Muscular Knots -- Ice or no ice?

[backinbusiness]

I have two really big knots in my lower back that I am trying to recover from. This has been a multi-year issue.

Heat only?
Heat, then ice
Ice only?

Whats the best here? Google proved almost useless. It only talked about then individually and didn't tell me much on combining heat with ice afterwards?

I am rolling using a tennis ball and golf ball to help with the knots. Any other tips? Its totally debilitated me from lifting for the past 3 years.

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Neither is going to get rid of the knots, but ice will probably be more beneficial for pain relief.

Get yourself a firm foam roller and roll them out a few times every day. Look up some of Kelly Starrett's videos on youtube to get proper form down. The main goal is to keep you core tight and prevent your back from going into extension while rolling. A lacrosse ball works well to get into hard to reach places too.

[backinbusiness]

Should I maybe heat first, stretch then ice?

[svartberg]

No bro, heat/ice and all these stuff is really relevant for tears (injury) not knots (tightness & muscle imbalance)

Tbh you can foam roll it all you want but it will keep coming back, the root cause of knots in your lower back is muscle imbalance between your (weaker) core & (stronger) lower back
You can read more in the sticky TheBroBrah's Guide To Correcting Excessive APT, anyway that's just what worked for me, good luck m8

[backinbusiness]

Got it. My chiropractor told me to do some core exercises, but didn't stress it as much as stretching and heat/ice.
I will immediately make it the same priority and begin a daily core strengthening regiment.

I'm so sick of these back issues. I haven't been able to lift like I used to in 3 years its ridiculous. I'm not an old and worn out...this shouldn't be happening.

I ordered a few helpers after doing some reading too:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[KG4NEL]

That looks like a fairly-expensive alternative to a lacrosse ball.

[backinbusiness]

That looks like a fairly-expensive alternative to a lacrosse ball.

So an update...I have been doing core via p90x yoga but I am hardly seeing much improvement. The knot has moved to the outside of my lower back on each side. It's not tight on the inside near the spine. It's tight and sore on the outside of the muscle that surrounds the spine in the lower back right above the pelvis.

Any advice on what I should do. I'm just stuck here. Nothing I'm trying is seeming to unravel this muscle and I am completely unable to lift weights at all.

[svartberg]

So an update...I have been doing core via p90x yoga but I am hardly seeing much improvement. The knot has moved to the outside of my lower back on each side. It's not tight on the inside near the spine. It's tight and sore on the outside of the muscle that surrounds the spine in the lower back right above the pelvis.

Any advice on what I should do. I'm just stuck here. Nothing I'm trying is seeming to unravel this muscle and I am completely unable to lift weights at all.

Sure bro, post which core exercises you do here

[backinbusiness]

I managed to get into a physical therapist yesterday. I did a number of different functional dynamic stretches and I woke up this morning really sore (in a good way).

He checked out my core strength and flexibility and said they were fine and mentioned that 2-3 weeks should be all I need to get it back to normal. I am feeling hopeful!
I am going to follow his routine to the T and will update this thread with the routine and HOPEFULLY that it brings success!