Was in a car accident 2 years ago. Got really bad whiplash. Didnt rehab it properly and it didnt heal as good as it could have. Im in constant pain everyday. When I do back squats it seems to agitate my upper back quite abit. The muscles will spasm after and it will be quite painful.
So should I stop doing back squats altogetherÃ? Or just ignore the painÃ? My back hurts all the time anyway, so I dont know where to draw the line. I did 11 months of physio with zero success.
How long does the increased pain tend to last after doing the squats? I probably wouldn’t risk aggravating the area any more. Especially, since you can do hack squats or something to effectively exercise that area…albeit not as good as squats but give and take. Also I would continue with some sort of home pt and be constant with it. Have you seen a pain management specialist? There are several things you could try such as cortisone injections, medial branch blocks, or prolotherapy or prp. If you have tried all these methods with 0 success then maybe see if you can push it some and see if you can get some success.
The pain will usually last about a day or two, depending on if im able to self massage out the back spasms or not. I havent seen a pain specialist but there is no point. Cortisone injections will only provide temporary relief and will in the long run destroy the joint further. Ive tried percocets for pain but I dont take them anymore because I got addited.
Yeah, so basically there is nothing more that can be done about it really.
Ive got my back squat up to 145 pounds for 12 reps and increasing 5-10 pounds per week and my back pain is only slightly worse so I guess I will just power through it.
Treatments Ive tried over the last year:
Ive tried adequan, alflutop, naproxen, ibuprophen, GHRP6 & CJC.
Self massage 30 minutes per day, stretching.
Neck rehab work such as working the deep erectors and superficail muscles of the neck.
Got zero results. I worked out a bit of scar tissue but thats about it.
Whiplash in the lower part of the cervical vertebrae I pressume, C5/C6 or C6/C7? Did you also work on cervical stability?
Do NOT power through this! This is your body telling you something is wrong. If you can’t find a solution, drop the lift. Front squats may be a safer variation for your back. There are so many variations on the squat, that avoiding back squats doesn’t have to be the end of all things.
It seems muscular (you said massaging it helped), so I’d try self myofascial release with a tennis ball. Just prop a tennis ball between your back and a wall. Start in the area that spasms. Apply pressure to the ball from your body weight and roll.
Check out Bret Contreras’ 21 Exercises for Injury Free Mass
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21_exercises_for_injury_free_mass
[quote]Tatsu wrote:
Whiplash in the lower part of the cervical vertebrae I pressume, C5/C6 or C6/C7? Did you also work on cervical stability?[/quote]
I do chin tucks, so im pretty sure that should address cervical stability?
[quote]ExPhysiologist wrote:
Do NOT power through this! This is your body telling you something is wrong. If you can’t find a solution, drop the lift. Front squats may be a safer variation for your back. There are so many variations on the squat, that avoiding back squats doesn’t have to be the end of all things.
It seems muscular (you said massaging it helped), so I’d try self myofascial release with a tennis ball. Just prop a tennis ball between your back and a wall. Start in the area that spasms. Apply pressure to the ball from your body weight and roll.
Check out Bret Contreras’ 21 Exercises for Injury Free Mass
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21_exercises_for_injury_free_mass[/quote]
Cant do front squats due to rotator cuff tear. So that leaves hack squats which also agitate my shoulder. I can do the leg press but its just not the same.
Ive done the tennis ball thing for 6 months straight, it helps alittle bit but is no solution.
My spine feels like there is some laxaty in it. When I get the muscles completely loose with massage/stretching/muscle relaxers it will make popping noises and feel almost worse than when it is spasmed.