For the record, this is what a good physical therapist would have prescribed.

The issues that come from running are related to where you start from lacking knowledge and lacking physical health. Knowledge guides interpretation of pain(what different types of pain mean, when to stop when to push through). Understanding pain is a communication skill that very few people will teach you, but in my opinion is more valuable then literacy. Knowledge also enables positive feedback loops concerning form and efficiency of movement.

Physical health is the structal integrity of the core and stabilizer muscles. Each of these items are on a sliding scale, and somewhere in that scale is a tipping point where if you pass under it you are hurting yourself instead of healing yourself. I hypothesize that 80% of our population falls on the injury side, but that this could be solved with education and PT.

I'm glad you didn't give up, or had the nerve to push past anyone saying "that's just the way you are, you can't fix that" because I feel that statement couldn't be further from the truth.

Do some strength training and some playful sport instead, like basketball or BJJ. It's fun, you'll look good, you'll move well, and you'll get confident with people, all in 2-4 hours per week.

You also need to do some kind of strength training. A push, a pull, a spinal compression and a spinal tension. Eg pushups, rows, squats, pullups.

Otherwise your core will be weak and you will be missing key stabilizing muscles that prevent injury when you are in an unusual position, like picking up a suitcase or changing a tire. Which is exactly what causes back pain.

I hypothesize that a majority of depression suffering is sourced by subtle spinal/nerve injuries, which the brain could interpret as death. Once a strong enough signal develops in the brain that's saying, "you're in pain, all the time, you probably should isolate yourself and kill yourself" it's not hard to see how that could lead to depression and suicidal thoughts.

If you don't mind, could please tell me how do you lie down and work ?

Since I started suffering from back pain , I was thinking if something like this was possible. I was also afraid it would fuck up my eyes, have you had any problems of that sort ?

I have three "workstations" at my office - two of them take place at my adjustable height desk. I can stand or sit.

I also have a full sized couch that I can lie flat on. I prop my laptop up on a pillow just like you might at home.

I move between these three positions as it suits me and can avoid completely any kind of fatigue or unhealthy postures.

Also I'm looking for ways to put together a workstation in the horizontal position

I tend to avoid recommending specific exercises - instead I like to recommend that you think of your trunk in three dimensions and apply weight bearing loads to at least every 90 degrees around that circle (which implies at least four exercises).

So that would mean your flexing your back, your abs, and each of your two sides (Abdominal external oblique, I think).

I personally try to hit every 45 degrees (which implies at least 8 exercises).

You need to try a lot of different exercises and find the ones that work for you and for your body type.

And you need to walk.

You can do 50 different trunk/core exercises and you will never hit every single muscle and combination of muscles the way that walking does.

Your body is a walking machine. You were built to walk. Walking will heal you. It will be painful and difficult at first - when I blew out my L4/L5 I needed to lie down for an hour after walking 4-5 miles. That doesn't last. Your body will tighten and strengthen up all the right muscles to hold your back in the most natural and healthful position it can be in - the one that supports walking.

And frankly, even if the system doesn't work for everyone, the way you have deconstructed it into 45 degree angles is something I have never come across before, so kudos to you for figuring this out.

I have the same question as the sibling. Where did you read about this stuff?

But to get started, deep breathing I feel has had an affect on my overall core strength.

At times, you'll feel like a moron. Deep, deep breathes. I'd suggest starting off for session of like 5 or 10 minutes. It doesn't matter how you do it. Just breathe deep as a practice. But if you need something to get started: something that's standard is X second in, X second hold, X second release. You probably won't be able to do 8 seconds. So start with 4 seconds, and move up.

Then there's deadlifts, squats, bench. Core functional movements. You should feel your core expanded, and activated. You should be recruiting these muscles when doing these movements.

But yoga. for real dog.

Tldr; yoga is great , but not for all.

This is important. Yoga is very powerful and I think everyone should incorporate yoga movements into their fitness regime.

However, typical yoga classes and even established yoga movement series (like the Ashtonga primary series) are heavily weighted towards forward folding/bending which is the last thing you want to do with a weak/injured back.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't do yoga - it means that you should understand the physiology of a bulging/blow disc and build up your strength (perhaps with other yoga exercises/poses) to the point that you are strong enough to do that forward folding ... and even then maintain caution and moderation.

With a fully rehabbed/asymptomatic L4/L5 I am doing heavy freeweight squats and deadlifts and even inverting during BJJ - but I would still be cautious and even modify portions of a typical yoga class ...

The problem is , most yoga practitioners (atleast the ones I consulted in india) consider it like some sort of magical cure for everything. I was asked to do surya namaskar , despite them knowing I had back pain . I went to one of the most reputed centres here, and all I got from them were pseudo science mumbo jumbo.

I have got much more valuable info from this HN thread. Thank you for sharing for you experience. Your story has given me hope , I feel motivated to learn more about backpain and find a solution tailored for me.

I also feel this sort of information (personal stories of knowledgeable people) should be more easily accessible for people.A non profit , trust worthy website like Wikipedia, or even a github wiki.

Do you remember the exact conditions when you fell down (movement, which part of the day, what did you do before, etc). Have you been practicing yoga alone or with a teacher, group?

Did you went in and try figuring out what caused your pain? Are you on track with it now? If yes, what has changed? Will you go back to your Yoga practice or you feel that it is dangerous for you?

Thanks!

I felt ready to start exercising and zeroed in on yoga. I started practicing with a group of people , led by an instructor. It was very intensive (hatha yoga) and most exercises involved stretching your arms and touching your feet.Other exercises like the bow pose, crow pose and head stand was also there. Sometimes, while I was sitting and touching my foot, the instructor would use his body weight to push my spine down from behind so that my stomach touched my knees. This may be the reason , but am not sure. So, after 3 months of this , I felt better and fitter than ever before and joined another yoga studio near to my home. Here, the poses were not as tough as the other place, but was done considerably faster. 1 month after joining there, I am bending down to touch my knees , and lightning strikes.I couldn't walk and was bedridden for a week. The time must have been around 7 pm. I went after work and did some warm ups as usual.

Coming to the reasons, I can think two things : the instructor exerting his force on my spine and the faster pace of the exercising. This is onle conjecture though.

Right now ,after some months of physical therapy and no other exercise, I have no pain while sitting.

I certainly plan to go back to my yoga practice. However , before I do I need to get some expert advice and some tests done.

I hope this answered all your questions!

Edit:just to be clear, the two reasons I stated are in addition to the main point I made, that some yoga poses are not safe for everyone.

The comments about the dangers of doing yoga are valid, but every sport or exercise can be dangerous depending on your condition, even swimming which is usually recommended as a safe sport. General tips are: ask your doctor for movements that you should avoid, tell your yoga teacher about your condition, if it hurts don't do it. More importantly I think, is for you to understand your condition. Read about it, feel your body and how it reacts to each exercise.

For example, even though I should avoid back bends they still help me build strength and improve my posture when done carefully. I am always aware of that during my yoga practice so I either skip the back bends or I do them softly, depending on how I feel.

Anyway, I recommend that people ask their doctor for advice or at least Google up a bit about the pros/cons of this and try to find articles from reputable sources. I did that some time ago and wasn't very impressed with the results.

Do you work remotely? I assume laying isn't an option in an office. Even standing, it may be frowned upon in more conservative work places.