endcruelty Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 i don't want to get into crazy details or anything, but long story short, my lower back sucks balls. my doc is saying it's just back spasms, and i'm hoping she's right. basically my workout right now is the ab wheel, burpees, jump rope, heavy, double end and slip bagging. even with that little workout, my lower back seems to get a bit tender. and i know when your muscles get sore it's a good thing, but when it's the lower back, i think i'd rather not have it sore. even with core exercises my back gets a little tender and tight, and i'm doing a little stretching, but sadly it just doesn't want to get better (or at least progress i can clearly see). it can get a little discouraging when you want to do more in your workout but you know it may lead you to be worse off than you started. Sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Sorry to hear about your back. If you haven't gone to see an orthopaedic specialist and gotten an MRI, there's really not much you'll know for what could really be wrong with it. I had a doc and chiro that both told me that it "seemed to just be a bad sprain", but the ortho said it was definitely a disc issue which is, of course, worse. But, lesson learned is, if you want to REALLY know what might be wrong, see a specialist, and if you do have some long-term back issues, consider investing in a reverse hyperextension machine. LOTS of people swear by their effectiveness to repair bad backs, and even the cruddy knock-off one I have did help me get through some of my injuries last year to recover much faster than normal. A good reverse hyper isn't cheap, but there are some companies making decent imitations that you can get for around $400 or so, which is about 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of a good one from Elite Fitness. Worth looking into if you want to do the most you can to repair the damage and strengthen your lower back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I think a lot of people's issues with lower back is just that they have weak lower backs. Not saying yours is, just an observation I've made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Sorry to hear about your back. If you haven't gone to see an orthopaedic specialist and gotten an MRI, there's really not much you'll know for what could really be wrong with it. I had a doc and chiro that both told me that it "seemed to just be a bad sprain", but the ortho said it was definitely a disc issue which is, of course, worse. see cause my back seems to be ok some days and some days not, if it's a disc issue isn't it a constant daily chronic pain? also, when i tend to get pains, my body actually twists to one side and the left part of my lower back is a lot stiffer than the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I've got disc issues, and I'm not in constant pain by any stretch. I'm very prone to getting hurt if I head into heavy deadlifts without taking a long time to work my way up, and I've even screwed it up by benching (torso twisted slightly when one arm didn't want to lock out completely), but the severe pain only lasts me a few weeks. After that, it subsides and after a month or two of light training I feel fine, but I always have to watch out for it, because one wrong move and it can all go downhill quickly. Some people have different reactions to it, but the main thing is this - if you have back problems and pamper it all the time instead of working to build it up safely, you'll ALWAYS have back problems. Why do you think that there are so many people who take painkillers for years and years and complain about their back aching all the time and how much trouble it gives them? Because, they listen to specialists (who, while good in some areas, are not great in others) who tell them that they're stuck with the pain and they just have to learn to "control it" rather than work to make it go away. My ortho told me to never lift heavy again, and that I should probably not lift at all. Three or four months later, I was doing partial squats with over 700 lbs. on my back from slowly rebuilding myself to strengthen my back instead of just accepting that I was screwed. Common advice is to just "take it easy" and avoid anything that could hurt the lower back, but oftentimes, nothing is better for it than putting in place a long-term recovery program to heal up and re-build the necessary strength to prevent continuing injuries. It's not what most docs recommend, but there have been more than a few lifters who were told they should never lift again (or, who were told that it'd be impossible to ever lift safely) who became stronger than ever with proper rehabilitation and strengthening. Like Zack said, if it's just that your lower back is weak, the only way to make things right is to build it up so that eventually it's strong enough that regular training doesn't cause you any discomfort. If it's an actual injury that needs attention, rehabilitate first, then work to bring that area up so it will reduce the chances of getting hurt later! Sorry to hear about your back. If you haven't gone to see an orthopaedic specialist and gotten an MRI, there's really not much you'll know for what could really be wrong with it. I had a doc and chiro that both told me that it "seemed to just be a bad sprain", but the ortho said it was definitely a disc issue which is, of course, worse. see cause my back seems to be ok some days and some days not, if it's a disc issue isn't it a constant daily chronic pain? also, when i tend to get pains, my body actually twists to one side and the left part of my lower back is a lot stiffer than the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilary wright Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 (edited) ff Edited June 