ABLQ2

i notice that after a set of heavy squats or deadlifts, when i put the weight down, i feel a really dull pain all throughout my thoracic vertebrae, its not a sharp pain or anything like a herneated disk but its just odd. i notice that directly after i start feeling that pain, if i let my torso hang (like doing a dip) the pain is unbearable, and its still that dull sensation throughout the t section of my back..

what is this? is it bad? can i make it not happen in the future?

FishOrCutBait

I dont know what that is, but its probably very bad.

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P-funk

go to the doctor please.

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SPIKE1257

Sounds like a bad pain to me.. I suggest you stop squating and deading.

SPIKE1257

Any problems when doing overhead or incline press ?

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Ddevildownn

I don't know what to say about the pain being higher, or stretching causing intense pain. But when I do heavy deadlifts I tend to feel a little sore (I haven't determined muscular or joint) in my lower back. I do know though that if I keep my back flexed and maintain the flex throughout the lift (as you obviously should), the pain doesn't occur. As for the higher pain, I did that once while doing a relatively heavy overhead press.

I sprained a vertebrae which was rather painful, it didn't hurt unless I bent backwards and swelled like a bitch. If you have swelling in the area I would not work the area, I would lay off squats and deads, as well as any standing lifts for a long time, until it is no longer swollen. It would also be good to just go and see your doctor. Even if you don't have insurance or something of that nature you will probably save money, because this sounds like it could lead to a catastrophic situation if you don't baby it. Don't mess around with spinal pain. Ever.

CowPimp

Sounds like a bad pain. You should cease performing any movements that cause such a pain and consult your doctor immediately.

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PTYP

Ive had back problems since I was about 20 years old, essentially, I have a disk slightly off and when I move my torso a certain way, I pinch a nerve and the back goes into spasms where I cant walk or sit for days.

I too have had similar experiences with what you are describing and from my experience, it seems that with the heavier weight, your torso seems to lean forward a bit during the lift, moving your vertabrae out of line and adding tremendous amounts of stress to your lower back.

I have found that I most often have this pain during the re-rack. When you are performing the squat, although you lean slightly forward, your center of gravity is still within its means, but after a lift, you may (I do) get lazy and lean forward instead of walking the weight forward. When you lean to re-rack, your CG is offset quite a bit and it puts a tremendous strain on your vertabrae.

The bottom line is if you did something wrong to your back, trust me, you would know because you would drop to the floor and the weights would come crashing down as well. The dull pain you are experiencing is the added stress of the weight to your spine because the bar (horizontal) and the spine (vertical) is not perpendicular.

ABLQ2

ya, youre right, i never thought about that. i do tend to leave the bar a bit forward. im really tall also, and it seems that to go down all the way i need to lean quite a bit forward to keep my balance without going up on my toes. thank you so much, i think you just fixed my problem, i really appreciate it. do you have any suggestions maybe on ways i can keep my torso straiter during the actual squat and keep my balanace? are there any drills i can work on? thank you so much, again!

PTYP

Well, I dont really know how you perform the squat, but Ill just make some general comments. First of all, when you place the rack on your shoulders, no matter how much weight you are repping, you are going to be top-heavy. So to help avoid being "too" top-heavy is to get the bar closer to your waste. I know this may sound ackward, but when I do squats, the squat bar is literally 2-3" below my shoulders, not actually on top of traps. Getting the bar more towards the middle of your back will help you be less top-heavy and will lessen the tendancy to lean forward.

Secondly, If you are doing full, deep squats, because the bar is on your backside, many people tend to lose their balance toward the bottom of the squat. The natural motion would be to fall backward so to counteract that, the upper body shifts forward placing the bar in the middle of your crotch which leaves your head about 4-6" ahead of your toes (now your spine is at an angle). If this is your case, try only going to perpendicular, and not any further.

If neither of the above is your situation, then maybe do lighter squats in the smith machine till you get your form down. The smith machine is on tracks so you are unable to move the bar forward or backward in your stance. Everything has to stay in line. Another option is to do the sissy squats w/o weight facing a mirror and watch your form. Muscle memory is the key to getting good technique, if you practice correct technique enough, your body will know what to do when the time comes. You may have to drop the weight back for awhile to you get your form down.

ABLQ2

i was holding the bar across my shoulders and under my traps, and doing deep squats. thanks for the info, man. ill lower the weight a tince, drop the bar down, and squat to only ll. thanks again, man.

PTYP

No problem, glad I could be of some help. I hope all works out well. If the problem still persists, perhaps go and see a chiropractor and let him readjust your spine. I too still have back problems when I do heavy weight even though my form is very good.