Maybe i’m being overly cautious, but I just wanted to check with everyone else here. when you do exercises that involve lower back muscles, how sore do you expect them to be? if it were my legs, i wouldn’t think twice about the soreness, but when i feel it in my back i just wonder if i over did it. or if i had bad form and used my back too much. i’m pretty careful about form though.
i’m just paranoid about my lower back because in the past i’ve injured it in other sports/activities. plus, my mom has BAD sciatica and i don’t know if that’s at all hereditary. i don’t want to go that route!!
when my back hurts, it hurts just like my legs. When I really injured it, there is a huge difference in pain and area. I notice that when it’s injured, it shoots pain and I can’t really move, but when I’m sore, it’s just hard to move, but no real “pain” associated with it.
hmm. well with back pain this is good soreness and bad soreness. If it feels like normal muscle soreness than it is probably ok.
One thing to worry about though is that if you have had, or have a chronic back problem, then I would try to limit DOMS as it might cause your chronic pain to worsen due to the inflamation etc associated with DOMS. There is also the muscle tightening aspect as well…
Yeah, I know what you mean with pain vs. soreness. It’s just a bit difficult like you say with the tightness. with the back, when it’s tight it sorta throws off other things. plus, my hams are often tight and i know that affects my back. i try to stretch them a lot. what’s the best things to do to prevent DOMS? I’m pretty careful with nutrient timing, although my diet isn’t perfect. i stretch. anything else?
Seminole chick, don’t freak out - sounds like you overdid it a bit
that’s all; happens to me once in a while - you should be OK in a day
or two!
And don’t believe horseshit myths like - “sciatica runs in the family
or…once you have back pain you’re done for life.” Stuff like this really
becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is coming from someone
who herniated L5 and S1 twelve and a half years ago.
Not until I read a book by Dr. James Sarno entitled “Mind
Over Back Pain” did I start to get my life together (some 9 yrs ago).
Funny thing was that even after a new MRI showed a clean bill of
health, I still had a horrendous case of sciatica! Sarno’s book helped
me deal with that! His book and its follow-up would be a great read for
your Mom!
The book deals with how things in our lives such as stress and
unresolved issues often manifest as back pain and sciatica. It also
deals with how our beliefs about our bodies do manifest as actual
conditions - this is coming from the perspective of a back surgeon!
(His book/s can be found with a quick google search).
for easing DOMS, do high reps low weight exercises and stretching. You could also go sit in a hot tub with the jet right on your back, if you have access to one. Nothing much you can do for it though.
There are about twenty different points of impingement of the sciatic nerve. Don’t freak out, it sounds like it’s only doms. I’ve suffered from sciatica for years, on and off. I gnore it, get ART on the ext. hip rotators, and I’m good to go.
Thanks all, right now my back feels pretty good and I did a tons of cleans and stuff yesterday. I iced it last night too. i really hate having to sit in a chair for 8 hours every day (or close to it) at work. I have a good chair, but not great posture sometimes. thanks for the reassurance. i’ll keep an eye on it. no hot tub but i can stretch more.
thanks for the info JoeyZ. i’ll look that book up as soon as i get a chance! I know what you mean bout the self fulfilling prophecy thing, i’ll remember that! same thing with my dad’s heart disease, geez, guess i got a lot of positive thinking to do! LOL.
Just as an added bit of encouragement, Dr. Sarno’s book saved my life. I can now squat and deadlift without fear of paralyzing myself. It really is an amazing read- anyone with back problems and involved in the endless cycle of chiropractic care should do themselves a favor and check it out
Hey nickasu, glad to see you also benefited greatly from
Dr. Sarno’s work !!! (His follow-up book “Healing Back Pain”
was even better - it took the mind-body-link to an even
higher level!)
BTW - I still receive a Chiropractic adjustment about once a
month and have been doing so most of my life - I just feel much
better after my adjustment! The Chiropractor is our friend
I can sympathize with having to sit at a desk for eight hours…I started a new job a month ago that has me doing this very thing, and I have already developed what I believe is patellofemoral syndrome.
On the subject of lower back, I’m hoping Irondoc will pop back in as he’s been very helpful. I have a problem with lower back pain particularly when I do any stretch or exercise that involves bending over laterally (windmills/bent/side presses, the Man of Steel stretches). It’s a very quick, sharp pain when it occurs. Any suggestions for specific treatments other than cryotherapy, ART, etc? Obviously there’s some areas that need strengthening but I have to be very careful since it’s so tender.
I have to agree about the chiropractor. Once a month usually keeps me in line too but occasionally i need it more or even less.
I do hate sitting all day, but i’m more afraid of standing all day. My boss has raised his computer up and he works standing up most of the day. he says it’s helped his back immensly. I’m afraid of getting vericose veins (ok, maybe that’s not genetic either, but I bet they are!) and having other problems from standing. so, i’m sitting. which is worse?
Yeah damn backs!!! I just hurt mine a bit at work today. Funny thing is I have an office job but I was helping somebody lift something. Wasn’t heavy just awkward. I did a workout tonight anyways. It should feel better soon.
One thing I would like to add that no has touched on is stretching of the hip flexors, especially for those that are in a seated position all day long. This can lead to an anterior/forward rotaion of the pelvis, which creates greater lumbar lordosis (extension of lumbar spine) and puts the hamstrings in a lengthened position due to rotation of the pelvis. Point being, if you have a slight ant. rotation it could cause low back pain, try spending a little more time stretching the hip flexors instead of hams. Got a little of the subject of doms, but thought it might help some…
Thanks for the advice, i’m willing to do more/different stretches. i know most muscles and their locations, but not all their functions. can you explain which muscles are hip flexors and which stretches to use for stretching them? I’ll try to do a search for that in the meantime. thanks!
Tip: On Squatting, Deadlifting or heavy Rowing day, I warm
up by doing two or 3 sets of BW only long stride Walking
Lunges - leaning back at bottom of rep to accentuate
stretch of hip-flexors. (I also do stretch mentioned above
in 57cp.html.)
on more of a strenghtening note. I started the “limping” series this week and I think that the first phase of the poterior chain workout is going to prove to be an excellent and safe way to strengthen my low back.
All of those body weight excercises were making my low back scream in ‘good’ pain.
-definitely worth a try if you haven’t already.
I think that the limping series should be a routine that everyone does at least once.
but i can stretch more.
but occasionally i need it more or even less.