6, 2008 by hilary wright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaia Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Instead of hyperextensions, you could do the locust pose that is found in yoga to build up the lower back. Lay completely flat on the floor, tummy on the floor and face the floor. Do body weight first, and lift up your arms and lets off the floor, leaving only the tummy contacting the floor. Hold for a count of something. Build up to a good time holding the pose (2 minutes), then start to add weights in the hands and/or feet, and then build up the time with those weights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjs Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Not sure what kind of stretches you've tried, but I've had good luck with spinal decompression by hanging from a bar. I've heard you're supposed to hang, tense up all your muscles for 5 secs, then relax for 10 or so. Repeat as long as you can. I don't personally find the tensing part necessary, I find just hanging for a minute or so at a time to be helpful. Also you might want to look into the Egoscue method. His "Through Motion" book is pretty good. It has helped me a lot with postural problems related to my lower back and hip flexors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 VeganEssentials, I didn't know you hurt your back. I'm sorry to hear that. I also herniated a disc doing squats a few years ago. For me just letting it slowly get better over the course of a few years is what worked. And facing that I'm just not built to do squats or deadlifts. Endcruelty,Personally something like an ab wheel would bother my back I'm sure as with the abs tightened and your body still wanting to bend, there is lots of compression going on in the spine. It's probably the equivalent of a few hundred pounds pushing on your lower spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinVegartin Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 It could be disc problems or muscle problems. A tight psoas muscle can cause your body to lean to one side and might be implicated in the twisting you describe. Many other tight or weak (weak in comparison to their antagonists) muscles can also cause lower back pain, including the glutes and hamstrings. I've recently learnt about these things because of a troublesome lower back. Currently, I have developed a scoliosis that makes me lean over to the right. This makes walking very painful. The left side of my pelvis is raised up so that it looks as if I am balancing a heavy weight on my left hip. There is also a slight twisting to the right and sometimes a forward lean from the pelvis. I can't do overhead pressing and I won't risk squats. I can only do bench pressing, dumbell rowing, dips, and chin ups. For cardio, I can do squat thrusts - strangely, they don't hurt my back as it is not bearing my weight. I think it was caused by a sitting down job exacerbating anything else that might have been wrong. As the others have said, get it looked at and then strengthen it in the way needed. I have the Egoscue book, which looks good, but I haven't tried any of the exercises yet. Depending on what your problem is, you might find some help in these links: http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/pilates/h_pilatesscoliosis.htm http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/coreindependentcontraction.php Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinVegartin Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I forgot I had these links: http://www.squidoo.com/psoas The link below is interesting. Not sure how accurate the info about abdominal exercises leading to poor posture and function is, where it says: 'High abdominal muscle tone from abdominal crunches interferes with the ability to stand fully erect....' But it could make sense. http://www.somatics.com/psoas.htm http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/10/03/25.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 http://www.squidoo.com/psoas WOAH!!! that page is insanely good ..... much thanks man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 defiantly appreciate all your help you guys rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaN Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Sorry about the back dude. Think about how you stand (your posture) your sitting position at work & .... your bed - if you have the wrong mattress it is usually the lower back it affects. If none of the above are the problem, when you do any of the exercises you do, be aware of your back & try to see if any of the exercises are affecting it.If you identify any just stop doing them completely for a month or so & see if it helps.If not start doing the exercise again (as it is not the guilty party) & stop doing a different exercise that maybe the culprit... repeat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 what a pain in the ass ...... one month of this annoying bullshit back pain last week i was stretching and the next couple of days my back went into a shit storm of spasms, good times! it just doesn't want to let go of me, i guess my lower back loves to see me in pain hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 not sure if anyone cares, but i'll update my x-ray results. apparently i have two bulging discs (S1-L4) plus the spasms, apparently nothing more. from this point, i'm gonna start doing very very very basic stretching and conditioning to strengthen the area before trying anything crazy (that stupid ab wheel for one lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wetnwildnik Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 My job makes me to sit all day long and I have got lower back problems because of that. Now, when I am lifting weights I havent tried deadlift and squats. I dont want