I think i messed up my lower back..

[Jared.P]

so last week i was doing deads, i had a belt on but i think i still managed to round my back a bit, which is weird because i only went 10lbs heavier than the week before and that was fine. anyways, friday i added to the injury by doing leg press and in my quest for depth, my ass came off the bad.

so anyways, my back is KILLING me today, i can kinda start feeling it in my upper legs and stuff. anyone know anything i can do besides just rest?

edit: pain is in the lower back/upper ass area

[RebeccaTD]

so last week i was doing deads, i had a belt on but i think i still managed to round my back a bit, which is weird because i only went 10lbs heavier than the week before and that was fine. anyways, friday i added to the injury by doing leg press and in my quest for depth, my ass came off the bad.

so anyways, my back is KILLING me today, i can kinda start feeling it in my upper legs and stuff. anyone know anything i can do besides just rest?

edit: pain is in the lower back/upper ass area

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your back...normally for muscle/tissue injuries the general rule of thumb is R.I.C.E.:

R - Rest
I - Ice
C - Compression
E - Elevation

So, in your case, rest as you're doing (avoid movements that make your back/upper ass area hurt), ice the area with a cold pack or a bag of frozen veggies for 10 minutes a few times a day (3-4), compression can help to reduce inflammation, so if you have a back support that you can use then do, otherwise don't worry too much, and elevation is usually applicable to limbs, but this is also to help reduce swelling, do in the case of the back I wouldn't worry too much.

The pain should slowly go away if it's a straight forward muscle injury. You may find it slow, but just judge how much pain-free movement you have each day and that will let you know whether you're healing. If there is NO improvement whatsoever (even the smallest) or a worsening of symptoms then seek medical advice.

Good luck!
Rebecca

[Jared.P]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your back...normally for muscle/tissue injuries the general rule of thumb is R.I.C.E.:

R - Rest
I - Ice
C - Compression
E - Elevation

So, in your case, rest as you're doing (avoid movements that make your back/upper ass area hurt), ice the area with a cold pack or a bag of frozen veggies for 10 minutes a few times a day (3-4), compression can help to reduce inflammation, so if you have a back support that you can use then do, otherwise don't worry too much, and elevation is usually applicable to limbs, but this is also to help reduce swelling, do in the case of the back I wouldn't worry too much.

The pain should slowly go away if it's a straight forward muscle injury. You may find it slow, but just judge how much pain-free movement you have each day and that will let you know whether you're healing. If there is NO improvement whatsoever (even the smallest) or a worsening of symptoms then seek medical advice.

Good luck!
Rebecca

thank you very much..my fear is that its joint pain either way, im doing just that. resting (goin in to work 4 hours later than i should) so that i can soak in some warm water for a bit and then ill get some ice at work after my manager leaves. rep'd

[RebeccaTD]

so that i can soak in some warm water for a bit and then ill get some ice at work after my manager leaves. rep'd

No worries, but just a word of warning...the warm water soaking may sound nice but on an acute injury isn't the best: there is already heat in the area from the injury (inflammation) so warm water only heats the area up more. Ice helps cause it cools it down and helps reduce scar tissue forming. Warmth will help later on, around a week onwards after injury.

Sorry to rain on your hot bath parade!

And thanks for the greens!

[Jared.P]

No worries, but just a word of warning...the warm water soaking may sound nice but on an acute injury isn't the best: there is already heat in the area from the injury (inflammation) so warm water only heats the area up more. Ice helps cause it cools it down and helps reduce scar tissue forming. Warmth will help later on, around a week onwards after injury.

Sorry to rain on your hot bath parade!

And thanks for the greens!

no inflammation yet...but thanks

[Bassist66]

i had an injured lower back for a while last year. my best advice is to make sure to stretch it before working out (some that i like to do leg lifts, "supermans", and knees to chest). the best thing i found for temporary pain relief is Bengay cream...none of the other creams seemed to help much.

[Bassist66]

also, if you can manage to squeeze in a session of physical therapy or two, that would be in your best interest...i only went to two sessions, but i learned a lot of stretches and techniques for preventing injury.

[Jared.P]

thank you bassist...i dont know where a physio is in my city so i think ill just take it easy and stretch, ice it, and make sure to never do leg presses again (these were the killer...)

[Jared.P]

icing it now...feels so much better

[Liquidz1]

omg i had the exact same problem Jared.P.One day i was doing deadlifts aswell and then suddenly felt this large pain in my lower back,and i thought to myself i just must of pulled a muscle or something small,then couple days later it got worse when i played rugby.So on that same day i went to the doctors and went to get one of those Scan x rays,and foun out that i was diagnosed with 'Spondylolisthesis',whcih basically means that one of the discs on my lower back spine slipped forward.
So yer,you should go get a scan first and see,it could be something serious,so takecares!

Edith yer pains or numbness is usually a symptom of what i have.Just to tell you but.

[Bassist66]

thank you bassist...i dont know where a physio is in my city so i think ill just take it easy and stretch, ice it, and make sure to never do leg presses again (these were the killer...)

yeah it took me a while before i could do those again...

try stretching your hip flexors as well, they're sort of "interconnected" with the lower back (that's why doing leg raises helps your back, even though you may feel it in your hips)

[DBee]

I did the same thing, i could barely bend over and the pain was in my lower right back, butt and leg. I took a week off and I can move again but I'm staying away from deads and squats for awhile.

[Jared.P]

I did the same thing, i could barely bend over and the pain was in my lower right back, butt and leg. I took a week off and I can move again but I'm staying away from deads and squats for awhile.

how long has it been and how are you feeling?

[RebeccaTD]

icing it now...feels so much better

Glad to hear that you're feeling better with the ice

FYI - as soon as you twinge/pull/tear/hurt/knock/anything that involves pain there is always inflammation - it doesn't have to blow up on the outside for there to be inflammation. Inflammation can exist just within the tissues - it's the body's response to any injury and the excess fluid is used by the body's inflammatory response cells to heal the area that was just injured. That's why ice always feels better than heat in the early days...heat comes a little later on when it can help relax tight muscles by increasing blood flow to the area.

[Jared.P]

a little update, went to the doc today and she said she thinks i just pulled a joint or something (celiak joint or something along those lines). i got anti-inflammatories with a muscle relaxant in it to take for the next few days until theyre gone. this week will be off the gym completely and next week will be 50% still no squats/deads. i asked about ice/heat and she actually suggested the heat (im guessing its personal opinion). she said ice tends to make the muscles in most peoples backs too tight and therefore quite uncomfortable.

[gimpy835]

i had a fusion in feb 07 and ive used a heating pad pretty much on a daily basis for almot 4 years now...helps a lot with the pain!