XXLTank

Is it true that a lower back injury is with you for life?

I hurt my back deadlifting a few years ago and my squat has never been the same - every time I try to bring the weights back up on it I can feel it tightening up again.

Is this just the way it's gonna be - I love squattin and don't want to give it up.

Robsta

I get the same mate...I find that as soon as the ache goes at the bottom of my back, any time I squat over 160 kg, even after warming up it comes back the next day and I can hardly walk...I just do 4 sets now going up to 160 max and then go heavy on the press..Not ideal but the best I can do..at the moment any how...good luck with it though

__________________


Robsta

matt3178

i get lower back pain for atleast a few days every month.

5/6 years ago, i was moving sections from a large cast iron boiler.
i tried to pick a section up completely wrong & ended up collapsed on top of it.
for about 2hours after it i couldnt work my legs properly & just had pins+needles in them.
then followed by a month of the worst pain iv everfelt.

im always weiry of my back these days.
i dont squat more than 100kg & cant go heavy on pully rows.
i just dont think its worth it, especially now im self employed & dont get sick pay.

its always something stupid that brings on my back pain, picking up my son/lifting my tool box.......etc

samurai69

NO



You need to strengthen it slowly

did you have it seen to by a physio.........If not it would be worth going to a sports therapist/masseur for a lower back assessment and massage to loosen things up

then start with the strengthening exercises slowly
supermans
dorsal raises
etc

then slowly with hyperextensions, pull throughs etc, up to good mornings

then squat and dealift light to start then build up slowly


back trouble is not for life.........just go cautiously


:smoke:

XXLTank

Yeah I've been to the physio. What are dorsal raises? And pull throughs? How many weeks would you do each of these stages for?

Thanks for the advice mate.

samurai69

go really slowly.......not really counting in weeks, go more by feel, but could be 6/8/12 weeks of each step

dorsal raise is like a hyper extension, but lying flat on the ground
ly=ay face down and raise head and shoulders off ground...breath in as you raise up...start with arms by sides (easiest) then hands at temples, then hands out stretched in front

I have a client ...who has taken a year just to get back to normal movement without any pain and we are only now starting to strengthen it properly ...... probably another year
(this is a client that i see only 2 times per week) .........If you are training light 3 or 4 times per week then it should speed things up........I am sure you are training rest of body too which will help

pull throughs are done with a cable or kettlebell or possibly with a dumbell.......the cable one is performed by standing facing away from a low cable machine and you literally pull the weight up from behind you ...through the legs


couldnt find apicture .......but theres some good stuff here http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Bigdav

What samurai has reccommended is good but a physio will/should be a godsend, if theyre any good, i went through 3 before i found a decent 1. The best thing he reccomended for me wasnt the rehab exercises, it was stretching the lower back, hams and glutes.
According to him a lot of back pain isnt caused by the back at all but the hamstrings and glutes. If theyre tight they pull the lower back out of alighnment and increase your chances of injury.

So get yourself to a good physio, ask around at the gym, i guarantee someones been to one at some point

__________________
Height - 5' 11"
Weight - 235
Chest - 48"
Waist - 35"
Arms - 18"
legs - 28"
Calves - 17"

Bench - 130 * 6
Squat - 150 * 6
Deads - 160 * 6

happy haggis

i had a slipped disc approx 12 years ago and i still suffer from the pain at times after certain exersises or activities.

squatting kills my back and sometimes heavy leg press gives me terrible sciatica. once nerves damaged they are there with you forever. even if you go weeks with no pain.

__________________
MY BOARD


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

big pete

depends whether its muscular/nervous/disc related.

where is the pain? and how could you describe it? shooting? dull aching? pins and needles etc?

__________________
any questions?? feel free to email me on....
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


'there is greatness inside all of us, how deep are you willing to dig? '

hackskii

Stretching is an awesome suggestion.

Developing your back slowly is another awesome suggestion.

Doing situps is another good idea.

Stretching it before you get out of bed is a good idea.

Strengthining your back wont stop an injury but make it less likely to occur.

I injured my back and I have to be carefull with it.
But I still do many things within my power to strengthen it.
I also fractured 4 vertabre in a car wreck and I attribute me being pretty ok due to the fact I stayed active and train.

__________________
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin


Scott


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Johnny bravo

I've got bad back pain had it for a year been for a few sessions on my back still get pain although its more of a dull ache now on the sciatic nerve I've stopped doing squats and deadlifts altogether and I've lost a lot of size off my legs but if it takes the pain away from my back its gotta be done

paulo

just twinged myself today-again!!!!,squats feeling easy weight wise but driving up and ping sore as fxxx, awaiting phsio referal from work and should see someone this week back was totally squint viewed from mirror, looks deformed,muscle spasms hope to be better soon, im not squatting again-once rehab done i wil stick to leg press,ext curl ,as although legs love squatting back gives out since previous injury

Farmer_Joe

I had lower back pain 4 weeks ago when i used a weights machine so had to stop my dead lifts.....which was crap as i was starting make real gains.
Although I was in a little pain I did deadlifts last fri because i was betting annoyed with myself, after doing them the pain went away completly, I dont know if this is a good or bad sign.

hackskii

I would think that deads are good for the back.
It is things like bent over rows where the body is locked into one postion where this could cause problems.
Avoid any lifting that has twisting in it.

__________________
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin


Scott


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Andy_Mac

Hi guys, first post on here after a long time of looking on and off.

There is a lot of conflicting views on the back and more importantly the rehab of it!

I work as a rehabilitation instructor in the forces and I deal with this stuff everyday, as well as recovering from 3 thoracic vertebrae fractures from a fall some years ago.

To cover a few do's and dont's and to give you my side, gere ofes-

The leg press is really bad for your back!! Why? Well look at the way the Lx (lumbar) spine moves into a very dangerous hyper flexed position, which will put a lot of unwanted pressure on the disc, resulting in more pressure on the sciatic nerve (if thats the problem).

The squat and deadlift can and should be done. The only difference is your technique! I have witnessed some **** form in my time from people who have been lifting for years without a problem and lifting a good weight- that's fine until your back 'eventually' goes.............

Back to the lifts- get someone to look at it who knows what they are talking about, or even better, video and post for feedback. The majority of problems with lifting is ego and flexibility, what a dangerous combo..lol!

Glutes, hamstrings, lower back extensors (all posterior chain) are generally really tight from years of abuse and no stretching (the younger years), with the hip flexors playing an equal part in the problem. If you are really tight all around the pelvic area, then think about that pressure when you are squatting or DL a **** ass weight and you have no flexibilty- something has and will give......

If you are in pain, then cut back and see a sports physio that knows how to train, or a sports therapist (better option to be honest). Get them to identify the problem, ie tight glutes (you will see this when you squat), or weak adductors etc. From there sort out the problem (this will take time) and continue with training around the problem. Squats can still be body weight (pain free), with more leg extension and hamstring curls etc (the lists are endless).
As you progress in your flexibilty then start to Sq and DL with weight- small increments (remember this is a life thing) and continue with perfect technique (no ego please).

Please don't ask about f***ing swiss balls and standing on them to increase core activation etc, its a bloody gimmick.....

That has probably moved all over the place, but happy to answer any questions....