T Nation

Chronic Back Pain

Bodybuilding
#1 
      For the last year, especially the last 4 months or so, I have had this nagging pain in my lower back on the side. It's like you can barely bend over to do things...About waist high, really bad in the morning and stays pretty much all day.

It feels like external/internal oblique to the erector spinae, more on the side though,like the oblique. I have stopped doing spine loading stuff this past week, and it’s a tiny bit better.

    Does this sound familiar to anyone here? I can't get it to go away, although I did just get Eric Cresseys dvd on mobility which is killer and may help, it has helped when I did some of the easy exercises on it. 
    Thanks for any help.
#2

hey, I’ve had a similar problem too for quite some time. What i feel is a pain in the lower back at the spinal erectors. Its not really a pain as it is a discomfort. I was going to post this same subject before i read this one and was just wondering if we had the same thing.

I’m pretty sure my pain got worse when i did a day of heavy(for me) deadlifts of 400lb w/o a belt. That was about 2 months ago, and i have not been able to get close to that number.(yes, i basically did not deadlift for a month) In fact , just a couple days ago i had trouble deadlifting 225 for reps now as my lower back just doesn’t feel right.

Plus the fact that I’m 18…really isn’t a good thing.

#3

I have had this same issue for a while, since my mid 20’s, runs in the family. In my late twenty’s I started lifting and it went away for a few years. Then I had a kid and stopped lifting. Then it came back again. Doctors were useless as they only wanted to prescribe me pain killers and do nothing about it. It turned out to be a pinched nerve because my back muscles were out of balance.

What worked for me was physical therapy. besides massage, ice, and the electric shock pulse thing, was working out doing pull downs and chin ups. I don’t know if you cand do this where you live, but rock climbing always made the pain go away for a few days.

#4

I had the same thing about 5 months ago and had given up on squats and deadlifts as a remedy. I went to a chiropractor and one of those massage specialists (they have a name but can’t remember what) with little relief.

I have been doing the magnificent mobility exercises every morning since I got it about 4 months ago and it has worked incredibly well for me. Not only am I back to squatting and deadlifts, I am actually lifting heavier than I ever have.

I started out doing all the simple or easy movements and when I started feeling a bit better added in more complex movements. My current warmup is a good mix of all difficulties. Don’t forget to change up the movements about every 4 to 5 weeks.

By the way, I have not had the same benefits from Inside Out but have not put as much effort into those movements.

Matt

#5

Not sure if what you experience is the same as me but I have had pain in my hip and lower back area for years.

Recently I have been using a stretch band(purple) and doing dome PNF stretching after my workouts and it has helped immensley.

I loop the band around a low heavy object, lie on my back with my head towards the anchors point, loop the band around my ankle and just move my leg through the entire range of the hip joint.

I usually do this for about 3 minutes each leg after every workout and it has worked wonders. Hope this helps

#6

I’ve had back problems for years. My L5 S1 is a mess.
Inversion helps w/everything!!!

Ricisan

#7

I’ve had similar trouble in the past and mine seems to be derived from a tight psoas on the side of the pain. I would find a good chiro who is ART certified to check it out. After having my psoas worked over and following the therapy I have had little trouble.

I should also add that a lot of my back trouble went away when I started deep squatting. I think it is related though as it requires much more flexibility.

#8

Hey Matt, I got the Mag/Mobility dvd also, and Eric said I should stay away from the twisting movements initially for now. Thing is is that they make up a lot of the easy exercises, at least half. What other ones do you mix together? Do you try to coordinate them to the muscles you are working out on that day?

Also, I was thinking it would be good to do like a basic group of them in the morning after cardio, and then incorporate workout specific ones for that days workout…
Interested to hear how you grouped the different levels together.
thanks,

#9 
 Is there a link to show how this band movement is done? Sounds like you lie on your back, anchor against a low object above your head, and then you do like circles with your outstretched leg??

I might try that, Bushy nailed it I think though, the location of my quadratus lumborum looks like exactly where the pain is for me. Bushy already told me it’s from orals, just wonder if ANYTHING could possibly help while I stick it out for the next week or two of this cycle. Stretching doesn’t seem to help it at all, almost aggravates it even.

#10

It is commonly called sciatica. you have pinched and or damaged the sciatic nerve that becomes exposed athe center lower back, and runs the lenght of the left leg. surgury is hit or miss. tommy johns is the only orthopics physcician with positive results. he has done hundreds of succesful treatmnets on pro ball players. sometimes during a pro fotball game injury, the announcers will say"that is going to take tommy johns surgery.

He is located in Murfreesboro, Tn.
as a former Ravens tightend,( I have a ring) Dr. johns extended my career five years with only three months down time. he also correcte cRay Lewises problems at the same time

#11

Whenever I get lower back pain like this, it usually goes away completely if I get ART on my glutes/hamstrings.

#12

I’m not sure you’re talking to me, but it’s not sciatica in my case. The pain is not shooting down the leg as is the norm for that. Bushido diagnosed it right on the money. Quadratus Lumborum.

#13

[quote]InTheZone wrote:
Bushy nailed it I think though, the location of my quadratus lumborum looks like exactly where the pain is for me. Bushy already told me it’s from orals, just wonder if ANYTHING could possibly help while I stick it out for the next week or two of this cycle. Stretching doesn’t seem to help it at all, almost aggravates it even.[/quote]

If your QL is playing up then it might be over-compensating for some inaqequacies i.e. muscle timing or weakness elsewhere - any ideas on what might be the culprit?

I’ve seen QL be overactive where TrA is functioning inadequately, but considering QL can also laterally flex the lumbar spine/hitch the hip, perhaps you could check out your obliques or lower limb movement could be look at?

Poor flexion range of motion in the lower limb can be compensated for by hitching the pelvis in gait…

#14

[quote]AgentOrange wrote:
Whenever I get lower back pain like this, it usually goes away completely if I get ART on my glutes/hamstrings. [/quote]

Have you had repeated bouts?
If so it might be worthwhile to out that the source of the problem may remain even if the symptoms temporarily go away…

#15

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#16

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#17

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#18

Bushy,

Thanks very much for your explanation of the QL hypertonicity - I don’t think it’s something I’ll learn at uni!!

In regard to the stretching contraindication for neurogenic tone, could it be due to the GTO stretch relaxation being inhibited (NFI on this one just a guess), muscle spindle hyperactivity (due to neurogenic tone? again NFI) or the tendon undergoing plastic deformation (more likely, especially if the above factors contribute)?

Cheers

#19

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
However, dynamic stretching does seem to offer mild relief. [/quote]

This makes sense to me as activation of the abdominal wall may offer reciprocal inhibition into the mix as well as help try counter the inhibition present.

#20

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