Upper glute/lower back injury

[Ryan82]

Hi Rip,

I have a question about a lower back injury I have been fighting for about 3 weeks. 5 years ago, I suffered what I suspect was a bad muscle tear in my right upper glute/lower back that that radiated up to my hip bone/oblique area while doing deadlifts with very poor form. I think it scarred. I haven't lifted or had any pain there since I stopped lifting 3 years ago.

I am currently 2 months into my LP. 3 weeks ago, during my first set of squats, I felt a sharp sprained pain in the same area I previously injured. It is only in the upper glute/lower back and does not radiate into the obliques. I tried resting it a week then squatting heavy again the 2nd week and reinjured it. A couple of days ago, this is the third week, same problem. I can do my first set of heavy squats after warm-ups but nothing after that. I have an intense sprained pain, no neuropathy, no tingling, no bruising or noticable swelling.

I looked up the Starr protocol and did a session of squats at 135x20, 185x15, 185x15 and it wasn't too painful to do. I am planing on continuing this everyday and adding weight slowly until the pain is gone.

I want to know if you think this is a good plan?

Also, I am wondering if scarring is permanent or if you think it can be repaired through lifting?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Was there a bruise in the area of the injury 5 years ago?

[Ryan82]

I don't recall any bruising, but it was swollen and hot. I recall it feeling like there was something very wrong, not like a simple sprain. I also had tingling in my left foot. I rested it for about a week and then lifted(deadlifts with poor form, highbar half squats) and ran with pain for the next two years. For the last three years, no lifting and no pain.

Just got done with 185x25, feels good...

[Mark Rippetoe]

This is most likely a standard back tweak and not a torn muscle belly. It very seldom is a torn muscle belly. Use the search function.

[Ryan82]

Thanks for the input. I will do some more reading on training through minor tweaks.

[Ryan82]

This is most likely a standard back tweak and not a torn muscle belly. It very seldom is a torn muscle belly. Use the search function.

I did a lot of searching and reading. I suspect my previous injury was to the SI joint since there was no bruising and that it took years for the pain to completely go away. I admit that this is just an uneducated guess and would welcome any feedback from anyone more educated on this subject.

Regardless, I agree that I am currently dealing with a back tweak. My plan has been to continue with the Starr rehab and manage the pain with nsaids. I did 3 days of the Starr rehab and on the 4th day went skiing. Today the pain is very mild(best it's been in 3 weeks) so I am deloading a little bit and go back on the ss linear progression.

I am going to force these weak back muscles to get stronger.

[Ryan82]

That was my first time doing sslp. Once I quit, the pain disappeared. About a year later I tried sslp again and the same tweaks came back, I suspected it was from an old injury but after some form checks found out my technique was wrong in both squat and deadlift. I was mostly dealing with not setting my back.

Now about 8 months later I am yet again in the middle of my 3rd sslp. This time after fixing my form I have no pain in my lower back and I just pr'd my deadlift.