My experience with chronic spine pain
TLDR
- 2020 - Injured my back. Ignored it like an idiot.
- Pushed through pain - Kept doing intense calisthenics, 50km+ bike rides, long hikes. Thought pain was weakness leaving the body.
- Made it worse - Added deadlifts and squats to "strengthen" my weak lower body. Pain exploded. Still thought I just needed to push harder.
- Useless stretching - Tried every hip flexor and quad stretch on YouTube. Zero improvement.
- Rock bottom - Couldn't sit for 5 minutes without agony. Had to lie down constantly. Couldn't even sleep from the pain.
- The breaking point - Felt something pop in my hip during squats. Uneven hips, pelvic pain, the works.
- Lost independence - Living alone became impossible. Dad had to help with basic tasks. Worked from bed. Couldn't stand for 5 minutes.
- Life stopped - No social life. No activities. Depression hit hard. Finally accepted I was fucked and stopped all exercise.
- Week later - Could walk again. Body started healing once I stopped destroying it.
- Medical failure - Orthopedic doctors ran X-rays, found nothing, basically told me to fuck off.
- Found gold - Discovered "Original 12 Minutes Foundation Training" by Dr. Eric Goodman on YouTube.
- Daily grind - Did it every single day for a month. Brutal difficulty. Could finally sit again but only for an hour before needing a break. Legs and hips still tight as hell.
- Got cocky - Felt better, started working out again. Immediately reinjured everything. Back to bed.
- The cycle - Kept getting stuck in injury-heal-reinjure loop for over a year. Something fundamental was missing.
- Back to basics - Finally stopped all workouts except the Goodman exercises. After 6 months of just this, could work full days at my desk.
- Found the answer - Discovered Low Back Ability YouTube channel after more desperate research.
- Real progress - Feels like their program actually addressed the root issues. Hips finally started releasing.
- Truth bomb - They say your back is S.H.I.T: Sensitive, Hidden imbalances, Incredibly weak, Tight AF. Feels right.
- The prescription - Back extensions on roman chair. Sounds worth trying.
- Today (2025) - No gym, no cycling. Hiking still causes some pain. But I can work 8 hours at a desk. Can walk with my girlfriend. Normal life is possible. Just ordered a back extension machine. The journey continues.
Full write-up coming later.