Strained lower back please help

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

I was not properly warmed up and strained my lower back showing a couple of buddies a proper squat clean form. To say the least I not only failed to help my buddies my ego took a major plunge.

The truth is this is the first such injury I have experienced since begining CF and OL I must just have finally gathered enough confidence to become stupidly cavalier.

My lower back and uper glutes have a deep and constant ache walking and bending are painfull and walking up stairs is crippling. Honestly the pain and muscle stiffness came on fairly slow and continued to get worse for the fist hour to the point it is at now. I find there is a point inside my glute at the back of my hip socket on the left side that if I press hard relieves the pain I figure the musles are seizing.


So I have taken 800 mg Ibuproffin, Fish Oil, drank water and immediatly put Ice on it. I figure rest is important but the is an older thread dealing with a similar issue in which someone suggested walking. As of right now do to the significant discomfort I wonder if I need to let it settle for a few hours before engaging in any activity.

What activity will be benificial?

What should I look for as far as signs things are improving or evaluateing the type and severity of the injury?

What should I definatly avoid?

Would message, chiropracty, stretching or acupuncture help?

Is Ibuproffin a good idea and how much how often?

Ice? heat? application methods?

Any thing to do dietarily or herbaly outside of Paleo/zone?

I personally have decided to take a break from IF until its healed for the calming affect that frequent eating has on me if there are any other opinions on this matter please express them.

Thanx all for your time

[Mike ODonnell]

Ice....rest....stretching.....massage.....all good ideas....anti-inflammatories as needed.

Time off is the #1 priority....if you go back too soon and too hard...you will only re-injure yourself and be back on the DL.

[Steven Low]

If there's no swelling the next day start heating it doing your massage before or after.

Stretch lightly if you can but don't put your back in flexion.

And yeah, rest is #1. Stay away from DLs for a while.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

thank you both. Man it has become incresingly stiff and standing up from siting or steping up stairs with my right foot are extreemly difficult. The pain is deffinatly more on my left side. Anyway I will continue careing for my self and post as to my progress.

[Mike ODonnell]

48 hour rule....you don't know max pain until then....injuries suck....and they take time off to recover....been there...done that many times....almost sounds like the pririformis which I "popped" landing wrong in hockey and had 3-4 sleepless nights because of it. Still acts up now and then....damage is damage. Even the Brady flower vase wasn't the same after they glued it together again.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Well its been 24 hours and it seems to be maintaining not worsening. I was able to sleep on my back fairly well. I am going to my Chiropracter who is going to do some stretching and acupuncture here in a couple of hours.

My worry is my job. I work at a coffee roaster and am moving heavy boxes and trash cans full of cofee. I am just not the type to let a slight discomfort hinder my productivity and feel weak telling my boss I hurt my back. This will be good practice in humility and acceptance because right now my first priority is recover. I am hopeing for a full recovery as it does not sound quite as bad as the injury Mike described.

Keep you posted and I am sure will be asking for more advice once I am feeling a bit better as to when I can start lifting (work and training) and what I should limit it to in order to continue rehab.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Well I went to the Doc and she ended up doing a couple of adjustments in the lumbar area which felt great. The ease at which the adjustment occured and the comfort with wich it adjusted gave me the feeling that it was a very recent misalinement. Probably do to the muscles seizing around the area. I walked around as she evaluated my movement and though I felt some releif as far as sharp localized pain I was still extreemly sore just walking.

Then she did some muscular manipulation and streches with message in like a repetative cycle of body motions which she guided me through. That didn't describe it well but it was the best I could do.

The result was that I walked around and was amazed. I was scared to bend over because it didn't hurt and I didn't want to mess up whatever she had done. I had no expectations I could go from such a crippled state to walking essentialy free of pain.

She explaned that the soreness would probrably return in a couple of hours and it could possibly become more sore however it should begin improving more quickly tommorow and that if there are ane further siesures or spasums that she could try some accupuncture.

She was right about the soreness however I feel much more stable and mobile than before. Still I can't decide what to do about work tommorow.

[Jay Cohen]

Don't mess with your back. What's more important, your ego or rehab'ing your injury.
Tell the boss that your screwed your back up, and you need some light duty work for a few days, couple of weeks. Read Coach Rips Q/A site on Injuries, do what your Doc says, read some good books(SS would be a start), eat some great food, chill.

Blow a disc = current life as you know it will change, AND not for the better.

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Originally Posted by Jay Cohen

Blow a disc = current life as you know it will change, AND not for the better.

LOL
Thanx Jay I will take your advice.

[Jay Cohen]

Originally Posted by Liam Dougherty Springer

LOL
Thanx Jay I will take your advice.

Liam, you're a good guy, hope you heal quickly.

Here is link to Marks Sticky Post on Injuries. w/f/s

http://strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=700