Lower back and belt

[Tyro]

Long story short i've injuried my back a while ago. I went doctors they saids its only ligament and cartlidge infamation. Said i can lift now but only limbs and i should lift the same in 2 weeks like i used two. I am curently taking 2 weeks off from weight training. When i come back i will train to get back into it for 2 weeks lightly but should i wear a belt or not? My lifting will consists mainly leg work and so on , so squating. should i wear a belt or should i let my back get used to it?

[oziem]

If it was me (and it has been recently) I would want that inflammation corrected before getting back into heavy squats. The belt may encourage you to use proper form but it will not protect you adequately from further injury.

[Tyro]

The doctor said 2 weeks and i am fine i doubt him becouse i still have a anoying pin pain in that place.

[Azaloth]

I'd advise against the use of any external equipment such as a belt. One of the reasons you may have been injured in the first place was lack of core muscle development. About 6 months ago I herniated two discs while squatting and I had been doing heavy squats for over a year prior to that. I always that that between my squats/deadlifts and lots of ab/lower back work that my core must have been plenty strong - I was wrong... My physical therapist set me up with some pilates style exercises that made me feel like a true newbie again. At the time I could bench/dead/squat all in the 300 lb. range but I was soaked in sweat after 10 minutes of core training.

My opinion is that an external aid such as a belt may give you some additional stability and psychological comfort but it will ultimately hurt you by imbalancing your musculature and encouraging a weakness in one of the most important parts of your body.

Scrap the belt and ease back into your squatting route over time while incorporating some core stability work on balls, lying prone on mats, etc. There's surely a ton of info about specific exercises to be found with a google search. This sort of training is far from glamorous but it will give you an incredibly strong core which will not only keep you from reinjuring yourself but also improve your functional strength and even your ability to squat/deadlift, etc.

Finally, don't rush back into heavy squats... I say all this from experience since I made some mistakes and have some serious chronic pain and inflexibility as a result. Ease yourself back into the heavy weights, focus on your core, and keep the rest of your body strong. I was hot-headed about this stuff and really regret it. A few months break from heavy training to rehabilitate an injury is 1000x more beneficial to you long-term than pressing through the pain only to re-injure yourself more severely.

Just my 2 cents... good luck recoverying. I know lower back injuries are brutal.

[Tyro]

I will not squat heavy for along time but i will squat much lighter, higher reps lower weight but abit faster. After 2 weeks if i feel fien if not a whole month. I will train my core, i will do the plank mainly.