Deadlift Pain / Alternatives?

[LeeC1987]

Added deadlifts to my routine a month or so back, besides the to-be-expected backache all was well. Last week I was attempting a set with a weight I'd previously been comfortable with, and suddenly got a sharp, burning pain in the left side of my pelvic region, a few inches below my abdominals. I've attempted deadlifts 3 times since, with lower weight each time, but the pain continues to prevent me from doing more than a few reps. It goes away after 10 seconds or so, and doesn't appear during any other exercise, including squats and bent over rows.

I'm wondering, what other exercises I can use to target the lower back in place of deadlifts? At least during the period I'm going to the doctors and finding out I have a hernia or whatever. Heh.

Unless anyone has any experience with this pain and can shed some light on why it's happening...

[DJAuto]

Added deadlifts to my routine a month or so back, besides the to-be-expected backache all was well. Last week I was attempting a set with a weight I'd previously been comfortable with, and suddenly got a sharp, burning pain in the left side of my pelvic region, a few inches below my abdominals. I've attempted deadlifts 3 times since, with lower weight each time, but the pain continues to prevent me from doing more than a few reps. It goes away after 10 seconds or so, and doesn't appear during any other exercise, including squats and bent over rows.

I'm wondering, what other exercises I can use to target the lower back in place of deadlifts? At least during the period I'm going to the doctors and finding out I have a hernia or whatever. Heh.

Unless anyone has any experience with this pain and can shed some light on why it's happening...

Where exactly is the pain? Are you feeling it towards the front or back?

[rayr2010]

lower weight, stretch, take 2-3 weeks off DLs. let us know if hernia or not, am curious

[rpdm]

> Unless anyone has any experience with this pain and can shed some light on why it's happening...
I get that pain too, and I've seen a doctor about it. The pain is just under my appendectomy scar (maybe two inches across from the navel and two inches down on my right side). It's been diagnosed as straining a weak muscle rather than a hernia, so I've been careful to keep my deadlift progress just under the point where I feel the pain. However, I *have* been progressing per workout, and I'm pain free on weights well beyond what has caused pain before. So I'm inclined to believe the diagnosis.

If you can't progress because of the pain, you might have a hernia. Note that hernias can be invisible until enough pressure causes them to pop out, so see a doctor about it. If your doc gives you the thumbs up, you're probably just weak and need to strengthen that core area.

[LeeC1987]

The pain is towards the front, on the left groin. It's a sharp pain during the excercise itself, followed by something akin to a burning sensation for about 10 seconds after. I'll give the doctor a ring tomorrow and see what's said.

I've already dropped the weight to 1/2 of what I was comfortable doing upto 10 reps with originally, but still have to stop after 2 or 3 reps now. Hopefully it's just a strained muscle like the above post says, although seems odd I only get the pain during the deadlift and at no other time, inside or outside of the gym.

[hatetoorun]

Are you feeling pain during the day just walking around?

[LeeC1987]

No, just during the deadlift. It's as if squatting in deadlift form puts pressure on something, even though I feel no pain at all whilst doing squats in general.

[Vaen]

I would second the hernia idea someone else had. Although I thought hernias were felt all day long not just during certain movements, so I don't know.

[slimwealthy1]

man my back gets hurt so bad when I try to deadlift. I feel you brother

[nmj1199]

Im having this same problem just started deadlifting a couple of weeks ago. Today squats went fine and my warmup deads went fine added some weight 4 my work sets and a sharp burning pain. It didn't feel like a muscle pulll so I tried to work through it. I gave up after a couple of reps and no pain since. I have been searching online and seen hip flexiors might be the prob. Any one who can shed some light on this would be apreciated.

[Retardo-pex]

Added deadlifts to my routine a month or so back, besides the to-be-expected backache all was well. Last week I was attempting a set with a weight I'd previously been comfortable with, and suddenly got a sharp, burning pain in the left side of my pelvic region, a few inches below my abdominals. I've attempted deadlifts 3 times since, with lower weight each time, but the pain continues to prevent me from doing more than a few reps. It goes away after 10 seconds or so, and doesn't appear during any other exercise, including squats and bent over rows.

I'm wondering, what other exercises I can use to target the lower back in place of deadlifts? At least during the period I'm going to the doctors and finding out I have a hernia or whatever. Heh.

Unless anyone has any experience with this pain and can shed some light on why it's happening...

Try goodmornings or even different types of deadlifts like stiff legged and see if you are pain free during these. Same general muscles being worked you will have to alter the loads though.

[nmj1199]

bump

[Joeykablowy]

nmj1199, I have had this feeling during deadlifts as well. A friend of mine said that he also experienced it during squats.

I've only ever felt it on my left side. It was near the adonis belt, lower ab, hip crease region. It occurred only during heavy deadlifts. The pain would subside as soon as I stopped the rep. And then only for a few minutes afterwards would I even feel a remnant of the pain. I have not felt this pain during any of my deadlift sessions for months. Nor have I felt it at all during any activity for months.

I also thought it was a hernia and was scared to death. But the pain never lingered and never hurt when I coughed. There was also no noticeable bulge. I was very close to going to a doctor and asking if I had a hernia but there was never any pain the day after this occurred. Like you I've tried to find an answer to this problem and the closest I came was something called a sports hernia. It is basically a weakening of the muscles of the lower abdomen. The weakening however does not cause a pouch like an inguinal hernia.

-Examine yourself during deadlifting. Are you keeping a tight core? How is your breathing?
-Do you do any core/abdominal work?
-I wouldn't try to fight through the pain to get 1 more rep. Stop the rep as soon as you feel it.
-**If I feel this pain again during any exercise I will go to a doctor and hope he can provide me with a solution. From what I've read the solution would likely be some type of surgery
-I hope this gives you some insight as to what it could be. It bugs the hell out of me to not even know what the problem is.

http://orthopedics.about.com/od/spor...s/a/hernia.htm
http://www.sportshernia.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_pubalgia

[nmj1199]

That is exactly whats going on with me I will follow your advice, repped.