The advice to "never deadlift again" after a herniated disc is one of the most common—and potentially damaging—instructions patients receive. In this session, we dissect why this advice is fundamentally flawed. A deadlift is simply the act of picking something up off the floor, whether that is a barbell, a deliver box, or a crying child. By avoiding this movement pattern entirely, you risk becoming weaker and less resilient to the demands of daily life. We discuss how to safely reintroduce this pattern using the hip hinge and rack pulls to build the necessary posterior chain strength without compromising the lumbar spine.We also address the confusion surrounding relief strategies versus rehabilitation. While tools like inversion tables, dead hangs, and manual therapy can provide temporary symptom relief, they do not strengthen the spine. We explain why relying solely on passive modalities—or taking painkillers to mask the pain—often leads to a cycle of flare-ups. We also highlight why common "rehab" stretches like knee hugs and Child's Pose are mechanically counter-productive for disc injuries, drawing a comparison to how one would treat a ligament injury in the knee.Finally, we cover the roadmap for returning to sports and hobbies. Whether your goal is running, tennis, or cricket, the principles of rehabilitation remain the same: establish a neutral spine, build tolerance through the squat and hip hinge, and progress load over time. We answer specific questions on spondylolisthesis, Modic changes, and why hobbies like Pilates, Yoga, and swimming should not be confused with a structured lower back rehabilitation programme.Key Topics Covered🏋️ The Deadlift Myth: Why you cannot avoid picking things up in real life, and why learning to hip hinge correctly is the safest way to protect your back against future injury.🚫 Contraindicated Stretches: A clinical explanation of why knee hugs and flexion-based stretches aggravate posterior ligaments in the lumbar spine, similar to straining a damaged knee ligament.🎾 Returning to Sport: How to use your performance in controlled lifts (squats and hinges) as a baseline metric to determine if you are ready for the ballistic impact of running or tennis.Chapters00:00 Introduction & The Deadlift Controversy02:40 Redefining Deadlifts: It's Just Picking Things Up05:35 Starting Safely with the Hip Hinge07:50 The Problem with Painkillers & Muscle Relaxers08:45 When to Start Rehab After Injury10:20 Squatting with Knee Replacements11:45 Dead Hangs vs Bed Decompression15:20 Inversion Tables: Relief vs Strengthening18:00 TENS Machines vs Massage Guns19:55 Returning to Running & Tennis24:25 Why Knee Hugs & Child's Pose Aggravate Discs27:55 Should You Walk Through Pain?29:30 returning to Upper Body Gym Work32:20 Flare-ups After Decompression Treatment36:10 Returning to Cricket & Fast Bowling39:05 Why We Dislike the Back Extension Machine42:30 Managing Long Periods of Sitting44:00 Pilates, Swimming & Yoga are Hobbies, Not Rehab46:30 Squat Depth & Range of Motion49:55 Pars Defects & Spondylolisthesis51:10 Modic Changes Explained58:35 Isometric Holds vs Repetitions01:03:20 Why You Should Ditch Back Supports01:06:20 App & Website Access Update#HerniatedDisc #Sciatica #BackPainExercises