Deadlifting with spinal fusion

[greemah]

A while ago I injured my lower back deadlifting (posted form video here). The pain still hadn't completely gone away recently so I went to doc and got an X-ray, and turns out my L5 and S1 parts of the spine are fused together which would explain why that video shows the maximum arch I can get in my lower back.

I recently started trying to get back into deadlifting and even with paying extreme attention to my form and wearing a belt I have done the same damn thing again.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with deadlifting around this type of thing, or know of any adjustments that can be made to continue deadlifting, or even if deadlifts is something I should stay away from? I seem to be able to romanian deadlift ok but I just can't seem to conventional deadlift any more

Also in that video I can't get my hips much lower as I just get pulled straight back into that position since the center of gravity is out, which I'm starting to think is because I can't have my back as upright as most people due to the spinal fusion

[Tom Mutaffis]

A while ago I injured my lower back deadlifting (posted form video here). The pain still hadn't completely gone away recently so I went to doc and got an X-ray, and turns out my L5 and S1 parts of the spine are fused together which would explain why that video shows the maximum arch I can get in my lower back.

I recently started trying to get back into deadlifting and even with paying extreme attention to my form and wearing a belt I have done the same damn thing again.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with deadlifting around this type of thing, or know of any adjustments that can be made to continue deadlifting, or even if deadlifts is something I should stay away from? I seem to be able to romanian deadlift ok but I just can't seem to conventional deadlift any more

Also in that video I can't get my hips much lower as I just get pulled straight back into that position since the center of gravity is out, which I'm starting to think is because I can't have my back as upright as most people due to the spinal fusion

It looks like you may be able to get your belt a bit tighter, if you are in-between sizes you can always wear a 'waist trimmer' or neoprene belt underneath (which also helps to keep your muscles warm).

Your deadlift seems to be mostly 'Back' and not very much 'Legs'... have you ever tried a style like Mikhail Koklayev? He basically goes down into a low squat position and then pulls with a flat back using his legs/hips/back.

If you are injuring yourself with a standard bar you may want to try a Trap Bar or deadlift variations like rack pulls. I would first speak with your physical therapist or doctor to make sure that you are not going to do something to hinder your recovery from the injury/injuries.

[greemah]

Thanks for your reply Tom, good info