Another lower back question

[physical]

Been almost 2 months since I have been back to the gym after a long break. I am taking things smarter and smoother this time around and not trying to rush and neglect things. However one thing I have been worried about is my lower back.

It is just always sore. Even when I was on my break it would still be a small faint soreness. However now that I am back in the gym it is a typical daily soreness/pain. I have had xray done on it recently and nothing is wrong. When I do squats/deadlift it has the typical pain and soreness following days.

What should/could I do to relieve this and possibly improve or rid of this? Year or two ago I remember I did a heavy deadlift/squat day and I don't know what happened but my back felt better after doing it. I know I am keeping back straight because the weight isn't much and a buddy watches me to be sure.

Foam rolling routines? Stretching routines? Exercises? Any help on improving or ridding of this would be amazing.

Thanks.

 

[Jakethaniel]

It could be a lot of things, so I will just make a list of a few I can think of:

1-Glutes are not functioning properly
2-Abs are weak or at least weak in comparison to your posterior chain
3-Need to decompress your spine
4-Erectors are weak
5-Glutes are weak

You kinda have to just figure that out for yourself or go to a chiropractor/active release techniques specialist.
If you think it is one of those 5 I can try to help you, but I will need more information.

 

[herderdude]

Here's a routine for you:

SuperDtv The QL, Taming the Dragon in your Lower ...: http://youtu.be/eixkcrX_Qh8

And then identify the underlying cause from what was mentioned above. There's a lot of other good stuff on Donnie Thompson's YouTube channel, I encourage you to check them out. He's helped me a lot.

 

[Mumbles01]

I'm right there with you man, I'm 24 & I can't even bend over properly. 99% of the time I have to crouch down to pick things up. I do have scoliosis but that never bothered me at all, but around the time I started taking deadlifting more seriously & attempting more weight is when things got bad.
It could be your bed, that makes a huge difference for me. If I sleep at somebodies house & the bed is to soft it destroys my back the next day.
Personally I haven't found any remedy, I stretch constantly throughout the day which makes it feel better temporarily.
Subbed for advice!

 

[asooneyeonig]

can you post vids of your deadlifts and squats? even though you have friends watching you it may still be a form issue.

stretching and/or mobility work may help, for most it would. but do NOT stretch the back. only improve mobility through the hips and shoulders. the top spinal biomechanists have proven for many decades that a flexible back is an injured back, a stiff back is a safe back. the point is that most injuries happen at the ends of ROM of the spine. if the muscles are tight in the spine it stops the vertebrae from reaching those dangerous ends of ROM.

getting stronger may help, it holds true from beginners to advanced lifters. i would not worry about trying to isolate any muscle in the trunk/core to make it stronger. hit it all and vary how you do it. try loaded carries (of all kinds and all intensities and distances), planks, side planks, KB swings, overhead squats, pallof presses, suitecase carries, hanging leg raises, etc.

 

[NattyForLife]

Im gonna go out on a limb and say that you have anterior pelvic tilt which would cause your back to be tight sore all the time! Also i bet you have tight hammies and weak glutes and abdominal strength! Just my first consensus so far, but do what ozzie suggested and post a vid of your squat and deadlift form!

 

[Chrisehyoung]

I may know a thing or two about low back pain. I have one leg that is 7/8" shorter than the other. My entire developing life consisted of hip lean and spinal compensation making me susceptible to low back pain constantly. A year and a half ago I took a nasty spill at hockey. I chipped my pelvic bone, bulged a disc in my low spine, and pinched 3 nerves. It took about 4 months for the pain to become bearable and after 16 months I still feel it almost daily.

It took far too long to get back to normal as I spent far too much time resting thinking that would help. It made it worse. Being sedentary for too long shortened my hip flexors and made it painful to do anything that required hip strength. I started with a new warm up routine using the rowing machine instead of the bike. I focused on loosening up my back as I rowed. It was helpful. Then I started out my lifts with much lighter weights and would pyramid up to my desired working weight. I dropped about 15% overall of the weight I was using and focused on form and rhythm. Once I was satisfied that I was good to go I started upping the weight slowly. I also stopped using a belt for my big lifts as I felt that caused me more pain.

A couple of weeks ago I set PRs in my squat and deadlift pain free. The only pain I had after was the usual DOMS. It's been a long road to recovery but I think I have it beat now. My goal here on out is to keep my back strong enough that it can support me through whatever I put it through.

 

[physical]

Im gonna go out on a limb and say that you have anterior pelvic tilt which would cause your back to be tight sore all the time! Also i bet you have tight hammies and weak glutes and abdominal strength! Just my first consensus so far, but do what ozzie suggested and post a vid of your squat and deadlift form!

First I want to say thanks to everyone who posted a reply. As far as pelvi tilt I think this is something I do have. As I get lower my ass comes inwards. You just sparked my thought on this and reminded me.

As far as stretching, I try to do foam rolling before a leg workout which usually makes it feel fine. I don't do any stretching other then light deep squats and then progress into heavy.

Also, I have always done short leg days. Usually would do squats, deadlift, leg extensions, and maybe leg curls. I am going to review my leg days and try to incorporate some of those carries and working on some strengthening of these parts.

