Lower Back Rehab

[R. Alan Hester]

Back Rehab

I made a rookie mistake this morning. I was pressed for time and wanted to get a quick strength workout in. I was going to knockout a circuit taken from Robb’s “Fight Prep” article in PM issue May 07 consisting of Pull-ups, ring-dips, and deadlifts. Well, in my haste I skimped on my usual warmup and also skipped a few warm-up sets on the DL. On rep 1of3 of the first set of DLs I felt a pop/sharp pain in my lower right back. Being the hard/stupid guy that I can be sometimes, I continued on through set 1 and set 2. By set three I could not stand up straight so I decided to abort the mission.

In short, my stupidity betrayed me, and now my back is screwed up. How do I rehab this puppy?

I have started a course NSAIDS.

HELP!

[Elliot Royce]

Assuming this was just a strain, then a bit of time will help plus some other things. Ice it asap. You don't want swelling and inflammation to take hold. Keep moving in a gentle way (walks, etc.). Do not rest it. Consider acupuncture: I found a spasm in that area went away in one session since the acupuncture released the spasm.

Do not return to exercising that part too quickly. It's hard to say for sure but usually I was fine after a week when I had a spasm. On the other hand, with my spasms, I wouldn't have been able to do the 2nd two sets so yours is perhaps less serious. But ease back into that lift.

Hope this helps.

[Allen Yeh]

On top of what Elliot said, start double dosing fish oil to help with inflammation.

On a future note, take a look at how you deadlift from now on, it seems like you were using too much back extension and not enough hip extension.

[Steve Shafley]

Mackenzie press ups.

[Rick Deckart]

Well, to know for sure you have to see a doc. That being said, if you definitely felt or perhaps even heard a 'pop', I doubt that this was just a muscle strain...

If it is a disc prolapse, which can make a popping sound accompanied by a sharp pain you should go to a doc as soon as possible and don't try to deal with it on you own. You could end with a herniated disc and that will not only hurt but may include pareses etc.

If one of the facet joints of the spine is forced though a range of motion it isn't designed for, for example because you roundbacked uneven (torsion), it may make a popping sound too and this hurts as well.

And lastly there is the illiosacral joint which hurts like hell when blocked, fortunately this is a 'stiff joint' with only a couple of mm of ROM so it is not a big deal, although painfull. Once unblocked the pain will disappear immediately.

So were exactly is the pain in the lower right back? How is the ROM of you spine, can you bend to the same degree sideways, forward, backward?

As a first aid I would recommed to rest 30min in the psoas position as often as possible.



Heat for example via a hot tube may be good as long as it doesn't make the pain worth. When I had a herniated disc I couldn't stand icing it for a single minute. Use what helps and doesn't aggravate the pain and let somebody check it.

[John Alston]

The best thing I ever found for my lower back was band resisted good mornings.
I loop the stretch band around my feet and hold the other end under my chin and do a couple sets of 10-12. One band is enough; use another for pre-hab.
I have found this works unfailingly to help me, whether I'm tight from boxing, lifting, sitting, traveling, whatever it is. High resistance is not necessary.
Beer also helps for muscle tightness.

[R. Alan Hester]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will get to work and not make the same mistake twice.

[Allen Yeh]

How is it feeling?

[R. Alan Hester]

It is feeling better. I think the pop I heard was like craking your back, nothin serious. I am trying to stay active during the day, becuse sitting too long tightens it back up.