Lower Back Pain - Sacroiliac Joint

Bigger Stronger Leaner Injuries and Rehab
1

OK, so for the past few weeks/months I have been suffering from pain in my lower back. I am fairly certain that it is emanating from the Sacroiliac Joint rather than any issue with the spinal discs as the pain is located to the right and left side of the spine.

The problem is that this has been seriously preventing me from squatting (not front squats), rowing and deadlifting any serious weight which obviously is drastically slowing down my progress - all I want to do is train. I think I injuried it doing deadlifts trying to pull a weight that my muscles can quite easily handle but my ligaments and joints cannot - deadlifts are an exercise that I have for the most part neglected yet the muscles involved in the lift are pretty strong from squats, barbells rows and lots of hamstring work.

Currently I am stretching the area and performing light weights in an attempt to actively recover the area. This is something which has worked in the past for other injuries but it doesn’t seem to working as I would expect. Anytime I try to go heavy when the pain numbs it will return with avengance.

Anyone got any advice/experience with this issue.
Thanks in advance.

2

Pain in spinal extension or flexion? Posterior, anterior pelvic tilt issues?

3

[quote]JoabSonOfZeruiah wrote:
Pain in spinal extension or flexion? Posterior, anterior pelvic tilt issues?[/quote]

^ This.

Also, when you say you are trying to stretch the area, do you mean stretch your low back? I would assume that since front squats do not bother you but back squats do, that you most likely have pain in spinal flexion. As with most people too, you probably have an anterior pelvic tilt as well. Have you been assessed for either of these?

4

The pain comes from spinal flexion, back squatting can hurt because I have to lean further forward t keep the bar over my feet and it can cause the lower back to round more at the bottom.

I actually did have some problems with anterior pelvic title this time last year and I invested much time trying to remedy that because I looked like a bloated mess - I did a lot of ab work and dropped squats for roughly 4-6 months. It is better but not resolved.

Exercises that I have been doing are hyperextenions, but if anterior tilt is a contributing factor should I drop this? I have also been lifting sand bags from the ground in a similar manner as a strongman would lift stones, this requires spinal flexion but it feels good and allows me to work the area in question with no ill effects. And I have been doing stretches like this (exrx.net/StretchImages/Tests/SitReachSpinalFlexion.jpg) which can be quite painful.

Appreciate you help guys

5

[quote]NIguy wrote:
The pain comes from spinal flexion, back squatting can hurt because I have to lean further forward t keep the bar over my feet and it can cause the lower back to round more at the bottom.

I actually did have some problems with anterior pelvic title this time last year and I invested much time trying to remedy that because I looked like a bloated mess - I did a lot of ab work and dropped squats for roughly 4-6 months. It is better but not resolved.

Exercises that I have been doing are hyperextenions, but if anterior tilt is a contributing factor should I drop this? I have also been lifting sand bags from the ground in a similar manner as a strongman would lift stones, this requires spinal flexion but it feels good and allows me to work the area in question with no ill effects. And I have been doing stretches like this (exrx.net/StretchImages/Tests/SitReachSpinalFlexion.jpg) which can be quite painful.

Appreciate you help guys [/quote]

Solely strengthening abdominals will not assist with an anterior pelvic tilt (APT). Majority of the time, APT is associated with tight hip flexors and inactive hip extensors, mainly glutes. I would strongly recommend spending time static stretching your hip flexors, activating your glutes, and adding mobility drills specifically addressing hip flexors and hip ROM in general. How are you strengthening your abdominals as well? If you are doing sit ups, V-ups, leg lifts, etc, you are only adding to the hip flexor problem by continuing to over activate the hip flexors. To address abdominals, I would work on core planks (front and side), anti-rotation drills, etc.

Hyperextensions are not going to negatively effect to APT, but I personally am not an advocate of putting the lumbar spine into excessive hyperextension either. And I personally would stop the stretch you showed. The lumbar spine is an area you want stability, not mobility. So by stretching the lumbar spine area, you are going to add to the problem.

6

[quote]LevelHeaded wrote:

[quote]NIguy wrote:
The pain comes from spinal flexion, back squatting can hurt because I have to lean further forward t keep the bar over my feet and it can cause the lower back to round more at the bottom.

I actually did have some problems with anterior pelvic title this time last year and I invested much time trying to remedy that because I looked like a bloated mess - I did a lot of ab work and dropped squats for roughly 4-6 months. It is better but not resolved.

Exercises that I have been doing are hyperextenions, but if anterior tilt is a contributing factor should I drop this? I have also been lifting sand bags from the ground in a similar manner as a strongman would lift stones, this requires spinal flexion but it feels good and allows me to work the area in question with no ill effects.

And I have been doing stretches like this (exrx.net/StretchImages/Tests/SitReachSpinalFlexion.jpg) which can be quite painful.

Appreciate you help guys [/quote]

Solely strengthening abdominals will not assist with an anterior pelvic tilt (APT). Majority of the time, APT is associated with tight hip flexors and inactive hip extensors, mainly glutes. I would strongly recommend spending time static stretching your hip flexors, activating your glutes, and adding mobility drills specifically addressing hip flexors and hip ROM in general.

How are you strengthening your abdominals as well? If you are doing sit ups, V-ups, leg lifts, etc, you are only adding to the hip flexor problem by continuing to over activate the hip flexors. To address abdominals, I would work on core planks (front and side), anti-rotation drills, etc.

Hyperextensions are not going to negatively effect to APT, but I personally am not an advocate of putting the lumbar spine into excessive hyperextension either. And I personally would stop the stretch you showed. The lumbar spine is an area you want stability, not mobility. So by stretching the lumbar spine area, you are going to add to the problem. [/quote]

For abs I did planks, abs rollouts etc but definetly put a greater focas on situps which I will halt for the moment and instead do planks in the meantime. I’ll also drop the stretch I posted and instead on trying to make my hips more mobile which will hopefully ease the strain on the lumbar region.

My glutes and hamstings are pretty strong but you are right in that I do have a problem recruiting my hamstrings even on exercises like stiff legged deadlifts and good morning so perhaps that is something to work on.

Thanks for the help, I’ll let you know how it goes.