Hernia and Lifting

[nystreetfghtr]

Just a general question to throw out there.
Would doing upper body lifting cause any more harm to a hernia prior to having surgury to fix it?
Should lifting be avoided totally until its fixed?
Thanks

[bhaputi]

Originally Posted by nystreetfghtr

Just a general question to throw out there.
Would doing upper body lifting cause any more harm to a hernia prior to having surgury to fix it?
Should lifting be avoided totally until its fixed?
Thanks

Ask your doctor.

[kingstu]

Originally Posted by nystreetfghtr

Just a general question to throw out there.
Would doing upper body lifting cause any more harm to a hernia prior to having surgury to fix it?
Should lifting be avoided totally until its fixed?
Thanks

Yes, I think you can worsen the hernia from any kind of straining (even moving the bowels).

[Geek_God]

Standard ops 'round my parts is to avoid heavy lifting (anything over 10 lbs or so) until your surgeon says otherwise. An incarcerated hernia can be a life threatening emergency and that is what you risk with doing your own thing.

[Baldsnake]

If your hernia gets what the Docs called "Strangled"....remember these three little numbers....911.

[Frappezlesinge]

I've got one at the moment, I'm very pre-disposed to getting them so pretty much permenantly have at least one on the go, as surgery never seems to totally fix the problem for me.

I made my docs aware I was starting lifting and they don't seem unduly concerned (however I avoid doing squats as that's just gonna be a recipe for disaster, a high-resistance bike ride is all I can manage on my legs without putting myself at more risk than necessary) but still worth a quick trip to get yours looked at and see what your doctor says.

As Kingstu says, any kind of straining can worsen them theoretically (taking a dump, coughing harshly, etc).

[GreenWave1]

I've had a hernia for 11 years. I am very careful when I lift. It has really forced me to use good form and only use the body parts that I am supposed to be working. No heavy squats. No heavy dead lift.

I plan on getting it fixed, maybe in the fall. I have put it off because I don't want to stop lifting while it heals.

[nystreetfghtr]

thanks for your help everyone

[IR45N]

Hate to sound clueless but any preventive advice for a lifter? Is it just a matter of 'good form' and wear a belt on any max or near max lifts or are some body types more prone to getting a hernia than others? I honestl don't know. Thanks

[Carl123]

Originally Posted by IR45N

Hate to sound clueless but any preventive advice for a lifter? Is it just a matter of 'good form' and wear a belt on any max or near max lifts or are some body types more prone to getting a hernia than others? I honestl don't know. Thanks

Unfortunately there are alot of old wives tales circulating around regarding the causes of hernias and the extreme danger of incarcerations. First of all a number of men are born with a proclivity towards developing inguinal hernias. In fact hernias are perceived by some researchers as being a disease of collagen tissue, meaning that through a genetic process, some individuals are more predisposed towards acquiring such weakness in their collagen tissue. In such cases, any form of intra-abdominal pressure, whether from lifting, coughing or moving one's bowels can precipitate a hernia.

In terms of the chances of a hernia with minimal or no symptoms becoming strangulated is very unlikely! A recent major federal government study that was conducted by Dr. Fitzgibbons with 720 men with hernias to determine whether they could engage in watchful waiting rather than immediate surgical repair found that only one man developed a strangulation in two years of the study and another after four years. http://www.medicalconsumers.org/pages/herniasurgery.htm. I am not suggesting that posters not have a surgical repair of their hernias (they should always discuss this issue with their physicians) BUT reporting the findings of a major research study that flys in the face of many individuals' beliefs about the natural progression of hernias.

[Frappezlesinge]

Hi IR45N

The post below yours is really good, previously I've had all my hernias fixed, however this latest one I've left for around a year and it's not given me any problems so long as I don't do anything overtly dumb (like squats), and I never get pain with it. The odd occasion I get even the slightest twinge then I'll stop whatever I'm doing that's causing it straight away (lifting hasn't harmed it yet at all, but I am very careful in the form I use).

So best advice really is just lift carefully, but that seems to be reasonable advice for any lifter not just those of us with hernias. Oh, I don't use a belt as I'm not sure what good that'd do with regard hernias.

[IR45N]

Thanks guys. Guess I'm ok as far as form etc. No hernia history in the family.

[rocketman44]

[QUOTE=Carl123;53479261]Unfortunately there are alot of old wives tales circulating around regarding the causes of hernias and the extreme danger of incarcerations. First of all a number of men are born with a proclivity towards developing inguinal hernias. In fact hernias are perceived by some researchers as being a disease of collagen tissue, meaning that through a genetic process, some individuals are more predisposed towards acquiring such weakness in their collagen tissue. In such cases, any form of intra-abdominal pressure, whether from lifting, coughing or moving one's bowels can precipitate a hernia.

Amen to that. My dad had two inguinal hernias, my older brother did too, and so did I. I had both repaired; I got them 14 years apart, the last repair in 1992.

I take several precautions while lifting - I don't 'go heavy' i.e., I use weight that I can handle comfortably for 8-12 reps. During some sets, like biceps curls, I use one arm at a time and use the free arm to 'brace' whichever side feels a bit weak at the time. That's one reason I work out at home rather than a gym - I look kinda silly standing there with a hand down my pants while lifting.

[JoeySea]

Yo dudes. Just thought id share my experience. I actually got a hernia from coughing. I was really sick for about a month and was coughing really hard for at least 2 weeks, to the point where I was almost vomitting. One morning I got up and starting coughing hard and started to feel the pressure building up in my abdomin - surely enough I had a hernia.

[jtroster]

I lifted with a hernia for 4 months until it was repaired. My Doctor told me that I could but told me how to recognise a strangulated hernia - that would be an emergency. He also told me to keep exercising as being in good shape will help the healing after the operation. The only exercise that felt funny was squats where I could feel some pressure at the bottom of the lift. So I cut the weight by 50%.

I had the operation at the Shouldice Clinic in Toronto and 2 hours after the operation they had us up and walking. The next day there was a stretching and mild exercise class. Five days after the operation I was back in the gym doing very light weights. The only rule was if it hurt don`t do it. After 4 weeks I was back deadlifting 225 pounds. When I went back for a one month check-up the Doctor was amazed at how fast I healed.

[bodyhard]

I lifted with a left inguinal hernia till it erupted, I almost died don't' do it, get it repaired.

[Carl123]

Originally Posted by bodyhard

I lifted with a left inguinal hernia till it erupted, I almost died don't' do it, get it repaired.

In what way did you "almost die"?