Thread: Lower back pain AGAIN

Hey bro,I had L4,L5,herneated,and bulging dics,all sciatic pain down left leg,the surgen went in 4in. cut in lower back shaved the disc hitting the nerve,I feel great now 2years now since surgery.but anyways ur post,it can be a progressing matter to a back injury as mine was,it would come and go,then all of a sudden it came and never left.I walked hunched over for months until I decided to have the surgery, I was constantly on 800mg motrin for inflammation, and vicodin for pain until my body got immune to them and they no longer helped .IMO I would check into getting a MRI,it won't hurt to get it done,atleast u will have an idea when u get the results back,whether or not to keep lifting heavy,I wouldn't go to crazy until checked out.good luck man be safe...

Man, you're really smart to give this serious attention now. Chronic back pain is debilitating, a potential gate that can lead you down into a vicious spiral that will seriously ruin your life. With back spasms, you can't even stand-up to piss, let alone have sex or workout, and that leads to weight-gain, loss of core strength and it just gets worse and worse. Pain killers are the next dangerous step, and lots of alcohol to relax the spasms and sleep. It can be a fucking nightmare if it progresses, and I am convinced that even the best MDs are unable to pinpoint the base cause of some chronic back pain because our spinal/electrical systems are so damn complex. Probably, like others here, I've been through it -- the low point, getting addicted to fentanyl patches, ballooning up to 245, a fucking cripple at ages 50-56. My personal opinion is that there is no one answer. You have to attack the problem aggressively, on your own, because no MD in the world has the same vested interest in your health as you. Inversion tables help some, it exacerbates the problem in others. Same with chiropractic, acupuncture, electronic zappers, none of that shit helped me. MRI is a must. Sometimes, surgery will do miracles, but in other cases it is the second long step to hell. Start with a scatter-gun approach: stretching, lots of easy stretching. Correct lifting mechanics (although I went down for three weeks after turning to lift a can of Coke.) Water is the great equalizer, get in a pool every opportunity. Reverse leg extensions are great, and lots of abs. Things really turned around for me when I bought a cross-crawl Versaclimber. The thing is magic: zero spinal impact, unlike treadmills, and it builds core muscles while kicking your cardiac ass. I get a series of five spinal epidurals, three times a year. Find a Doc who's really good with the fluroscope and needle, he can keep you on your feet, working out. Get a guy whose not a pro with the needle, it won't help much at all. Key is fight like a tiger, don't get discouraged, and don't rely on pain killers which really are killers.

Originally Posted by 200+

I injured my lower back a while a go, maybe 6 or 8 months ago doing deads and lost form on a heavy lift
Hurt like holy hell the next few days, but healed up and has been fine up until the other day. Seems as if I pulled my back again lifting the 105lb DBs off the floor like a dumbass I guess I was a little to hasty at lifting them. Proper lift and all bend down and lift with both hands between legs, but I seem to put extra force on my lower back for some reason.
Two questions:

Is this common and will heal again just fine, I shouldn't worry? Or could this injury be serious? I can still lift plenty of weight, it's just very painful the next few days.

What can I do I keep this from happening again? Maybe I simply need to pay more attention to form

Hell if I know... I would like some thoughts, ideas, experiences with lower back injuries.

Get it checked out by a doc. It could be minor right now but next time you might cause a serious injury like a herniation. Better to fix the problem now than risk a serious injury.

Some helpful preventative measures:

(1.) Always pick up dumbbells from the floor as if you're deadlifting them -- neutral back, head up, lift with your legs.

(2.) Use a foam roller on your back to soften any tissue adhesions and increase mobility.

(3.) Stretch your hamstrings and hips, as tight muscles in this area will tighten your lower back muscles, making you more prone to back injuries on lifts like squats and deadlifts.

(4.) Incorporate into your training regular deloading phases. I recommend every 3-6 weeks, depending on volume/intensity. You can do both easier training phases centered on active recovery and complete rest periods, or a mixture. Nevertheless, a week off of all strenuous activity is useful every few weeks.

(5.) Also, you can continue training legs while your lower back heals, but you'd be wise to stick to unilateral movements.


We have a sticky for training around back injuries. It's very useful. Check it out.

Originally Posted by Phineas

Some helpful preventative measures:

(1.) Always pick up dumbbells from the floor as if you're deadlifting them -- neutral back, head up, lift with your legs.

(2.) Use a foam roller on your back to soften any tissue adhesions and increase mobility.

(3.) Stretch your hamstrings and hips, as tight muscles in this area will tighten your lower back muscles, making you more prone to back injuries on lifts like squats and deadlifts.

(4.) Incorporate into your training regular deloading phases. I recommend every 3-6 weeks, depending on volume/intensity. You can do both easier training phases centered on active recovery and complete rest periods, or a mixture. Nevertheless, a week off of all strenuous activity is useful every few weeks.

(5.) Also, you can continue training legs while your lower back heals, but you'd be wise to stick to unilateral movements.


We have a sticky for training around back injuries. It's very useful. Check it out.

Thanks for the great points!

I will definitely start doing more hip/ham stretches, I bet that is a big reason for my problems. I know I have very tight hams.
I'll check out the sticky on back injuries too.

• What is a foam roller?
• What is a deloading phase?
• Any advice on getting heavy DBs off the rack safely? That was where I pulled my back

Originally Posted by 200+

Thanks for the great points!

I will definitely start doing more hip/ham stretches, I bet that is a big reason for my problems. I know I have very tight hams.
I'll check out the sticky on back injuries too.

• What is a foam roller?
• What is a deloading phase?
• Any advice on getting heavy DBs off the rack safely? That was where I pulled my back

A foam roller is a cylindrical piece of hard foam that you lay on the ground and basically roll on. It's used to soften tissue adhesions. If you have tight lower back muscles, you could focus on your lower back. It's like a self-massage. I often use it on my hams before stretching them, as it loosens them up and increases their flexibility.

Deloading phases are planned periods of complete rest -- or at least reduced activity. Tomorrow's the end of 12 day deload for me. It's primarily for your central nervous system to recover for prolonged damage we inflict on it through resistance training.

To get heavy DBs I usually do them one at a time. In most gyms the heavier DBs will be on the lower rack. I approach it like a rack pull. Keep a neutral back and use your hips/hams to pull it. Just always keep a neutral back.