back pain in very low back

[ickythump]

I know i need to see a dr but my insurance is canceled until i can sign up at work again, was too expensive!

my problem seems to be in the very low lumbar or high sacral region. flexing the trunk forward is near impossible, cant even put on socks! it happened when i was squatting, i tried to do a wide stance squat and felt my lower back "tug" forward, it felt like my tailbone literally was pulled out of the socket like a shoulder (i know thats not the anatomical set up it just felt like that, liek it suddenly yanked towards the front of my body. i can rotate left but right is sore, and when i lay down on my left side and bring right leg over in front and roll my pelvis i can feel a grinding....kind of scary, any ideas?? id hate to have to not do back or free weight legs until january

[jg42058p]

You'd better get it looked at via MRI to find out whats wrong. Returning to the weight room with that level of pain could put you in grave danger.

Back pain is very serious. It is NO JOKE. In fact, back pain (IMO) is probably the most dangerous of all weight lifting injuries. Nothing compares to the possibility of being in wheel chair if you don't treat it right.

You may have slipped a disc. If so you need to be super careful and take at least 6 months off free weights. I herniated a disc and was really stupid taking only 4 weeks off. God I regret that. I wish I had just sacrificied my muscle and took 6 months off (who cares about losing a couple pounds of muscle, you can gain itback!)

Its been a year and a half and the pain just now beginning to fade away. But god to I regret going back to soon. Don't make the mistake I made. Back pain is one of the most horrible experiences I've ever had. Perhaps the MOST horrible.

[AnabolicBoy1981]

do you have any genital or "saddle area" numbness? if so you need to get to the ER,. The nerves in the cauda equaina region are very time sensitive to compression. Permanent damage can be done if not treated pronto. At the very least if you general doc cant see you go to an urgent care facility.
Look, see a doc...even if it means you cant eat for the next two weeks. This could be a problem

[knuckles69]

Sounds to me like you've blown a disc or 2. Get medical help immediately!! I did 1 disc and thought I'd be tuff but ended up blowing 2 and nearly needing surgery

[ickythump]

****....yea, I'm making an appointment.........it's much better, but I'm lacking some trunk flexion mobility....no numbness of any sort, times like right now I have a good level of mobility, but in am it's bad, and still I am worried...making an appt :/ thanks guys

[rsmgoofy]

Eh Brother. Yup go get looked at by Mr. Doc.
Iv had lower back issues ( on and off ) for years.
I just posted a lower back muscle strain issue.
Have a reed.
I went to local 50 meter swimming pool and did laps as well as 15 to 20 minuite leg, hips and lower back twisting exercises. This helped me out bigtime.
The water takes all the weight and stress off your body which in return makes you to be able to perform stretching beyong your normal limits.
Also a great cardio workout for you doi g 50 meter laps...

[chaps]

I had something similar happen to me back before i took hip flexor mobility seriously, it turned out I tore a series of ligaments between my l4 and l5. Definitely go see your DR asap, but if i would have to guess you probably had a little bit of a butt wink at the bottom of your squat trying to go for depth beyond what your hip flexibility would allow.

The unfortunate side to injuries in this area is there is poor bloodflow, which is why you wake up very stiff. Get a heat pack and do some lightweight ab twists of some sort (I used a cable) twice a day and you will heal much faster.

[M302_Imola]

ickythumb, hit us up with an update! I'm having some lower back issues as well.

[skinnyg]

This would be great on an update..

My back is ****ed up. I have constant pain.. and I have weird movement/clicking in the left and middle part of my back as well as my left leg when I walk. (Deadlift injury).

[Domraise]

Definitely take some time off. Try to get MRI done and research about spine, how it works etc.. I agree with jg42058p, do not go back to free weights like squats and deadlifts too early, I made similar mistake (reinjury) and I also regret (lack of knowledge at that time). But definetely try to do some bodyweight exercises like glute bridges, back extensions... and reverse hyperextension on table (If you have access to reverse hyper machine - that would be great).

[BG]

It's your bed

[Times Roman]

I know i need to see a dr but my insurance is canceled until i can sign up at work again, was too expensive!

my problem seems to be in the very low lumbar or high sacral region. flexing the trunk forward is near impossible, cant even put on socks! it happened when i was squatting, i tried to do a wide stance squat and felt my lower back "tug" forward, it felt like my tailbone literally was pulled out of the socket like a shoulder (i know thats not the anatomical set up it just felt like that, liek it suddenly yanked towards the front of my body. i can rotate left but right is sore, and when i lay down on my left side and bring right leg over in front and roll my pelvis i can feel a grinding....kind of scary, any ideas?? id hate to have to not do back or free weight legs until january

get a cheap inversion table off craigs list, I've seen them as low as $30, and see if you can realign your spine (if it needs it)

[lovbyts]

get a cheap inversion table off craigs list, I've seen them as low as $30, and see if you can realign your spine (if it needs it)

Just make sure you dont do any inverted sit up on it while your back is giving your issues. I did this and ruptured L5/S1 and nearly passed out while trying to get out of my inversion table at 4am home alone. Good time, NOT.

