Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below for 2-3 days after i do squats i can hardly walk because of lower back pain. it doesn't feel like a sore muscle.. it feels like something more serious. this has been happening for about a month.. sometimes my lower back hurts so bad after doing squats i can barely get out of my bed for 2-3 days. anyone else like this?
terrible lower back pain
- Thread starter Spunky
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the mechanic
New member
Ask for an MRI. I went through this for about 2 years until an MRI proved I had a herniated disc (L5-6). This is a very common injury for lifters.
D
DaddyX
Guest
Quadsweep - exactly
Slyder190
New member
Back pain
Back injuries can be some very serious shit. A good chiropractor (some suck and some are great) can work wonders. take a week or so off. after you start seeing a chiropractor, if there is no improvement, ask for an MRI. I had a back injury and an MRI showed a herniated disc (between L5 and S1), although my chiropractor kind of thought so before the results came back.
Back injuries can be some very serious shit. A good chiropractor (some suck and some are great) can work wonders. take a week or so off. after you start seeing a chiropractor, if there is no improvement, ask for an MRI. I had a back injury and an MRI showed a herniated disc (between L5 and S1), although my chiropractor kind of thought so before the results came back.
fl8meplz
New member
This pain could be telling you something other than herniated disk, etc.: It could be telling you that you have the low back of a 6 year old girl. I had the same problem and solved it by doing exercises specifically for the low back and abs. Also, I started doing a lot of stretching using a swiss ball stretch and relax my low back after this training. This has helped a lot and i no longer have the pain.
wildonsquats
New member
Quadsweep said:
chiropractors can usually ease the pain so its barable
swampmoose
New member
re
i thought this was going to be another fina post. i get pain in my lower back sometimes but its from the pumps. if any pain is worse than this than im sorry for you fellas. good luck.
i thought this was going to be another fina post. i get pain in my lower back sometimes but its from the pumps. if any pain is worse than this than im sorry for you fellas. good luck.
cccp
New member
Re: Back pain
yup. that's what I have. I have been bearing the pain for about a year, and recently I decided to finally go see a doctor and do an MRI. Herniated disk between L5 and S1. That sucks. Although I still deadlift, squat, and do goodmornings. Can't take breaks.
slyder190 said:
yup. that's what I have. I have been bearing the pain for about a year, and recently I decided to finally go see a doctor and do an MRI. Herniated disk between L5 and S1. That sucks. Although I still deadlift, squat, and do goodmornings. Can't take breaks.
Goldprospector
New member
Agree with Quad. But my problem is that it re-injures too quick if I do squats. I have to go with sissy squats, or waist weigted single leg squats. Gota get me a leg press machine because extentions and curls just aint making the gains that I need.
I've got the same problem when I front squat. I arch my lower back a lot and what's happening is that the bones of my vertebra are spreading in the front and touching in the back (forming a "v" shape. So I bought an inversion table and hang from it and it's helped tremendously.
40butpumpin
New member
Quad is right on. i just went through this exact same thing. you have a bulging disc in your lower back, more than likely. lay off squats for a little little while and let a chiro work on you. but listen to me bro, don't do any heavy shit the day he/she works on you, i mean later, after they work on you. they adjust everthing and your back is not used to being in that alignment so it will not be as strong as you're used to. use ice after they align you and take that day off OR see him/her before they adjust you, trust me on this one. it will take a few weeks but it will get strong again. in the mean time use step-ups with a bar to compensate it won't affect your back negatively. back pain sucks but it'll get better, just give it time.
I have had some major back pain the last year also. What besides seeing a chiropractor is done to remedy a herniated disc? thanks
40butpumpin
New member
Hollow Man said:
if a disc is herniated, not even a chiro can help the pain. i had a herniated disc in 1982 until i had surgery to remove it in '84 (when i was 23 years old). but just because you have pain, it DOES NOT mean that you have a herniated disc.
if you have misalignment or vertebra that are sitting too close together, you can have a "bulging" disc which can also cause horrible pain, but this is not a herniated disc.
things that help are:
a) strengthening the lower back muscles with specific exercises. my favorites are walking or running either up stairs or up some kind of incline. eventually this can be done in an 'explosive' manner which will in fact be even more beneficial. aslo step-ups with a bar or db's are excellent.
b) avoiding exercises that disproportionately stress the lower spine. squats can greatly stress the lower back if not done correctly. the problem with a squat is there's very little room for error. even belts are useless if proper form is not used. problems arise when the spine is curved (opposite of arched) and there is forward lean. getting greedy with weight, not concentrating on proper form and moving too quickly will all contribute to poor and dangerous form. imo a squat done to a seated position and then back up from the seated position with a concentration on pushing through your heels will result in the least forward lean and allow you maintain a flat or slightly arched back and correct form. try this with very light weight and work up very slowly and you'll find that you can really perfect your squat form.
c) stretching of the low back. the best stretching exercise for the lower back is laying flat on your back, say on the floor, and pulling one knee at a time up to your chest. alternate legs and at first hold the stretch for 10 second for each leg and then 20 second and finally 30 seconds for each leg. never are you extending at the knee (e.g., opening your leg at the knee), your calf should pretty much always be touching your hamstring. do this very slow and learn about PNF stretching which can add some useful additions to this.
