Crossfit Athlete Overcomes Pain from L4L5 & L5S1 Disc Herniation, Sciatica, Shoulder Impingement with Limitless
Written by Ai Kojima:
I joined Limitess after I was diagnosed with two herniated discs (L4L5, L5S1) in 2019. Besides chronic back pain and sciatica, I also had shoulder impingement in both arms, right elbow pain, and poor posture.
I tried everything and spent a lot of time and money on medications, Doctors, PT, chiropractic, massages, acupuncture, "god hand" therapy, etc, but nothing worked.
I enrolled in Limitless to take ownership of my body and become pain free. By the end of the program, I noticed not only did my pain subside, I was stronger and moving better, and my posture changed dramatically.
Afterwards, I joined Whealth’s Strength and Conditioning program because I still had room for improvement.
I was scared to lift heavy when I was doing the Limitless program but the S&C program encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and overcome my fear.
As I started lifting heavier week by week, I gained confidence.
I finally was able to let go of my past and heal mentally from chronic pain.
By the end of the program, I was able to do weighted strict pull ups, which is something I never thought I could ever do.
These 2 programs helped me learn how to move better and gain strength, but I learned the most about improving my mindset through the Whealth online community.
I learned to focus on what I can control which made a huge impact not only with my pain but also with my life in general. This online community is where I learned and grew the most through interacting with members worldwide.
Now that I overcame the fear of my pain, I am back to CrossFit. It took more than 3 yrs to come back with full confidence. The most fearful movement, the deadlift, does not scare me anymore. I feel liberated to be able to move freely without feeling anxious about my back all the time.
Now I can travel with my family and enjoy hiking, water activities etc. I tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time this year and want to continue to challenge myself to new activities I had never tried before.
