GD it!!!

[vzzbks]

so I was finally making some progress in the gym. been lifting heavy for a while and was at my all time strongest, but not seeing as much muscle growth as I would like. so I had a weeks vacation coming up which I was going to use as a deload and then come back with a hypertrophy focused workout. basically I would use the weights that I was lifting for 3-5 reps and keep trying to add reps each week instead of adding more weight. also was going to go from working each muscle twice a week to once a week so I could add more volume and isolation work.
I was also going to start a test/deca cycle.
it was all planned out, diet/workout/gear. I had a few weeks with no commitments so I knew I could focus on my lifting.
last day before vacation I was at the gym doing seated oh press. finish my set and go for a stroll. feel pain in my back like I pulled middle trap muscle. don't think much of it, finish work out.
next day middle back on right side is killing me and my right arm from the elbow to fingertips in aching/pain/numb.
I go on vacation, popping ibuprofen all day long, have my right arm in a sling.
get back and go see the dr, get an mri done and I have a herniated disc in the C6-C7. this is pinching the nerves to the right arm.
man I'm so pissed/bummed. my right side is so weak. I can't flex pecs/lats/tri. went to the gym and picked up some light db and press oh. left arm goes up ok, right is piss weak and flopping around.
tried to do a push up. failed. right arm gave out before I could get half way up!
I couldn't do one freaking push up!!
I am referred to a neurological spinal clinic for a consultation, but the soonest they can see me is oct 10th. and that is just a consultation! who knows how long after that before they can actually do anything to fix me.
sorry for the long post. just had to rant.
man this sucks.

[bulk_cut]

Look in the mirror and compare the hight of both shoulders. See if one is higher than the other. If so, is the one that hurts higher or lower? Then look closely at the one that hurts and see if it's sitting more forward then the other. Next look at both shoulders again and see if they are sort of rolling forward like your pecs are pulling them toward the front instead of them sitting straight across. Is there a sharp pain under or around the shoulder blade?

[vzzbks]

the one that hurts is higher. it hurts to let it hang at same height as the one on the left. if I look up or down there is sharp pain on the right side of my spine , about one inch to the right of spine, from bottom of neck to lower trap (like where the shoulder blade lowest point is)
I can turn head side to side with no issue.

[vzzbks]

do you think I should continue to workout?
I have been going heavy, should I go with some light db work instead?
how about scaling back calories as I was bulking before, maybe switch to a light cut?

[One Hairy SOB]

do you think I should continue to workout?
I have been going heavy, should I go with some light db work instead?
how about scaling back calories as I was bulking before, maybe switch to a light cut?

I wouldn't work out. IMO, it's not worth risk.

I would eat at maintenance or a little above. I wouldn't dare go on a cut if I couldn't lift.

[vzzbks]

ugh, I hate the thought of not lifting for weeks, probably months. I will waste away to nothing.

[Weapon X]

Injuries happen and they suck. In an abundance of caution I would suggest not doing anything that could aggravate the problem. Perhaps there are quad, hamstring and calves exercises you can do that won't put strain on your back? JMO, but before driving forward with training I'd see what's suggested after any imaging, etc.
do you think I should continue to workout?
I have been going heavy, should I go with some light db work instead?
how about scaling back calories as I was bulking before, maybe switch to a light cut?

[vzzbks]

Injuries happen and they suck. In an abundance of caution I would suggest not doing anything that could aggravate the problem. Perhaps there are quad, hamstring and calves exercises you can do that won't put strain on your back? JMO, but before driving forward with training I'd see what's suggested after any imaging, etc.

thanks.I know have to come to terms with this and get over it.
I have a couple of consultations coming up with the spine and pain management dr's. I'll have to see what they suggest.

[Weapon X]

I was out of the gym for 2 years after a lower back fusion and laminectomy. If a fusion surgery is discussed I'd caution you to really do your research before agreeing. My fusion surgery did nothing for the pain, and the more I read about it suggested that a large number of people who had this type of surgery did not experience significant pain relief. So, after the surgery, several months of recovery and physical therapy off I was sent to pain management. From my experience, stay the fuck away from pain management. Tried several radio frequency ablation (burn your nerves) that didn't do anything. Then came the pain pills. Definitely stay the fuck away from opiates. Over time I went up to taking 165mg day of OxyContin and *********. One day I decided I wanted to stop taking them and 12 hours after the last pill I went into full blown withdrawal. I knew what was happening and took another pill, but that shit scared them fuck out of me. Went to the pain Dr the next day to discuss getting off of the pills. In short, it took about 7 months of slowly decreasing the doses before I was completely off. I've been back in the gym for the past year. I can do most things that I did before but I can't put any weight on my back like squats. I would hope for you that you have a better outcome. I'd seriously caution you about pain management though.
thanks.I know have to come to terms with this and get over it.
I have a couple of consultations coming up with the spine and pain management dr's. I'll have to see what they suggest.

