Set back :( stupid back.

Bazza20 said:

I fucked my back bad enough that I couldn't get out of bed but after finding exercises that helped it my back is stronger now than ever.

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Are these standard barbell/dumbbell exercises or something referred by a physio/etc?

Just as a reference for people looking at this thread...

Ice is a pain killer and reduces inflammation. This is ok after a workout to reduce discomfort. But heat is king. You want to heat up sore areas before a workout and whenever you can. Heat promotes blood flow which is what takes nutrients to muscles/ligaments. This is especially important for the lower back which is mostly ligaments which carry the least blood compared to muscles and tendons.

So, heat that lower back up and keep it moving to promote blood flow and healing.

I did the same thing with my lower back about two years ago, hate set backs!

perceive said:

Are these standard barbell/dumbbell exercises or something referred by a physio/etc?

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Not saying it will work for others but for me when I started doing deadlifts my back stopped hurting. I was doing them every day for a while. Now my back is my strong point.

Bazza20 said:

Not saying it will work for others but for me when I started doing deadlifts my back stopped hurting. I was doing them every day for a while. Now my back is my strong point.

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Interesting. I don't know that I could do heavy deadlifts (by my standards) every day but a mix of reps and weights maybe. But again, whatever works....

perceive said:

Interesting. I don't know that I could do heavy deadlifts (by my standards) every day but a mix of reps and weights maybe. But again, whatever works....

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Initially it wasn't heavy deadlifts. For a start I was just doing around 60kg for 20-30 reps a couple times a day. It made my back feel better when ever it was hurting. Then after a while I started adding weight.

Bazza20 said:

Initially it wasn't heavy deadlifts. For a start I was just doing around 60kg for 20-30 reps a couple times a day. It made my back feel better when ever it was hurting. Then after a while I started adding weight.

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That makes more sense. Did you do rows or anything? One of the things the physio told me in regards to my shoulder is to strengthen the back so that is sort of a priority for me at the moment. As soon as I can find a good support I want to start trying chest supported rows to see if they help.

I've found I dislike high rep deadlifts because my form seems to start slipping........

I better be careful with this exercise.... I might even stop doing them after squats, only go light, and leave a few reps in the tank.

strong enough? said:

I wouldn't settle on the diagnosis of an initial visit to a chiropractor. Proper diagnosis of a slipped disc requires a scan.

I suffered a deadlifting injury in 2009 and visited 2 physios who diagnosed it as a slipped disc. I don't blame them for the diagnosis necessarily as I did present with many of the symptoms, but in the end they were wrong. I did all the standard exercises (Mackenzie stretches etc), but it didn't help.

Anti-inflams and ice completely fixed the problem in the short term and I was able to get off the meds within a few days - there is no way you could recover that fast from a disc injury.

But I was treated as if it was a disc injury and I reinjured it.

Third physio actually knew what he was talking about and sent me straight for MRI. No disc bulge at all. The problem was actually a facet joint sprain and lower back muscle strain. This is the opposition problem to a slipped/torn disc in that extension aggravates a facet joint and flexion relieves it. The Mackenzie stretches you would use for a slipped disc made it worse. The radiculopathy was actually due to piriformis syndrome - i could completely get rid of the butt and lower leg pain on the LHS simply by doing a stretch. If the pain was due to irritation of the nerve roots at the lumbar spine, then stretches would do nothing.

What has prevented me from reinjuring it was a ground-up rehab program designed to bring up to par (1) my completely dormant and weak glutes; (2) deep external rotator activation exercises designed to reduce dominance of piriformis muscle (which when it becomes overactive causes me shooting pain down my leg); and (3) transverse abdominus/core exercises (dead bugs, bird dogs, ab wheel rollouts).

The lesson out of all of this is that proper treatment requires proper diagnosis. GPs, osteos, chiros, physios it doesn't matter who - many fail to do this and rely on experience of what people usually present with. They are often dealing with weak sedentary people who injure themselves gardening, or at work. They hear 170kg deadlift and assume the worst. However, diagnosis should be evidence based. In my case, had they done a scan at first instance, disc injury could have been easily ruled out.

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This sounds very similar to what I have. My physio prescribed me a bunch of stretches, and I'm currently doing light front squats to build up my glutes again, but I still feel the pain when I lean forwards (to deadlift position for example). If you could give me some more information on the kinds of stretches you did, or anything else you did to get better, I would greatly appreciate it.

