until it got a beatdown from this injury. Challenges are our biggest teachers.
If you’re willing to look past your ego, or what you think you know for a moment, perhaps this information will be useful for you.
The Takeaway
If I could rewind time, I’d:
Let go of my ego and listen sooner.
Respect the physical demands of kayaking on the low back.
Be cautious with exercises that trigger pain.
Get an MRI at the first sign of persistent symptoms.
Check in with a PT about how I’m engaging my core.
The good news is that now I do know, and I’m training myself to be stronger! I still may need to modify when I get back in a boat, and that’s OK. I look forward to the learning and the growth!
Can you relate to any of this? If so, would love to hear from you. Email me HERE.
