In this session, we address a critical strategic error many patients make when undergoing spinal decompression treatments like IDD therapy. It is common for clinics to advise pausing rehabilitation exercises during the initial weeks of treatment. However, we argue that building spinal stability and strength should happen concurrently—or even beforehand—to protect the spine during the travel to and from the clinic. We discuss how to strategically schedule decompression sessions, ideally placing them after your heaviest workout days (like Phase 3 or Phase 4 squat sessions) to utilise the treatment as a recovery tool rather than a passive cure.

We also dive deep into the metabolic requirements of healing a herniated disc or recovering from sciatica. A significant topic discussed is the use of creatine monohydrate; specifically, dispelling the marketing myths surrounding expensive "women-specific" supplements. We explain why standard creatine is essential not just for muscle growth, but for cognitive function and recovery. Furthermore, we warn against maintaining a steep calorie deficit during rehabilitation. Healing nerves and building tissue is an energy-expensive process, and insufficient nutrition can lead to increased delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and stalled progress.

Finally, we cover essential technique corrections for the squat and hip hinge to prevent neck pain, using the "pike" analogy to maintain a true neutral spine. We also tackle the misconception of "weak knees" in older adults, explaining why leg strengthening is the solution, and provide a guide on the absolute essentials for a home gym setup that allows for long-term progression without filling your house with equipment.

🏥 IDD Therapy & Exercise Timing: Why you should not stop strengthening your back while undergoing decompression therapy. We explain how to time your appointments to aid recovery from heavy lifting sessions rather than treating them as a replacement for the work.

🥩 Nutrition & Recovery: Why a calorie deficit can be detrimental when recovering from a back injury. Healing tissues and reactivating nerves require significant energy; under-fuelling can lead to poor recovery and persistent soreness. We also bust myths on "specialised" creatine supplements—standard monohydrate is effective and far more affordable.

🏋️ Squat Mechanics & Neck Pain: A common error in the hip hinge and squat is looking up ("cranking the neck"), which disconnects the cervical spine from the rest of the column. We introduce the "impaled on a pike" visualisation to ensure your head moves in unison with your torso to avoid upper back aggravation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Health Updates

01:23 IDD Therapy: When to Start Rehab Exercises

06:25 Dealing with Middle Back Pain (TL Junction)

10:50 Managing the Commute to Treatment

17:00 Supplements for Spine Health vs. The Work

20:45 Creatine Myths: Marketing vs. Monohydrate

27:25 Why Calorie Deficits Hinder Healing

32:45 Hip Hinge Technique: Fixing Neck Pain

35:00 "Weak Knees" vs. Weak Legs in Seniors

44:40 Managing Training During Illness or Stress

49:20 The Dangers of Avoiding Spinal Loading (Paul's Story)

1:01:45 Managing Sustained Impacts (Driving/Riding)

1:04:45 Phase Four Training Frequency & Recovery

1:11:15 Essential Home Gym Setup (Vest & Dumbbells)

1:17:25 Rehab Strategy Post-Microdiscectomy

1:23:25 Tapering off Pain Medication

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