For many months now my lower back has been hurting.

It's not a dull, aching pain. Rather, it intermittently spasms, sending sharp pain all along my lower back.

I believe this to have originated from less-than-perfect form when doing ass-to-heel squats and/or deadlifts.

As preventive/recuperative measures, I have started doing squats and sumo dl with very light weights and strict form. I am continuing with my ab work and reverse hypers.

Today, I was on the 12th reverse hyper with a 25 lb plate when my back spasmed.

I went to see my primary care physician -- he just told me to be careful when I'm lifting, because he didn't find anything wrong with my discs.

Stuart McGill's book "Low Back Disorders" costs $48 (rather pricey) and his other book "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance" is out of stock.

Please help me!

Thanks,

Bump can anyone give some info on this,

I have annoying back pains as well. Been having them for 5 years now. Even after taking a year off of lifting my back still hurts. I recently bought a new matress as well. I've been to the chiropractor in the past and he said my hip was coming out of place. I went to him serveral times but it never seemed to help. Although, at first I did feel taller and better after he knocked it back in. Should I return to see him? What can I do to keep it in place?

It's only my left side of my lower back, the muscle is always tense.

If anyone could give any info it would be greatly appreciate considering I soon start my workout splits again, but with these back pains my weight will never be able to increase with BO rows, deadlifts, squats etc..

Ask around and find a reputable chiropractor. You've probably been feed bullshit that they are no good but that is not so. I had the same low back problems for two years and I went to physcial therapy or to see a MD. Neither made the problems in my low back go away. Finally a family member suggested chiropractic care. I didn't think much of the idea but went any way.

Within a few weeks of being adjusted my back was feeling much better and I was able to do lifts that involve the low back with out pain. It is five months since I started adjustments and I am back pain free. Give it a try, it'll be worth your time.

i would agree. a good chiropractor is important . i hurt my neck years ago doing good mornings with a manta ray and it caused an abrassion to a nerve in my neck that caused three fingers in my left hand to go numb. a chiroprator was the only one that helped me.

Acupuncture can do wonders for back pain of almost an etiology.

Well my mom has went to one most of her life for her hip as well. However, she sleeps on a umcomfortable...what does that show. She's never been one for beds though which is sorta odd I guess. She's the one who got me into going in the first place. The doctor we go to is a great and knowledgeable guy, however, just seems like even if I went for weeks on end it does nothing but reset itself (my hip).

I am reconsidering going to see him though.


If to say the chiropractor doesn't help i'll look more into this. I've been having my back pains for years on end. You'd think I have ADHD because I can't sit still in a seat for longer than 5 minutes. I have to constantly rechange position even while on the computer.

Word.

The reason western medicine is f'n clueless (and I have an MD, do japanese acupressure and have gotten acupuncture) about lower back stuff it that, leaving aside lifting and athletic injuries, there is a whopping degree of mental/emotional...stuff involved in back problems.

If you have injured yourself, but all means chiropractic, active release, learning posture, McGill stuff, etc.

But if you have not injured yourself then you are dealing in the realm of..mental emotional stuff and acupuncture is a realy good choice.

Dang Benson you make me want to go back and really learn chinese medicine.

Hes good for that

but how much money are we talking for Acupuncture? Also would I need to go serveral times before I began to feel better, and even know its my back that hurts would they still cover my body with Acupunctures?

The extent of the acupuncture will depend on the findings of the practitioner, his school or treatment, etc. Scott is absolutely right that a lot of LBP has nothing to do with physical problems and will not yield to physical treatment alone.

Somethng to keep in mind is that acupuncture, as it was originally developed, was done every day over the course of several days or weeks until the underlying imbalance was resolved. This doesn't fit with our Western practice of going to see the doc, get a pill and come back in a couple of months for a follow-up.

You should look at it more like physical therapy in terms of do you have to go back again.

The guy I learned most of my acupuncture from had a rule of thumb that it would take the same number of weeks to get better as you had been unwell in months. So, if you had been dealing with back pain for six months, it would probably take about six weeks to get things back into balance.

There is some evidence that "trigger point" acupuncture is more effective than multi-needle/five elements style for low back pain in which case the number of needles would be small.