to mess up with my back at all. I do squats with dumbbell in my hands and lounges are another good way to keep the back strong. If you start sprint like athletes do in race tht they start from a bending position, you can make your lower back stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaN Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 endcruelty sorry to hear about the back update, hope it can get sorted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Sorry to hear that the problems are of the severity you've mentioned. Definitely consider lots of decompression work with hanging from a chin-up bar to deload your spine, using a foam roller to help stretch out your lower back, and as I had info in another thread, look into a reverse hyperextension machine or something similar since it can easily be the greatest tool for rehabilitating disc injuries. Here's hoping to a good recovery for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Sorry to hear that the problems are of the severity you've mentioned. Definitely consider lots of decompression work with hanging from a chin-up bar to deload your spine, using a foam roller to help stretch out your lower back, and as I had info in another thread, look into a reverse hyperextension machine or something similar since it can easily be the greatest tool for rehabilitating disc injuries. Here's hoping to a good recovery for you! foam roller eh? that sounds interesting there's this product called True Back which looks really beneficial, but considering it's $80 + s&h and to Canada, it'd be quite pricey. so the foam sounds so appealing, and sad thing is i was shopping today and saw them, errr hyperextention machine i'd love by i can do somewhat close exercises on the ball and with certain yoga poses, so i'll do them for now. all in all, even with all my whining i do and the pain i'm in, i'm actually quite optimistic about this. i mean, it could be worse, so a couple discs are a tad wack and my muscles and joints suck, it's all fixable. and when all this is done and over with, i'll have a nice story to tell people how i ruined my back all those years ago and how i fixed it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Sorry to hear that the problems are of the severity you've mentioned. Definitely consider lots of decompression work with hanging from a chin-up bar to deload your spine, using a foam roller to help stretch out your lower back, and as I had info in another thread, look into a reverse hyperextension machine or something similar since it can easily be the greatest tool for rehabilitating disc injuries. Here's hoping to a good recovery for you! foam roller eh? that sounds interesting there's this product called True Back which looks really beneficial, but considering it's $80 + s&h and to Canada, it'd be quite pricey. so the foam sounds so appealing, and sad thing is i was shopping today and saw them, errr hyperextention machine i'd love by i can do somewhat close exercises on the ball and with certain yoga poses, so i'll do them for now. all in all, even with all my whining i do and the pain i'm in, i'm actually quite optimistic about this. i mean, it could be worse, so a couple discs are a tad wack and my muscles and joints suck, it's all fixable. and when all this is done and over with, i'll have a nice story to tell people how i ruined my back all those years ago and how i fixed it For the foam roller, one of those cheap but firm "exercise" foam rollers will do, and probably cost between $10 and $15 for one. Me, I use the prehistoric version, a 4" diameter x 2.5' long piece of thick cardboard tubing. No comfort factor like the foam roller, but I do get a good arch and stretch over it, and it has helped me get through every back injury to recover much more quickly. Yeah, the reverse hyperextension machine is VERY pricey for the orignial (around $1200 to $2000), but knock-offs are out there for around US $400 or so that will get the job done. As I've said in previous posts, the inventor was an elite level powerlifter who actually fractured his spine and had massive disc damage who was told he'd never lift again. He came back stronger than ever with rehabilitation after developing the machine - it decompresses the discs at the lower part of the motion and allows them to slowly re-align themselves properly, then the concentric motion with weight allows the building of better spinal erectors to reduce the chance of future injury. Pricey, but so many people swear by it that it's become one of the best resources for getting past a bad back injury. Anyway, best of luck with the recovery - few things are "unfixable" in the realm of back injuries, and with a slow rehab stretch you'll probably come back just fine in time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaN Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Wow I had no idea about that machine - I'll keep it in mind incase anyone ever needs it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh ... this looks like me when i try stretching lol but mine's worse, i arch more http://www.aikido-reading.co.uk/micro_site/images/seated_hamstring_n.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endcruelty Posted July 18, 2008 Author Share Posted July 18, 2008 i can put on my socks without having to growl anymore the only way i could put them on before was to lay down on my bed, put my right foot on the bed so i could place my left foot on my right knee. then i would turn my left foot so i could get it closer to my body and barely get the sock around my toes and then struggle to unwrap it good times, now i can put it on without having to use my knee as support lol thought i'd let you all know my baby steps hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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