Hey, BBM team. I had a two level cervical arthroplasty performed late September of last year to relieve nerve compression. I’ve since made a solid, pain-free recovery and all of my lost strength from the pinched nerve is slowly starting to return. Before my compression issue was diagnosed and understood, I was having some pain shooting down the affected side through my tricep and into my fingers immediately following the low bar squat. I know the cervical spine isn’t loaded during a low bar squat but given everything that’s happened to me, it’s made me cautious.
After my diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy and interventional surgery, I have since recovered and am back in the gym I’m approaching the end of block II of the beginner program and have been employing the high bar position up to this point in the template to avoid whatever was causing the pain in my right arm.
My question is this – given my past medical history concerning cervical radiculopathy and the nerve pain I’ve occasionally encountered low bar squatting in the past, do you think I would be best served to avoid low bar squatting and stick with high bar?
That being said, low bar is really my preference for a variety of reasons. I love to high bar but more as a supplemental lift to the LBBS.
Thanks in advance!