[vzzbks]

thanks for sharing your experience. sorry you had to suffer like that. one of the things I'm most afraid of is the opioids. From what they've told me so far, surgery is the last option. Hopefully I won't need a fusion, there are other things they can do if I'm viable like trimming the disc so it's not pressing on the nerves.
Injections are another option, pros and cons to those.
I was on prednisone which helped with the pain, but was giving me bad side effects. They've switched me to an nsaid diclofenac. Hoping this will work until I get this fixed.

[Weapon X]

For me, injections had no lasting effects. I took Diclofenac. Helped some. Currently just using ibuprofen and take meloxicam at night. Hope you have some success with treatment. Chronic pain is a MoFo.
thanks for sharing your experience. sorry you had to suffer like that. one of the things I'm most afraid of is the opioids. From what they've told me so far, surgery is the last option. Hopefully I won't need a fusion, there are other things they can do if I'm viable like trimming the disc so it's not pressing on the nerves.
Injections are another option, pros and cons to those.
I was on prednisone which helped with the pain, but was giving me bad side effects. They've switched me to an nsaid diclofenac. Hoping this will work until I get this fixed.

[vzzbks]

so I went to see the dr at the pain clinic today. they are going to give me an epidural injection. he says it will be the last time I see him...yeah right. he also said that this was something that might go away on it's own with therapy and otc anti inflammatorys.
\_(?)_/
anyway, while we are waiting to schedule the epidural he is going to send me to physical therapy.
I just want to get over this and back in the gym, my right side is atrophying pretty bad. it's amazing how quickly the muscle visibly starts shrinking away :(

[vzzbks]

ok, guess it's been a while. time for an update.
I did a few weeks of physical therapy where they had me doing basic stretches and some dry needling. it felt like it was helping. it wasn't an immediate relief of pain but over the weeks the pain and numbness became more tolerable.
went in to have an injection in november. it worked and now I feel no pain or numbness. after a few more weeks they gave me the ok to get back in the gym, but light weights only.
my right side is now much smaller and weaker than the left. on my last physical therapy visit I did a lying tri ext with 5lb db. goal was 2 sets of 12 reps. I can barely do that today. because of the weakness and muscle imbalance I cannot do barbell exercises. I am using db and cable machines that have independent weight for left and right.
it's like the nerves going to my right side pec/tri/lats are not working. I can do a few reps and then they just seem to shut down. I'm okay in normal day to day stuff (drinking coffee for example) but when it comes to lifting weight and trying to exert maximum force the muscle just gives up.

[bulk_cut]

ok, guess it's been a while. time for an update.
I did a few weeks of physical therapy where they had me doing basic stretches and some dry needling. it felt like it was helping. it wasn't an immediate relief of pain but over the weeks the pain and numbness became more tolerable.
went in to have an injection in november. it worked and now I feel no pain or numbness. after a few more weeks they gave me the ok to get back in the gym, but light weights only.
my right side is now much smaller and weaker than the left. on my last physical therapy visit I did a lying tri ext with 5lb db. goal was 2 sets of 12 reps. I can barely do that today. because of the weakness and muscle imbalance I cannot do barbell exercises. I am using db and cable machines that have independent weight for left and right.
it's like the nerves going to my right side pec/tri/lats are not working. I can do a few reps and then they just seem to shut down. I'm okay in normal day to day stuff (drinking coffee for example) but when it comes to lifting weight and trying to exert maximum force the muscle just gives up.

Hey vzzbks, I'm very sorry I didn't see you reply to my questions about your first post when you started the thread AND I'm very sorry you've had to go through everything you've gone through.

What you have going on is a bunch of trigger of points throughout your traps (upper, middle and lower), your rhomboids, seratus anterior AND over active pecs. Without seeing you and just hearing your symptoms I'd also guess that your head protrudes forward, your shoulders also roll forward, with your arms at your sides your hands rest about where your front pockets would be instead of at your side's and you probably carry a back pack, brief case or something on the side that's hiked.

You should have never been given those shots or had any of what was done to you. Those were Dr's That did not know what to treat and were just throwing darts. Stop doing what you're doing and find someone who specializes in trigger points and hopefully uses some form of IASTM suck as Gua Sha OR the Graston Technique and have them fix you. As far as the muscle imbalances go - find a GOOD personal trainer who really knows and understands muscle imbalances and have them rehab you while working with the trigger points person. It generally takes the weaker parts of the body about 4-6 weeks to catch up to the rest. It will however take longer match the size difference.