d) keep your ab muscles strong and stretched. everyone has their own way of strenthening abs so i won't get into that but a great way to stretch the abs is to get on all fours like you're giving your best pet dog imitation and first curl up your back like your trying to push the middle of your back up towards the ceiling and hold that for 10 seconds and then slowly go into an arched back position but start to look up at the celing with your head as you do and also tilt your pelvis back. you will start to feel your entire ab musculature stretch. do this very slowly and breath deep and slow. again use 10, 20 and then 30 second hols on the stretches.
e) before you stretch is a great time to use wet heat on your lower back, especially if it's tight. i take a towel, fold it twice, wet it, ring it out and put it in the microwave for 1 minute. i lay that on a garbage bag and the i lay on top of that so it's aligned right on my low back area. 2 or 3 minutes can work wonders relaxing your low back enough to start gently stretching with the above stretch.
f) after you do your stretches or anything that works your low back it's helpful to use ice. using ice after a chiropractic adjustment is a great idea.
g) chiropractic care can be helpful, however, i strongly suggest that you do not workout immediately after or later the same day of reciving a chiropractic adjustment. get adjusted on 'off' days for training and ice it after the adjustment.
h) prolotherapy can really help low back problems. the reason is sometimes loose or strecthed tendons can result in instability or the inability to hold bones, or vertebra in this case, in correct alignment or posture. prolo can tighten and strengthen tendons and ligaments so as to correct this instability and prevent unwanted movement and therefore pain.
Thanks bro, that was an excellent post. I do those back /abdominal stretches plus more everyday already. I can only hope I don't have any herniated discs, my back pain is not constant or as severe as some of the previous posts, it just seems I get it more frequently lately compared to once or twice a year.
S
satchboogie
Guest
your form is probably off and/or you're lifting heavier than what your muscles can actually endure. thus, more stress to joints/ligaments/tendons.
focus on light weight deads.
they build your back like no other exercise.
focus on light weight deads.
they build your back like no other exercise.
Well I am using the same form I have for years and have had no problems until this year so I am not sure what might be causing this. I already do light deads since this has happened, and I am doing about half the usual weight for squats also. I think my job and having to sit at a desk 10 hours and commute a total of 2 hours is not helping. I am not used to sitting down for so long and have been trying to get used to this for the last 1 1/2 years.
40butpumpin
New member
hollow man, sitting excessively like that can most definitely result in low back problems and pain. if that is the case with you, it really behooves you to make sure you make low back care and strengthening a priority.
i like satches idea on the deads, however, for someone already in great pain, this may not be an option. one thing i'll add to that, however, is doing the deads in a power rack and start with the bar just above the knee so the extra forward lean required to get the bar past the knee is not necessary.
but the exercise i gave you above should be possible no matter how bad you think your lower back is, believe it or not. it will also strengthen the muscles that are falling by the wayside from sitting so much. give it a try you won't be dissapointed. one thing on the step-ups with a bar, i highly suggest going light weight but high volume. i'd suggest 8 to 10 sets of 15 to 20 reps with some nice easy weight, but use a bar, imo it's better overall than using db's but if you can't then use the db's.
the key to low back problems is keeping all of those low-back stabilizing muscles healthy and strong, if you do, they will have no problems doing the very demanding job they have. but i does require time and a smart approach.
good luck man.
i like satches idea on the deads, however, for someone already in great pain, this may not be an option. one thing i'll add to that, however, is doing the deads in a power rack and start with the bar just above the knee so the extra forward lean required to get the bar past the knee is not necessary.
but the exercise i gave you above should be possible no matter how bad you think your lower back is, believe it or not. it will also strengthen the muscles that are falling by the wayside from sitting so much. give it a try you won't be dissapointed. one thing on the step-ups with a bar, i highly suggest going light weight but high volume. i'd suggest 8 to 10 sets of 15 to 20 reps with some nice easy weight, but use a bar, imo it's better overall than using db's but if you can't then use the db's.
the key to low back problems is keeping all of those low-back stabilizing muscles healthy and strong, if you do, they will have no problems doing the very demanding job they have. but i does require time and a smart approach.
good luck man.
Stillgoing
New member
40butpumpin said:
Great post.
If its not a serious problem, I will echo some previous comments:
- Exercises to strenghen lower back are CRITICAL. Hyperextensions every week cured my what I thought were chronic back problems,
- Consider switching from squatting to hack squats. Hacks develop my quads much better than squatting anyway. Squatting works well for shorter guys, taller guys simply have trouble ergonomically.
Thanks still, I currently do hyperextensions also and am doing some hacks, I just love the feel of squatting so I have tried the smith machine but it just isn't the same to me. Thanks to all the good bros for all the excellent advise/posts.
supertech69
New member
This may be way off but, I have had & am having lower back problems from sitting for extended periods of time. It got bad enough that my stubborn ass finaly went to the doctor & come to find out, the pain (which is a lot like you described) was caused from a prostate infection. The angle that your prostate is in while sitting puts it in very close proximity to your bowels which allows bacteria to migrate in & cause an infection, especially for extended periods of time. Antibiotics cleared me up & I was low back pain free for a few months but, now it's starting to come back. It may or may not be coincidence that the first time it happened (17hr drive to & back from FL) I was on Winny & I am on winny again and it's flaring up. My belief at this point is that the winny is causing my prostate to get inflamed and allow the problem to reoccur. I will be going back to the doc again for some more antibiotics once I am off my cycle. I also had other signs of prostate problems that I was not aware of untill after I did more research on it. Primary one being blood in your semen. My GF had asked me about it several times & we just thought the blood was from her.
I haven't had any symptoms like you described or any other prostate related ones, but I plan on going to the Dr just to get things check out anyway.
