Starting a water fast today to heal a herniated disc

[tohike123]

Hello everybody!

I have started a water fast today, and I would like to find an accountability buddy or buddies. I have been wanting to do at least a 21-day water fast, up to a 42-day water fast for the last 5 years, but I keep giving up. I have never tried to have an accountability buddy, so I hope this will help. I have been increasing my exercise efforts, but I herniated a disc at L5-S1 last Sunday playing tennis. Now that my activity level is reduced to icing, rest and work, I feel the best thing I can do for myself is water fast. It will give my body the time and energy to heal (faster than the typical 3 months, I hope), and drop some weight off of my belly, which is surely related to more back problems.

I have done 5-day and 7-day water fasts, which have been good, but I feel I need more time in to transform my emotional eating/drinking issues. I generally eat healthy food, but I tend to eat and drink late at night, or eat too much takeout because I just want someone else to make me yummy food after a long day of working. I have been doing intermittent fasting for months now, but I continue to drink alcohol 5 days a week. The alcohol and the hunger-eating pattern that follows have been sabotaging my weight loss goals.

My 48th birthday is July 3rd, and I would like to do as much water fasting and/or detoxing as possible until then. I need a serious makeover! I have gained 105# in the last 5 years following a family tragedy and relationship problems. I would really like to burn through and let go of this baggage, pound by pound. Is anyone else into water fasting now? How many days do you want to go for?

[Jewell]

Hi!

Thanks for sharing, and good luck with your journey!

If you swing on over to the June 20th Countdown to Summer Solstice group, you can find a few of us there that are currently fasting too. We can help cheer each other on and keep each other accountable!

[Jewell]

Hope the disc heals quickly!

[tohike123]

Thank you, Jewell! I will check out the Summer Solstice group

[waywardcompass]

I am SO with you on the booze/overeating on off-fasting days. All the hard work, and I am exactly where I started in March

Willing to slap you if you slap me too! LOL!

[tohike123]

Hello wayward compass! Thanks for getting in touch. I just got my computer back online. This week has been tumultuous and physically taxing. The moontime kicked me off of fasting due to anemia. I am planning to restart on Tuesday. Where are you at with fasting? Are you doing alternate day fasting or intermittent fasting? I wish I could just finish something I shoot for, or stick to a certain plan for at least 3 weeks. I have a hard time getting past day 5-7 of anything. I would love to share what helps and what doesn’t. I definitely feel like I need a support group for managing stressors and improving my health.

[Warren_Davis]

Hello Heidi! How did your water fast go? How long did you fast and did it help heal your herniated disc? I’m 37 and blew a cervical disk two weeks ago. A bit devastated by it because I’m very active and having a really hard time being so sedentary. The nerve pain is rather intense and constant. Currently 5 days into a 7 day water fast and wondering if I should just keep going. I hope things worked out for you!! Very interested in hearing more of your story.

Best,
Warren

[riseabove]

Hi Warren! How is your spine/nerve doing? How did the water fast go for you? I came across this forum as I was searching for “hopeful” stories of people who have healed/recovered from herniated discs/pinched nerves through fasting. Not much research on this (go figure!).

I have a herniated disc (lower back) - and a nerve injury that has lasted 7 weeks now (numbness in calf, ankle, foot…tenderness near si joint/tail bone area; PT originally thought it was a piriformis muscle strain). It’s a bit challenging emotionally/mentally as I’m an active/athletic person. X-rays showed a healthy and aligned spine…plenty of spacing between vertebrae. Questioning whether I need to be patient - or go ahead and get an MRI.

[tohike123]

Hi there, sorry I have been so out of touch on here. I am sorry to hear you and @Warren_Davis have had the disc and nerve issues! @riseabove – I have been an acupuncturist and massage therapist since 2005 and I would say go get your MRI. That sounds like a more than just piriformis syndrome.
As far as fasting goes, it did help with pain and healing. I did a few days here and there, but I was able to be more compliant with an intermittent fasting schedule of 18:6. I combined this with changes in diet–I avoided ALL grains, gluten free or not, anything with corn syrup or refined sugar, my favorite Juanitas chips and especially cow cheese (goat or sheep is better tolerated for me)–I noticed a tremendous difference. I had read the Carnivore code and was inspired to try that, so I did one of the beginning tiers. I have lost 65# and am able to be very active again. I still have some stability issues with my back and work on strengthening it. I was in a car accident in August and of course it exacerbated my old injury there, so I feel it a lot these days, but I am able to walk 5-7 miles a day for work.
Oh another thing I learned is that the psoas muscle being too tight can precipitate a herniated disc, so I try to have that get worked on or do more stretches for it, and yoga.
What helped me the most with the herniated disc pain was cupping…I taught my daughter how to do it and she is a pro now! I also saw a PT who is wonderful. He used a Hyperice vibrating tool on me and that thing is amazing! Better than a Theragun in my opinion. And I found an “extra point” on my calf near my ankle that was very helpful for needling. So if you can, please see an acupuncturist along with your PT, and get a Hyperice tool for use along the nerve pathway.

[tohike123]

One lore thing was a 10" wide stability belt that I wrapped around me. It had velcro on it. That helped when I was in a lot of pain. I still wrap a long sleeve shirt tight around my waist when I go for long walks and then helps with keeping my pelvis and SI joint in check.