hernia

[qwerty27]

I just got my required physical so that I can start paramedic school. So after i turned my head and caughed, doc says I've got a small hernia. Go figure since my job consists of lifting large amounts of fatbodies using poor technique. So my question is this: What are some exercises I can do to help compensate or build the muscle around the hernia?

 

[Carl Hungus]

Having had more than one hernia myself, I can tell you that ther is no excercise that will help build muscle around the hernia. Most paramedics I've seen use pretty good technique, and I stress this is very important. Try to lift using you legs as much as possible, but you'll find out that virtually every type of lifting increases intrabdominal pressure, which causes your hernia to protrude.

This probably isn't what you want to here, but you'd be better off getting it surgically repaired soon. They just get bigger and harder to fix, not to mention the possibility of strangulation of the intra-abdominal contents that protude into the hernia sack.

 

[qwerty27]

thanks for the advice. my problem wasn't with bad form, it was with a 5'2'' 170lb female partner. got rid of that peice of garbage so hopefully things won't get worse as fast as they could.

 

[Carl Hungus]

:lol: Yeah, I've seen a few of those types working on the ambulance squads. I was talking about in the future to try to reduce the intra abdominal pressure. Hope your new partner helps.

 

[Socrates44]

What actually happens with a inguinal hernia, which is what it sounds like you have, is that certain muscle/blood flow/ligaments get pinched by something called your inguinal ring. It is at the bottom of your abdominals. Your testicles are held in place by two muscles, the dartos and cremaster. The cremaster is the muscle that allows your testicles to ascend or descend (when it gets cold and your nuts suck up, its due to this muscle). When there is a herniation, your testicle may have decreased mobility upward, pinched blood supply or pinched seminal vesicles.

I dont think there is a lift to do, but i agree with the previous posts, use good form and dont be afraid to ask for help to lift those fat bodies.

 

[qwerty27]

What actually happens with a inguinal hernia, which is what it sounds like you have, is that certain muscle/blood flow/ligaments get pinched by something called your inguinal ring. It is at the bottom of your abdominals. Your testicles are held in place by two muscles, the dartos and cremaster. The cremaster is the muscle that allows your testicles to ascend or descend (when it gets cold and your nuts suck up, its due to this muscle). When there is a herniation, your testicle may have decreased mobility upward, pinched blood supply or pinched seminal vesicles.

I dont think there is a lift to do, but i agree with the previous posts, use good form and dont be afraid to ask for help to lift those fat bodies.

Thanks for the info. So far the nuts are moving just fine and I feel no pain. Would there normally be pain? If I do start to feel pain what do I do, go to emergency or make an appt with my doctor?

 

[Carl Hungus]

Thanks for the info. So far the nuts are moving just fine and I feel no pain. Would there normally be pain? If I do start to feel pain what do I do, go to emergency or make an appt with my doctor?

Normally, with a hernia, part of the abdominal contents protrude through the tear in the muscle wall. The greater the pressure in the abdomen, the more the contents protude. There is usually some minor discomfort with this. Usually the protruding contents slide back into place on their own or are easily pushed back into place with light pressure.

What becomes a concern is when the contents are not readily pushed back through (reduced) the muscle wall opening. This is refered to as an "incarcerated" hernia, which becomes a medial emergency requiring urgent sugical intervention. You will experience a pretty good amount of pain should this occur.

You won't necesarily notice problems with testicular movement at any time, related to this condition. It really doesn't directly involve the testicles, other than the potential for the hernia sac to press on some of the associated vessels and ligaments.

At some point in time, surgical repair will be necessary. As I said earlier, inguinal hernias never get smaller.

 

[qwerty27]

Normally, with a hernia, part of the abdominal contents protrude through the tear in the muscle wall. The greater the pressure in the abdomen, the more the contents protude. There is usually some minor discomfort with this. Usually the protruding contents slide back into place on their own or are easily pushed back into place with light pressure.

What becomes a concern is when the contents are not readily pushed back through (reduced) the muscle wall opening. This is refered to as an "incarcerated" hernia, which becomes a medial emergency requiring urgent sugical intervention. You will experience a pretty good amount of pain should this occur.

You won't necesarily notice problems with testicular movement at any time, related to this condition. It really doesn't directly involve the testicles, other than the potential for the hernia sac to press on some of the associated vessels and ligaments.

At some point in time, surgical repair will be necessary. As I said earlier, inguinal hernias never get smaller.

Thanks for the info. I tried to research on the web and I got a lot of conflicting info, so I really appreciate it.

 

[Carl Hungus]

You're welcome. I have been a Registered Nurse for over 10 years in addition to my personel experience with hernias, so I have a fairly strong knowledge base on the subject. So as an additional reference, I "googled" hernia and found that Mayo Clinic has some good general information. This is what they said regarding when to seek medical attention:

When to seek medical advice
See your doctor if you have a painful or noticeable bulge in the area on either side of your pubic bone. The bulge is likely to be more noticeable when you're standing upright, and you usually can feel it if you put your hand directly over the affected area.

You should be able to gently and easily push the hernia back into your abdomen when you're lying down. If not, applying an ice pack to the area may reduce the swelling enough so that the hernia slides in easily. Lying on a slant with your pelvis higher than your head also may help.

If you still aren't able to push the hernia in, the herniated intestine may have become trapped (incarcerated) in the abdominal wall — a serious condition that may require immediate medical attention. This condition may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting or a fever and a hernia that turns red, purple or dark. If any of these signs or symptoms occur, call your doctor right away.