If you and I were working together and you had one of these situations, I treat you very different.
Barbell Squatting With Herniated Discs
For example: For someone with a herniated disc I would focus more on symptoms and technique with the squat.
So how heavy we go and the amount of work we will do will be 100% based on how your body is responding.
I would not necessarily use barbell squats to heal your herniated disc, so I would focus on that first before putting you under the bar.
Barbell Squatting After Spinal Fusion
If you have been fused, I would first see what your fitness goals are. If you don’t care to be able to squat a ton of weight with a bar on your back then I would focus more on effective single leg free weight exercises.
Barbell squats; although glorified in the fitness space are great but not for everyone and if you don’t feel comfortable under the bar there is no point in making yourself do it.
There’s so many more options out there that are just as effective!