This space soon to be filled with my personal back-to-fitness journey, as I’m recovering from a herniated disc in my lower back (L4-L5):

I probably got that from using too much weight on a leg press, while not having used that machine for months. I had been on a 5×5 Stronglifts program, in which I mainly squatted heavy for legs, so I wasn’t accustomed to the leg press movement and position anymore. I hadn’t taken into account the vulnerable (bent) position of the lower back, and I paid dearly for that.

At first I relied on ostheopathy and fysiotherapy to mend the situation, but the initial diagnose – Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction – proved wrong. After 5 weeks, I went to a chiropractor who traced the problem back to the spine and took over the treatment.
After more than three months, the improvements are such that I can basically function normally in my everyday life, with a bearable amount of pain – but performing any activity related to fitness is completely out of the question so far.