Torn abdominal, training dilemma?

[sonti]

So apparently during my pregnancy I tore an abdominal muscle (which I was only diagnosed with recently). The problem is that my doctor (who recently had gastric bypass himself) doesn't know anything about working out and was not able to tell me my limitations. He didn't know what a deadlift was.

No direct abdominal work obviously. But what about the compound lifts? Squats, deadlifts, etc? I use my whole body for those. I don't want to make it worse, it was aggravated during labour and actually was more painful than contractions.

I haven't done any weight lifting since the diagnosis and I'm not sure what to do. Has anyone had this? Apparently I carried so far out in the front that is what caused it. It is on the lower left side of my abdomen.

[priceor]

Is this anything like Diastasis Recti?

I've read before that you should avoid anything that puts strain on the abs such as crunches or straight legged lifts. I would guess that includes any compound lifts that engages your abs. I don't have any resources to back this though. Not sure if this is of any help.

Have you tried calling a physical therapist whom has worked with this sort of injury

[bethanyboo]

You need to be working with a doctor (a more knowledgeable one than your current one) or a physical therapist, not getting advice from BB.com.

[IronCitGrl]

My advice would be to find a doctor that DOES know what your limitations would be. It boggles me that these doctors know nothing about working out. It's like they only studied the structure but not the function of the body. Did they fail their kinesiology class or something? I would also try finding a physcial therapist who WOULD know not only what your limitations would be but also how to rehabilitate your injury so that it doesn't happen again. Big, compound lifts DO use your core muscles. I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you if they would be safe or not. You need to find someone with not only the credentials but the KNOWLEDGE who would be able to give you an answer.

[sonti]

Is this anything like Diastasis Recti?

I've read before that you should avoid anything that puts strain on the abs such as crunches or straight legged lifts. I would guess that includes any compound lifts that engages your abs. I don't have any resources to back this though. Not sure if this is of any help.

Have you tried calling a physical therapist whom has worked with this sort of injury

Thanks, it's different than diastasis recti. I'm thinking compounds are out too.

You need to be working with a doctor (a more knowledgeable one than your current one) or a physical therapist, not getting advice from BB.com.

I know. I'm not using BB.com as a substitute for medical advice. I'm in Canada so with our health care, I can't just get another doctor. There are several years waiting out here for a doctor and referrals often take months or years.

My advice would be to find a doctor that DOES know what your limitations would be. It boggles me that these doctors know nothing about working out. It's like they only studied the structure but not the function of the body. Did they fail their kinesiology class or something? I would also try finding a physcial therapist who WOULD know not only what your limitations would be but also how to rehabilitate your injury so that it doesn't happen again. Big, compound lifts DO use your core muscles. I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you if they would be safe or not. You need to find someone with not only the credentials but the KNOWLEDGE who would be able to give you an answer.

Yeah, I think I will have to just lay off the lifting until I can get any kind of physical therapy. It will be a very long wait unfortunately. He did the basic "no situps" as I'm sure that's what most women only care about but once the convo goes into any real lifting, he doesn't have a clue.

Was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this too.

[kimm4]

There are 3 grades to abdominal tears, so it's all going to depend which category you fall into. With grade 1 there may be a little discomfort, but you can still get through daily activities and exercises without issues. Grade 2 is more moderate discomfort and you might have problems doing activities that involve the abs directly, they will hurt when you touch them. A grade 3 tear is the most severe and you wouldn't even be able to get through normal daily activities.

I've had a grade 2 tear. I stopped all direct ab work, but I still did my compounds with a lighter load. It was uncomfortable, but it wasn't unbearable...I basically worked around it best I could.

I've always had a very high tolerance to pain, so this is different for everyone.

Good luck.

[freebirdmac]

From your sig
*When I say, "bust your ass!" I mean, "bust your ass!" If you don't believe me, then do it half-assed, report back to me and lemmie know how that worked out for you...*

Whoo! I love that