6 weegs ago I bent forward too much on my last rep of squats with 495lbs (bent my back forward.) I strained the hell out of my lower back. Since then my lower back has been killing me! I wake up it’s stiff and it hurts, I drive my car it really hurts, in a chair it starts to throb(like now,) I jump 6 inches and when I land my back-you guessed it hurts! Well you get the idea! This happened in college a few years ago once but after a month or so I eventually got better. This tiem is worse. What the hell should I do? (I make money with my physique so I can’t take extented time off-and it seems training makes it feel better anyhow.) Shall I just ice, hot cold, maybe an abs/Core specialization program? I have never had any type of pain like this, this long, this sucks! Thanks.
I had a very similar injury a couple of weeks ago from deadlifting, though not as severe as yours sounds. It killed evertime I got up from sitting or lying down. I just wanted to stand in the same place and look straight ahead so I would never tweak my back. It’s about 95% now, and I think it had to do with the reverse hypers I was doing. I did them with the 100 rep Chad Waterbury protocol (4 sets of 25) and that seemed to help alot. I don’t know how much this helps you, but it’s an idea. One question. How do you make money from your physique? Fitness modeling?
Massage, Chiropractic work, ART, drink tons and tons of water, RICE it… How much can you move your neck right now? Do you have full range of flexion? I would bet that if you didn’t hear any loud popping or anything, you’ve probably strained, sprained, and possibly torn some muscle. It could be a very deep bruising in there, I would do everything I could to keep blood flowing through there and getting the toxic buildup out. See someone who knows about this stuff.
Yes, my neck is fine its only the lower back. It was to the point that I could still squat but pain comes and goes. (No, I am not doing any heavy squating)
Both the above posts have good advice, I feel. The reverse hyper can help with rehab (light weights and high reps for rehab) by helping flood the lower back with fresh blood (read: oxygen) thus speeding recovery. Manual massage via deep tissue massage, ART, etc are all great things for dealing with probs like this. From personal lower back injury experience (I was laid up for 2 months after a biking accident with a seriously painful low back) I can say that massage + stretching = miracle for some folks. Between deep tissue massage and a 20 min stretching routine daily, I went from being home bound, to back on my bike and in the gym in under two weeks! Hell, after the first two sessions I was walking normally again.
I find most injuries in the squat and deadlift cause a reflex spasm in the psoas muscle. That’s why you have a problem sitting. ART on the psoas would be helpful. Also traction on the lower back would also be helpful since you probably cause what is known as an imbrication, compression of the facet joints due to the heavy weight and reflex spasm. Hanging from a chin bar while having your feet on the bench in front of you bending your knees and hips 90 degrees will take the pressure off. Hope this is helpful.
ken
Jesse, why don’t you just be honest and tell everyone that you were dressed up in a bunny suit entertaining at that tupperware party and fell head first into an empty pool. Aside from what everyone else said, you might want to try some topical goodies a few times per day, especially pre-workout. Mix about 500-1000mg of MSM powder into a palm full of Traumeel and have your girlfriend rub it all over your lower back. If you can’t find either of those, I have lots of both, let me know. After workouts put an ice pack under your back and lay on the ground with your feet up on a couch/bed (per Charles Staley). And definately up your inner unit work, forward ball rolls, transverse ball rolls, woodchops, rowdy sex, etc.
I have exactly the same problem, although it seems over the last couple years I have lost an incredible amount of strength on my squat (it is very painful to squat about a 3/4 down, but subsides lower), is there any chance that you have ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS and spasms are just th effect of muscles having to work without back flexibility that particular day?
By the way, while it is probably very effective, ART on the illiopsoas is one of the most painful things I can think of. I think I may rather get kicked in the teeth. I’m sure it would be beneficial, as Dr. Ken is one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet about weight training injuries. If you do it, let me know how it was.
Thanks for the compliment Marc. The ART is not painful when it is done properly. Tender yes, but tolerable. Most people go too hard and compress instead of putting tension on the tissues. Takes a while to get the feel for it. Once you do, the results are alot better. Thats the key, tension, not compression. Compression hurts.
That’s good to know Ken, looks like some practicioners may have been dozing off during that section of Leahy’s class. What’s the story with your SWIS certification lecture at the symposium? I plan on being there, just wondering what to expect.