Injury Lay Offs, How long, What Damage?

[Matrix]

Happy New Year All,

I'm currently rehabing a bulging lumbar disc which is irritating nerves down my left leg, means no sitting/limited driving and most frustratingly no lifting. Just ice, anti inflammatories and walks plus every meal eaten standing up.

Long term prognosis is good as long as I rehab properly, just keen to see what everyone else has had over the years and how long they were out for?

This is one the minor end of the scale, I'd imagine their would be some tales of horrific injuries yet to be told?

[Danomyte]

Happy New Year Matrix. I got my own hefty injury list over the years, which has made my #1 goal every year to be injury free.

1999 - Rugby - R Shoulder Dislocation - surgery done - out for a year

(no rugby/league in my 7th form year :cry: )

2001 - Rugby - L Shoulder Dislocation - surgery done - out for a year

(retired from rugby/league :cry: )

2003 - Weightlifting - R Shoulder Dislocation - no surgery - out for 6-months

(done at my first WL Nats in Wellington on 95kg Snatch :cry: )

2004 - Grid Iron - R Ruptured PCL - no surgery - out for 6-months

(pre-season game as tail back, got chopped by a line backer :cry: )

2004 - Sprints - L Hammy Tear (Grade 3) - no surgery - out for 6-months

(done 5 days after CJing 145kg for the first time in a comp :cry: )

2008 - Weightlifting - R Stress Fracture 1st Rib - no sugery/still broken - out for 8-months

(bone snapped while front squatting at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia :cry: )

2009 - Weightlifting - R Elbow Dislocation - surgery done - out for 6-months

(done at a comp in Darwin and 17-months out from 2010 Comm Games :cry: )

2012 - Weightlifting - R Ruptured tendon of Index Finger - no surgery - couldn't clean for 4-months - grip strength weak for over a year (still weak now )

(done in training and 5-months out from Oceania Champs and Olympic Qualifier :cry: )

2013 - no injuries so far *touch wood*

My big goal is to string together 5-6 years of no moderate/serious injuries and let the body grow and adapt from training. Easier said than done.

I know there are some other guys here who have had some real battles with injuries - would be good to hear there experiences too.

[Matrix]

That's an impressive and painful list.

Bloody shoulder injuries have ended so many footy careers before they started ahe?

I separated mine in 94 playing association football and despite rehabbing it via physio, I didnt get an op and it sits lower in the AC joint than my other side which means it gets irritated occasionally doing dips etc.

Other than that had an elbow bent 90 degrees the wrong way playing footy which I knew was serious as I drank a bottle of beam the night of the injury and it still hurt when people brushed past it! A couple of bad groin tears also.

Broken leg in 2004 I think with football, 5 months off work and end of football for a year.

Other than that just training strains so I think I have been relatively lucky.

I do think BBuilding is alot safer than most contact sports where you get collision injuries, most body building injuries are generally overuse/repetative strain/tendonitis injuries, the occasional tear or disc injury but sounds like the nature of olympic lifting can result in some pretty nasty dislocations!

Still better to live an active life and be a bit stiff in our older years than never had had the thrill of competing and achieving goals. Just as likely to live in pain or with chronic illness if you have lived a sedentary life I reckon.

Its not till you get injured that you realize the immense value of staying (relatively) injury free.

Thanks for the post Danomyte.

[maccaz]

Its not till you get injured that you realize the immense value of staying (relatively) injury free.

agreed, broke tibia and fibula november 2011, felt completely useless for a good 3 months and couldnt really lift for around 5 months, the frustration of not being able to do anything is a lot worse than the pain of the actual injury