To the guys that have been correctly diagnosed with a slipped disc: How long would you say you were immobile for?

I have hurt my lower back squatting yesterday and the form seemed normal to me and wasn't excessively low or anything. Iced it straight away & took a NSAID.

Woke up this morning and it was very sore still but mobility seems "slightly" better. Doesn't seem to be much of an issue with side to side movement or twisting (haven't pushed it) but leaning forward at the base of the back is very limited.

I had a bit of a tight back closer to the centre last week and went to the physio. When they were doing the pre massage thing I then noticed that my lower back was quite tender but it wasn't actually giving me any discomfort. (and still wasn't yesterday)

When I first hurt my back picking up a footy of the ground. I felt a something go in my back. Like popping a grape by squeezing it between your fingers.

I went to a Chiro, got x rays and the Chiro was positive I had ruptured a disc and said no need for a MRI. Now I don't have 100% faith in the diagnosis but that is what he said.

I was out of action for a while, could hardly get out of bed for a couple weeks. Then after that about 6-12 months of pretty bad back pain.

I ended up finding back raises and light deadlifts gave me relief from the pain better than anything else did.

Thanks for you're input Bazza.

I did feel something but I wouldn't call it a pop. But it's already starting to feel a "bit" better and I'm ok to sit at 90deg after only a day so I don't "think" it's too serious.

Typically, the full impact of disc injuries don't really show themselves until a day or two after the actual incident, and they usually get a whole lot worse from then on. However, as Voodoo, mentions, the symptoms of disc injury can be caused by a range of injuries.

What a lot of people don't realise is that while they consider themselves fit and strong, they could be experiencing excessive bone degeneration of the vertebra's - most often caused by excessive overload, stabiliser muscle imbalance and genetics. These all contribute to the spine not being supported correctly, creating accelerated wear. This almost always comes back to poor core strength and posture.

One of the main symptoms of a disc injury will be extreme pain in the lower back and through the hips, and also sciatica pain in the buttocks, down the leg and into the foot. The patient will have poor flexibility in every direction. On the affected side/leg, will have difficulty standing on the leg for any period of time, on the balls of their heal (toes lifted off the ground) and will have decreased sensation in the affected leg (a sign the sciatic nerve is being severely impinged (lack of blood flow). Also drop foot, where the patient's foot droops and they have no control over it.

It's not uncommon you'll also experience major muscle spasms in the affected area which makes your life a whole lot worse, like what I experience in the pic below. I am standing dead straight, yet my whole pelvis has shifted to the right due to muscle spasm caused by the impinged nerve/s.


Taking a piss standing up may be difficult, as can taking a crap sitting down. If you can't piss, they almost always operate ASAP.

My number one tip is to get a referral for an MRI and pay the $300. Don't waste your time with other scans as, at best, only show part of the story - been there, done that. If the scan comes back all good, then you can rest easy knowing 100% your spine is in good health. If it comes back bad, you can get the right treatment ASAP.
The longer you suffer the effects of sciatica pain, the less chance you have of the nerve making a full recovery.

As for time off if it is a disc injury, I wouldn't be thinking of doing anything remotely strenuous for 6-8 weeks minimum. The risks of making things worse are extremely high in that period, even for several months after. My only relief from the pain prior to surgery was narcotics, laying down, squatting down or riding my sports bike - due to the knees up bent over position taking a lot of load off my lower back. Walking even 50m caused huge discomfort and increased pain. Sitting was out of the question.

I know there are people here that lift stupid amounts of weight, and I was one of them. Lifting heavy might not cause a back injury but it sure increases the risk. Knowing what I know now through personal experience, I would have taken a lot more care of my back. You only have one, when you fuck it up real good, it's never the same... ever.

I did this about 10 days ago. A sharp pain right near my tail bone while deadlifting. Same thing, trying to lift my max and lost all form. Walking was painful and I was getting sharp stabbing pains going down my left leg.

I just rested it for a week with some deep heat for the first few days and this morning I was deadlifting again. I will admit I was very nervous though.

I know 1RM are great for a test of strength, but if you're not competing I would not be doing them.

Time and time again I have seen injured clients try out do themselves. Pushing the envelope is fantastic, but it is incredibly difficult to maintain perfect form during a big 1RM lift.

There are other better training routes if you're not looking to powerlift. I am sure this is contrary to what many recommend. Strong is strong, but injured is demoralizing and weak.