Interesting, i'll have to look further into this ,though. I'm going to talk to my chiropractor to see if hes knowledgeable about anything (just dealing with my hip).

As far as Acupuncture goes, if to say it was expensive and I really did need something like that, it would be a shame considering I probably would have no way to afford such a process so frequently. Especially because i've had my back problems for almost five years now, which would be 60 weeks or a little over one year. One a week for a reasonable price doesn't sound bad and once it because a priority it would be no problem. But daily ehh.

According to what you and others have been saying that if the pain doesn't stem from actual physical problem that occured it can need Acupuncture. Well I dont recall ever actually damaging my lower back/hip in means of falling/pulling muscles. The only thing I do remember is ever since 8th grade in the year 2000, I started cracking my back in my chair at school. I would press against the desk with my hands and lean back. It became constant. I'm not sure why I started doing this, I suppose because I enjoyed the feeling/sound of it. In 9th grade one year later I missed a lot of school because I began to have lower back problems very often. When I would get to school and sit in the chairs, no more than 5 minutes later it would begin to hurt. Thus I constantly move in my seat, and I still do that today. However, I don't crack my back on the desk, but when my back feels stiff I stand up, put my hands and elbows up and out as if I was being told to feeze by a cop, and cletch my back and lean back slightly. That cracks my back(maybe my vertebrae)a little bit.

So if this is the cause, which seems likely I caused the pain myself. First I suppose I need to stop cracking it whatsoever...unless thats good for it. Might start looking for stretching exercises.

Here is another possibility. Turns out that low serum vitamin D levels may be a contributing factor and from other research I have been doing, most Americans are woefully deficient in D so you might consider a supplement, at least until summer when you can get plenty of solar exposure.

Spine. 2003 Jan 15;28(2):177-9.
Vitamin D deficiency and chronic low back pain in Saudi Arabia.

Al Faraj S, Al Mutairi K.

Department of Medicine, Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. alfaraj@yahoo.com

STUDY DESIGN: Initial assessment involved 360 patients (90% women and 10% men) attending spinal and internal medicine clinics over a 6-year period who had experienced low back pain that had no obvious cause for more than 6 months. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 52 years. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the contribution of vitamin D deficiency as a cause for idiopathic chronic low back pain, to find a simple and sensitive test for screening patients with low back pain for vitamin D deficiency, and to determine the correlation between the vitamin deficiency and pain. METHODS: A biochemical assay of serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D level was performed before and after treatment with vitamin D supplements. RESULTS: Findings showed that 83% of the study patients (n = 299) had an abnormally low level of vitamin D before treatment with vitamin D supplements. After treatment, clinical improvement in symptoms was seen in all the groups that had a low level of vitamin D, and in 95% of all the patients (n = 341). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is a major contributor to chronic low back pain in areas where vitamin D deficiency is endemic. Screening for vitamin D deficiency and treatment with supplements should be mandatory in this setting. Measurement of serum 25-OH cholecalciferol is sensitive and specific for detection of vitamin D deficiency, and hence for presumed osteomalacia in patients with chronic low back pain.

Cjdawg1069 what exacly are the symptoms of youre back problem? I have a back problem which semmes very similar, i got it when i was 13 and have had it since. Its right at the base of the spine where my spinal cord meets my pelvis. Basically the spine semmes bent at that point, its not generally very painfull but omnipresent and im unable to sit perfectly straight. Very rarly i also experience very painfull shooting pains in my right hip. Its has also caused a muscular imbalance in my back muscles (my right side is stonger). Does ony of this stuff ring a bell?

Similar, however, not in the same location according to how you describe it. My pains are on the right side of my lower back where the top of my butt meets. The pain feels like the tensing of the muscle. Almost of if it's tensing up to compensate for some problem. My chiropractor told me hip was out in the past and it continued to pop out frequently. As you said about sitting, I as well can not sit properly for very long. I don't know why my hip would be out in the first place unless of course sitting could do this. The problem came when I first received my computer in 9th grade. I ended up spending a lot of time in that chair. My bed matress was also horrible. I have a newer one now, but it's still not something highly suitable for my body.

