AFAIK, what I've been suffering with is a herniated disc down at the bottom of the lumbar region. Yes, that "AFAIK" disclaimer could be significant.
This website presents a perspective on the illness and the process of recovery different from what I've seen before:
https://buffalorehab.com/blog/the-recovery-time-for-a-lumbar-disc-herniation/
This makes sense to me...
however, sadly, I have been making the injury worse, not better, by returning to the gym as quickly as possible, again and again…
whereas, in reality I shouldn't have even been sitting in a chair at all, but should have limited myself to bed rest (FOR SEVERAL MONTHS).
Within the last few days, I was evidently making the condition worse when I was working on the German translation (sitting at a desk) whereas I previously thought of that type of mild strain as a positive exercise, helping rather than hindering recovery (i.e., I could feel that sitting and working at desk caused strain / pain).
I am now really limited: all I can do is lie down flat. And I do not know for how long that will last.
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Activities that will cause more fluid to leak are bending, lifting, twisting, sitting, and any impact (running or jumping). The more we stick to the “good” positions and limit the “bad,” the sooner our discs start to heal.
Typically, it takes three to four weeks for the fluid to stop leaking from the outer layer. Keep in mind, this only applies if you start limiting the bad positions and promoting those good positions.
At this time, the point of leakage will scar over and trap the fluid within the outer layer. This is the point in treatment when you can start to tolerate sitting for a little longer.
Over the next four weeks, the fluid will continue to work its way back toward the center of the disc, and eventually, the inner layer will scar over
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This is significantly different from how I'd visualized the problem before.
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When following the ideal plan, after about twelve weeks your disc is healed enough to tolerate impact, such as running or jumping
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Suffering a back injury may seem catastrophic, however, it does not mean you will have back issues for the rest of your life. With proper guidance, patience, and a little bit of hard work, you can heal your disc injury within twelve weeks!
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Well... I could still cancel my gym membership. :-/
It does not seem reasonable to imagine I'll be back at the gym FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS… whereas, instead, I've been injuring myself anew pretty much every time I returned to the gym (for many, many months now) trying to increase the strength of the muscles surrounding the injury in the back.