Also as said, an update would be nice. Hope you are feeling better.

[M302_Imola]

Just make sure you dont do any inverted sit up on it while your back is giving your issues. I did this and ruptured L5/S1 and nearly passed out while trying to get out of my inversion table at 4am home alone. Good time, NOT.

Also as said, an update would be nice. Hope you are feeling better.

Damn brother that's scary! Back pain/sciatica is no joke...I've been battling with sciatica and sometimes the pain gets to much where I start having cold sweats and almost passout so I feel your pain (literally).

[Artemicon]

I herniated a disc almost a year ago now and It took me like 3 months before I felt really strong enough to get back into it. Mine was just too much weight and repeated strain that happened on a heavy day of Squat and DL. Luckily for me its been almost a year and I have almost no pain what so ever and feel basically 100% again but I did have sciatica with throbbing in my left glut down my left leg (cleared up as well). Thank god for the body's resilence.

I know it goes without saying but take care when lifting.

[M302_Imola]

I herniated a disc almost a year ago now and It took me like 3 months before I felt really strong enough to get back into it. Mine was just too much weight and repeated strain that happened on a heavy day of Squat and DL. Luckily for me its been almost a year and I have almost no pain what so ever and feel basically 100% again but I did have sciatica with throbbing in my left glut down my left leg (cleared up as well). Thank god for the body's resilence.

I know it goes without saying but take care when lifting.

This is exactly what happened to me. I made the mistake of doing heavy squats the day after a heavy back workout (where my lower back was already taxed). Something had to give and that was the disk between my L3/L4 verterbrae. The disk is now bulging onto the sciatic nerve. I've been seeing a chiro for regular adjustments and just started decompression treatment so I hope that the sciatica goes away soon...I've been dealing with the pain for 3 weeks now. How long did the sciatica cause you pain? Did you seek treatment or rehab yourself?

[Artemicon]

I don't know exactly when the sciatica subsided I just remember not having it for a couple of months. I'd say it probably took about 9 months of so for that stuff to go away completely for me, which is pretty amazing considering lots of people who have sciatica have that shit for life after a major injury. Your sciatica sounds somewhat worse than mine did though. Mine was an annoyance at best and in no way crippling but it did throb a lot and I found it inhibiting my sleep sometimes.

After the first couple of weeks of injury I started doing some lower back strengthening movements that I found online and in an acquaintance's physical rehabilitation folder they got from a rehab clinic they went to(for the same injury). I probably could have started sooner but after the first 2 months I started alot of stretching and yoga becoming more and more aggressive with it as time went on. Then after 3 months I started Starting strength with low weight until I got comfortable with my back.

It was really hard for me not to want to go heavier sooner as well but the same person who gave me their rehab folder who had the same injury went back at it after 2~3 months herniated the same disk so I was extra cautious.

[M302_Imola]

I don't know exactly when the sciatica subsided I just remember not having it for a couple of months. I'd say it probably took about 9 months of so for that stuff to go away completely for me, which is pretty amazing considering lots of people who have sciatica have that shit for life after a major injury. Your sciatica sounds somewhat worse than mine did though. Mine was an annoyance at best and in no way crippling but it did throb a lot and I found it inhibiting my sleep sometimes.

After the first couple of weeks of injury I started doing some lower back strengthening movements that I found online and in an acquaintance's physical rehabilitation folder they got from a rehab clinic they went to(for the same injury). I probably could have started sooner but after the first 2 months I started alot of stretching and yoga becoming more and more aggressive with it as time went on. Then after 3 months I started Starting strength with low weight until I got comfortable with my back.

It was really hard for me not to want to go heavier sooner as well but the same person who gave me their rehab folder who had the same injury went back at it after 2~3 months herniated the same disk so I was extra cautious.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Artemicon]

Speak of the devil. Last Monday I was dead lifting again and after my lower back felt off, not quite as bad as it did last year when I herniated a disc but it was still worrying me. Sure enough last tuesday my trunk movement was severly inhibited and I couldn't go more than probably 15-20 degrees off center without pain. I didn't have any shooting pain down my legs or in my ass though. I thought for sure I was out of comission for another month but surprisingly enough it started to get better rather quickly and I felt "okay" by the weekend and today I feel good with some stiffness about 4 inches above the area but I'll try to stretch that out tonight.

I think I may try to squat light tomorrow and I'm almost to the point where I want to swear off deadlifting all together. I'm really getting discouraged with DL... I'm at wits end with that movement. 100 Posts and a reputable source can't come soon enough...

[wicked442]

I have herniated discs about 6 times in my life. Last year i found out 85% of the disc between L-5/S-1 is degenerated. This now causes me extreme pain daily with every day activities(dressing,bending,twisting etc) I keep my core strong which helps,but no more DL,SLDL,hang cleans. On a good day i can back sqt 275,which isnt very often unfortunatly,but i can frt sqt 365 for 15 reps. So work around it and excell where you can. Lift smarter not harder.

[Artemicon]

Thanks for the words of advice. Its discouraging and sometimes I need to hear things like that to really put it into perspective..