Within the last few months ever since my bulk started i've been doing hyper-extensions and good mornings. If i'm not mistaken my back has become stronger and the pain has somewhat dissipated. I always get an extra dose of the pain when I do Deadlifts or other exercises that can affect the back. I'm assuming this is common, though.

your hamstrings are probaly very tight. hip flexors as well. Strecthing these a few times a week, especially after lower body movements will make a world of difference.

I agree. From what I've seen, many lower back pain issues can be improved/resolved by working on flexibility.

two thumbs up on the flexibility impact on lower back injury.

I used Pilates, theraputically for lower back (cured my knee ACL issues by supps and careful workouts) for two years and was *very impressed* with the results, as this set the stage for a solid year of back development.

I added hypers about 8 months ago and, funnily enough, when done with moderation (resistance) and higher reps seemed to do quite a bit for further reduction of scar tissue tighteness which had continued to be problematic in the lower lumber region (two ruptured disks, natural repair, plus one lateral dislocation in a car accident) er residual discomfort disappeared with Pilates workouts (3-4 x week, 1 hr, post lifting or cardio).

Sounds to me like your have problem in the vertebral column and/or SI joint. if a vertebrate is not moving properly or is stuck in one postion or the SI joint is locked you will get this type of on and off again spasm and worse. Need to go see a good Sports chiropractor and you will be back to normal in no time bro.

I rely heavily on my chiropractor and massage therapist when I am training...MDC gave some good advice

rock

Cool....I am always getting bac injuries anyway so I can use some extra advice......

No problem guys I will help the best I can over the net.

Not that I don't enjoy the back pain discussion in my log but it was starting to seem hauntingly familiar...this thread is why...

LOL I thought so....

I still haven't found the connection between phenibut and low back pain. I did find, however that phenibut is cardioprotective when taken with alcohol. In particular, it prevents problems associated with drinking alcohol and cardiac problems.

I also found some stuff on substance P and phenibut, as phenibut dulls the pain sensation. Could be one of those rebound actions after taking it, like the irritability one experiences afterwards

A lot of this sounds like a back problem I have been dealing with off-and-on (mostly on...) for the last 8 months.

Note post 11 above and the vitamin D/back pain connection...

Yeah, that caught my eye. I also recall seeing something about isotretinoin and vitamin D levels, and wonder if the two are linked.

Make sure and strengthen your abs too - that will help give your lower back more stability and take some stress off of it. Also pay attention to your posture. Try acupuncture and/or chiropractor to get away the pain, but practice preventive measures to keep it from coming back.

Before visiting the chiropractor, I recommend some imaging work to determine if any of your discs are bulged/herniated. A chiropractic adjustment could make thinks worse.

An update from me:

After experiencing severe pain when attempting even light bent-over rows for the first time since doing PT for my back, I decided to return to my doctor. After several x-rays, an MRI, and nerve tests, I was diagnosed with a bulging L5S1 that is slightly impinging on the sacral nerve roots. I visited a spine doctor who specializes in athletes, and he recommended a facet joint injection and additional physical therapy.

I have been having a very similar problem, a sharp pain at the lower end of back, but distinctly to the left side at the ass region. I have had a hip flexor injury a few years ago, and have been careful to stretch a lot and strengthen the area. I would have to say I am relatively strong in the lower back, and legs, so this took me by surprise. I tweaked it so bad that I aggravated a nerve and had symptoms of sciatica (aka, left leg immobile for 2 days, on and off aggravation for two weeks). I placed myself on the 15 day DL for softball league, but have been practicing and working out.

I didnt get it checked out, but if someone has a lead, it would be nice....

My bilateral facet joint injection didnt provide any relief, so rather than proceed with any additional invasive procedures, I am focusing now on physical therapy. I've been working on tightening up my core significantly (even though it has always been solid) and stretching out my hamstrings in a manner that doesn't also torque my back. My physical therapist told me that, in the event of a lower back injury, the hamstrings tend to tighten up to help pull the pelvis in and keep the back more neutral when in a standing position. The downside is that any bending over motion will transfer more stress to the lower back, because the hams are too tight.

yup...that's what I have..My hams are way to tight...no bulging joints, no problems with the spine...but as soon as I saw the X-Rays my spine curves to the left...overstretching the right side, which is where I get injured all the time