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Surfing with a slipped disk?

(4 posts)

  1. lilo
    Member

    Hi Josh

    I came across your link on wannasurf.com and wondered if maybe you could give me some pre-surfing advice. Clearly I should be asking my local doctor here in Berlin, but he's not a surfer, so... I hope my descriptions are somewhat accurate as I am not a native speaker of the English language.

    Anyway, think I'll start out with an account of my back trouble:
    I have several back problems, tense muscles all over, especially in the shoulder/neck area and upper arms. As for my arms, most of it is tension, and apparently the tissue where the nerves run through along my arms is too tight (at least that's what I understood from the PT's explanation) so that even mild stretching of my arms and hands is quite painful and will often give a prickling sensation when stretching.
    My neck and shoulder are tense and there are knobbly areas, trigger points I think the are called. I often have blocked vertebrae which I have often unblocked myself but have now started to gently mobilize with very slow movements.
    I have mildly slipped disk in my neck and one that is midly protruded. It only seldom gives me pain (other than the muscular pains I have, or the occassional pain from being blocked) or hardly ever gives me numb feelings.

    So I have convinced my doctor that I will keep the cortisone injections for emergency cases/ worsening and have been to PT twice weekly for a while now. Most of it is manual therapy, I often (not as regularly as I should) do mobilizing exercises at home and do intermediate pilates once a week. I will soon start nordic walking and also ski occassionally and love it, very relaxing (afterwards).

    I think so far I cope pretty well, and I feel a lot better in my every day life. For my everday life and the pilates course I have found ways to adapt it to my needs, but now I want to go surfing! I have wanted to learn it for so long, there's no way I won't. I'll go somewhere warm as my pains worsen when I get cold and pull my shoulders up, when I catch a draft to my neck in summer.
    So, I was wondering if maybe you could offer some advice on surfing Do's and Dont's, preparational exercise (longterm, now 6 months before, or just before surfing) etc.
    Is there any advice you can offer to a total beginner?

    Thank you so much!

    Best from Berlin,
    Lilo

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. jpassmore
    Member

    Lilo, I will have some time 2 morrow to give you a solid response. Thanks for your patience...
    ~J

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. jpassmore
    Member

    Lilo,

    In my opinion someone who wants to surf needs good flexibility. Exercises that stretch your hamstrings are important! Also, having good mobility in your trunk/torso is important.

    Here are some good stretches to start with:
    Lye on your back legs out straight, pull one to your chest with the knee bent, hold, repeat with other.
    Then try both knees at the same time.
    Lye on your back legs straight, use something to pull one leg up to stretch your hamstrings, repeat other leg.
    I also like the stretch that you do standing, cross one leg over and lean fwd towards the ground; repeat other side.

    Now for upper body:
    Stretch each arm across the chest to stretch posterior shoulders.
    Stretch your chest muscles using a wall.
    Stretch each arm over head by grabbing your elbow and pulling it towards your head/neck.

    STRETCHES: How each repetition for as many seconds as you are old. DO 3-4 sets each limb.

    Strengthening:
    You will need strength and endurance in your muscles, but more so endurance. Look to train in the 20-30 repeptition range per set.
    Surfing is a total body workout. Push-ups would be one of the best things to do to train besides swimming. Play with a variety or hand placements, but use most often one the is the width of your shoulders.
    When your pushup strength improves, practice doing pushups from the floor and then jumping up onto your feet without putting your knees on the floor...do this while trying to turn your body so that you are now standing as if you were on a board. Does that make sense?
    Really train your abdominals!

    If you train with weights...give xtra emphasis to triceps & rear shoulders!

    I hope I answered your question. If not, please reply and I can help you.

    Good luck and let me know how it goes...
    ~J

    Posted 14 years ago #

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