 

[CobbledPath]

Ido Portal has an interesting view on strength and flexibility

 

[NattyForLife]

First I want to say thanks to everyone who posted a reply. As far as pelvi tilt I think this is something I do have. As I get lower my ass comes inwards. You just sparked my thought on this and reminded me. As far as stretching, I try to do foam rolling before a leg workout which usually makes it feel fine. I don't do any stretching other then light deep squats and then progress into heavy. Also, I have always done short leg days. Usually would do squats, deadlift, leg extensions, and maybe leg curls. I am going to review my leg days and try to incorporate some of those carries and working on some strengthening of these parts.

Can you post a side pic if yourself just standing how you normally stand?

 

[physical]

i.imgur.com/uGb3qgS.jpg

Here is a side pic. Thanks for the help.

 

[KimChee75]

Weak lower back, need pelvic stabilization, hips, and abdominals (transverse abd)

 

[NattyForLife]

Couple questions!

When does it hurt the most?
Does bending over such as washing dishes produce pain?
Does it get better throughout the day or get worse?

 

[physical]

I would say it hurts the most after doing some squats or deadlifts. But on non workout days it would probably be early in the morning.

Bending over causes slight pain, unless I am sore from squats/deadlifts which causes pain.

Throughout the day it will get better as I use it and stretch it from doing daily things.

Yesterday I did some legs and I can't watch my lower back in a mirror so I grabbed a dumbbell and did a goblet squat and watched my lower back. It tucks in a lot which I think is causing the pain when I am lifting heavier weight. My legs can handle the weight but my lower back can't?

 

[NattyForLife]

I would say it hurts the most after doing some squats or deadlifts. But on non workout days it would probably be early in the morning. Bending over causes slight pain, unless I am sore from squats/deadlifts which causes pain. Throughout the day it will get better as I use it and stretch it from doing daily things. Yesterday I did some legs and I can't watch my lower back in a mirror so I grabbed a dumbbell and did a goblet squat and watched my lower back. It tucks in a lot which I think is causing the pain when I am lifting heavier weight. My legs can handle the weight but my lower back can't?

When you say tuck in you mean that your low back loses its arch or it over arches?

 

[Gutterpump]

Sounds like an anterior pelvic tilt issue. Fairly classic.

 

[Swolljaboi]

I know this sounds simple, but when I was suffering lower back pain a couple of years ago I went to see a chiro. It turned out that my pain was caused by a weak lower back. He had me do body weight hyperextensions working up to a certain rep range several times per week. Within a month my back pain was completely gone. He said that my muscle mass and strength had gone up but I had neglected my lower back. Between carrying excess muscle weight and lifting heavy weights it was just wearing my back out. I wasn't deadlifting yet at that time but now my squat and deadlift are higher than ever.

 

[Gutterpump]

I know this sounds simple, but when I was suffering lower back pain a couple of years ago I went to see a chiro. It turned out that my pain was caused by a weak lower back. He had me do body weight hyperextensions working up to a certain rep range several times per week. Within a month my back pain was completely gone. He said that my muscle mass and strength had gone up but I had neglected my lower back. Between carrying excess muscle weight and lifting heavy weights it was just wearing my back out. I wasn't deadlifting yet at that time but now my squat and deadlift are higher than ever.

Same happened to me in the past. Overall strength and size went up but I neglected core. Good to work your overall core for any back pain. Fixing core imbalances usually helps fix hyper lordosis as well (anterior pelvic tilt). Also a good idea to strengthening glutes and the quadratus lumborum, as well as stretching/lengthening/releasing all of these mentioned muscles, including the psoas.

In the meantime, if you're a side sleeper, use a body pillow between your legs/knees. If you're a back sleeper, put a pillow under your knees at night.

 

[physical]

I do have the "butt wink" issue. I have been doing some more stretching lately and doing more goblet squats. I will get into back extensions a lot and see if that will help.

 

[asooneyeonig]

I do have the "butt wink" issue. I have been doing some more stretching lately and doing more goblet squats. I will get into back extensions a lot and see if that will help.

Stretch your groin and hip flexors

 

[NattyForLife]

I do have the "butt wink" issue. I have been doing some more stretching lately and doing more goblet squats. I will get into back extensions a lot and see if that will help.

Also look into Mackenzie exercises! Very simple yet effective!

 

[physical]

I know this sounds simple, but when I was suffering lower back pain a couple of years ago I went to see a chiro. It turned out that my pain was caused by a weak lower back. He had me do body weight hyperextensions working up to a certain rep range several times per week. Within a month my back pain was completely gone. He said that my muscle mass and strength had gone up but I had neglected my lower back. Between carrying excess muscle weight and lifting heavy weights it was just wearing my back out. I wasn't deadlifting yet at that time but now my squat and deadlift are higher than ever.

Did it hurt after doing back extensions? Also anyway to determine what is tight and what is weak? I pulled 415 DL the other day (170lbs bodyweight). But my squat is 335x1. My back over arches about 5 inches before parallel. I have started doing stretching of my hips, groin, quads, rolling flexors, calfs, hamstrings. Since then I have been even more tight/sore.

However here is something that might help. I have had this pain consistently for probably 3 years. It doesn't always hurt badly but it is always a feeling I feel. Now since I have started stretching I have noticed that if I am sitting flat on floor with legs out in front, an reach forward to stretch that mt feet get tingles (pins & needles). Did some research and could possibly be pinched nerve from bulging disc? I talked to my DR today and he wants me to go to a "back" class which just teaches me exercises and strengthening techniques for lower back.

Based on my feet tingling from stretching and the fact that they do the same thing when I hang from a pull-up bar, is it possible I might have a pinched nerve? If so, anything I can do NOW to work on it?