hey sam, i think i may have irritate or done something to my sciatic nerve. i feel it in my lower left back, and it make my whole left leg feel kinda weird. worst part is, i didnt do anything intense yesterday except BB shrugs.
any words of wisdom, as you have had your experiences with this sorta thing?
Yes. Lay back on your dead lifts. Your erectors may need more rest then you are providing. Sciatica is normally associated with bone. It's when one of your lumbar discs are slightly edged to the left or right (thus, slip disc) and impinges your sciatic nerve, which runs down the back of your leg. But before you get scared, I highly doubt you have a slip disc, otherwise, you would have a severely hard time doing "anything" and your sense of urgency would be much more intense.
Horrifically inflamed erectors can also "lightly" impinge your sciatic nerve. Barbell Shrugs cause a static contraction of the erectors and I'm thinking that static contraction was enough to send your erectors into a highly inflammed and muscle spasm state.
This last summer when I jacked my lower back, was the week after my 495lbs x 2 dead lift. I was "warming up" my rows and bam, it was the straw that broke the camels back.
Give yourself 2 to 3 weeks on the deads or bent over rows. Whatever you can do to tend to your erectors and allow them to settle. It seems your muscles are on the edge, and luckily you haven't crossed that edge, so take advantage of that and give your lower back a break.
You can still do everything else, just tend to your lower back. You have been cranking out those deads week after week and making PR's. Life time Powerlifters don't PR weekly, they do a more intensity tapering method to keep those erectors from exploding and allow the lumbar time to adjust.
Bone is a tissue as well and bone can hypertrophy like muscle, only bone grows in density, rather then size, though size can be an eventual outcome. Bone of course progresses at a much slower rate then muscle and when your erectors strength have outgrown their lumbar bone strength, then the bone receives more stress then is safe for longevity.
Give yourself a 2 week lumbar relief, but maintain your other lifts.
