Muscle imbalance correction?

Question

a few years ago I found out I have a degenerative disc in the cervical area of my spine. this came about while on vacation. I woke up with an incredible pain in my lower neck. when I got home from vacation i went to emergency and they gave me muscle relaxants. after I healed I returned to the gym to find that my right arm, or rather almost my entire side had NO STRENGTH. it was crazy. as years went by my strength sort of improved. but I can't hold a contraction and my musciles on my right side shake from weakness. also I'm noticing a rather bad muscle imbalance even to the point where my clothes feel funny. my right leg is chunckier than my left. Naturally I found that my nerves were being pinched therefor the motor units arent firing like they should. I know it's natural to have one side larger than the other, but my god when ever I exercise, I find my left side getting definition and the right not getting anything. even when I stretch I feel no muscle stretching on my right side. I was told that surgery would be rather risky even costly. I never felt the same since that day I first felt that incredible pain in my neck.

I went back to get more treatment including MRI AND PHYSICAL THERAPY. I was told that the best exercise to do for what I have is yoga, palliates, walking but no weights. I'm really over weight now (I used to body-build and man you should have seen me then compared to now). and my un-eveness and semi weakness makes it hard and its depressing.

can someone tell me if I'm on the right track using yoga and pillates to at least balance myself out some?

Answer 1

You provided a limited and disjointed history. You apparently have a problem of muscular imbalance, without a working causal diagnosis.  If we presume that no major structural problems have been identified, then yoga and any other exemplary stretching program would be quite helpful to assure that you avoid problematic joint and connective tissue impingement problems. That aside, there should be no problem with a balanced, progressive approach to resistance exercise training.

You may engage in chiropractic evaluation occasionally to see how you are doing at maintaining your balanced stretching and strengthening program. However, chiropractic manipulation is not the means to the end that you desire.

Answer 2

That's a little bizarre, and there's obviously some things the physical therapy wasn't able to do.

Pilates won't do much better in my opinion but you can try.

If you were my patient I'd adjust you up one side and down the other for about two months to free up those nerves which are still getting pinched by your neck vertebrae placement.

Then most of your strength would probably return.

Best luck.

Answer 3

You got an MRI but don't state the results and of which area the test was done on.  The assumption has to be that the neck was the area done.  Most likely the area that is involved is at C5-6.  The nerves that run in the spinal canal are like coaxial cables.  Pressure on those nerves is going to affect the upper and lower extremities.  I agree that Pilate's and yoga are excellent exercise programs but the abandonment of resistive exercises should not have been done.  I you were my patient the program would have centered on active stretching, that is done is yoga and Pilate's but a little more specific to your needs and postural deficits.  The resistance movements would have been in the super slow program.  Here a light weight is used in a way that stresses the muscles and bone without causing adverse stress upon the body.  The program is usually done with machines rather than free-weights but it can be done with them.  There are two phases to any exercise movement.  The concentric and eccentric phases make up a complete movement.  The concentric is where the body is shortening the muscle to make it move.  As an example when the biceps is worked the concentric phase is where the weight comes up to the shoulder.  The eccentric is where it goes down or lengthens.  The lengthening is where the most strength is developed.  Using a lighter resistance force but taking longer to do it creates a stress upon the muscle but not the joint.  The movement should take a good ten seconds to complete.  By doing this there will be a return to strength and muscular development.  Get with a physical therapist that is familiar with this type of program and that should help you significantly.  Without muscular balance no matter how much the body is manipulated the muscles will return to the position that created the imbalance.  Muscles have a memory and until they are brought to a new memory point there is not going to be any improvement.  You might need to find another therapist that understands this and then you will see a difference.  The programs of yoga and Pilate's will help you get closer to that point but they are not going to give you that muscularity that was once present.

Answer 4

It sounds like you've got pretty severe nerve damage.  The trembling is a common symptom of nerve damage.  Unfortunately the only fix is likely going to be surgery.

Answer 5

have u tried chiropractic treatments?  it may help free up some "nerve" flow!  best of luck!