Client Success Story: From Spinal Fusion to 80kg deadlift & 65kg squat!
The Longevity Exercise Physiologists in Drummoyne,Edgecliff, Marrickville,Bella Vista, Randwick, Lindfield and Balmain work with rehabilitating all types of injuries to help our clients achieve their goals and continue living healthy, active lives.
John* had sustained a workplace injury back in 2018 which resulted in a L5/S1 spinal fusion. We started working earlier this year and after 12 weeks together he can now deadlift 80kg for 5 repetitions and squat 65kg for 5 repetitions.
When I met John, his strength and range of motion was limited by pain, largely attributed to his surgery. In our first session together, he could lift a 6kg kettlebell from a height above his knees to waist for 6 repetitions and only body weight squat while experiencing knee and back pain.
During our sessions together, we would focus on building his confidence in movement, correctly bracing and developing strength in his legs, hips and lower back while increasing his capacity for work.
Important factors that helped his rehabilitation:
§ Teaching optimal technique for floor to waist lifting and squatting for his joint mobility.
§ Constant cueing during exercise however not overloading with information.
§ Education surrounding pain and exercise – especially that Pain doesn’t always equal injury!
§ Constant communication about how his pain is to gauge intensity of each session and external factors which can influence his pain experience to avoid flare ups.
Over the weeks of training, we progressively reduced the height of where he would lift from to his waist to the point where he is lifting from the mid-shin to waist. In terms of his squats, teaching him a few various technique cues helped him immensely and then we started to load him up with some weight. He had not squatted weight pain free for 7 years!
John has now found a new love for resistance training and has begun to train more within his own time. He is getting stronger each week and his ability to live pain free is increasing with his sitting and standing tolerance increasing too.
If you are currently experiencing back pain or coming back from an injury or surgery and want to try some exercise, all our Exercise Physiologists are experts in prescribing exercise for your challenges and goals! 1300 964 002
*Clients name changed for privacy purposes