Back strain

It feels somewhere between my lower trap and teres major/lat, left side. I can’t get in to see a physical therapist until next week, so I’m wondering if there’s anything I can do for myself in the meantime. I get a sharp pain after doing most exercises, obviously particularly any pulling (somehow pull ups didn’t agitate it though, but rows were terrible), and I can’t back squat either. It doesn’t actually hurt while performing the exercise, only after, so it’s sort of a gamble experimenting with what I can and can’t do. I suspect I overdid it on shrugs the other day.

Anyone have any home rehab stuff? Should I even attempt any deadlift variation?

Updated details:

Deadlifts and RDLs = nope.

Back squats = nope

Front Squats = fine

Pull ups, chins, neutral grip pull ups = fine

Close grip pull ups = nope

Any sort of row = nope

Shrugs = nope

Barbell curls = nope

The **** is this?

Updated details, it seems to have transformed into a rotator cuff injury.

I have a history of one, so something existing was triggered, but the pain comes on differently than the impingement that I’m used to... it’s always been an issue with internal rotation, but external rotation hurts this time. And lifting it over my head at all really.

Edit: everything at any angle hurts except internal rotation.

I switched around my pull/push days, so I pushed first instead to delay direct use of my back. It seemed to work for my back—I still feel something there, and I’m still careful, but it’s not nearly as intense and I can row again—but I came out of Pull with a jacked up shoulder, somehow.

No specific advice on your injury, but if you're continuing to work out through it no matter what, I suggest getting a big microwaveable heat pack, and fully covering the affected area of your back to get it nice and warmed up before each workout. Just put it inside your shirt and sit back on a chair/sofa to really press it in.

So heat is preferable for these kinds of things, not ice?

[QUOTE=Xpiro;1634187833]So heat is preferable for these kinds of things, not ice?[/QUOTE]

AFAIK you usually use ice immediately after the original injury, or right after exercise, to reduce inflammation/swelling. Heat would be once swelling is down, to help healing, or before exercise, to warm/loosen everything up. Backs specifically can be trickier esp if you don't know what the exact injury is, but the same should apply although you should consult a doctor to be absolutely sure.

I've warmed up my back in the past, but never used ice on it.