Low Back Pain, Would Like to Train Around

[rlovelett]

Been having lower back pain on and off for about three months. Started with deadlifts, the injury wasn't sudden, it was more of a dull pain in my hips, right in the sacral area. Tried to do bill starr rehab with deads, seemed to just aggravate it further. The pain mostly came when I tried to touch my toes or extend my back with shoulders back and chest up. went to ortho, took x-rays, said I had no disc slippage but a titled pelvis. reccommended physical therapy. also suggested an mri but I can't afford all this stuff. at this point stopped lifting entirely. been doing a lot of stretching like supine bridges and correcting my posture. having my abs be sore is a new feeling. also have been doing magnificient mobility dynamic stretching.

asked my therapist if it would be ok to start squatting again and she said as long as it was with light weights. started to do bill starr rehab. yesterday was my fourth day of squats with 70 x 25, 75 x 25, and 80 x 25. On the last set, felt my lower back spasm. had the same pain from the initial injury, only now it doesn't hurt to extend my back with chest up and shoulders back, but trying to touch my toes hurts.

should I just wait longer and go back into starr, or lay off lower body completely for a while? I love lifting, so I would prefer to still do some stuff like benching and would be ok with leg extensions and sitting press as long as I could keep healing. I'm tired of months off with no gains and I feel myself getting weaker.

btw, I had surgery for kyphosis and scoliosis 7 years ago. the physical therapist said I should stop doing deadlifts entirely. I do not want to do that.

[MikeC1]

Try the Starr rehab with goodmornings (round backed). Definitely start with the empty bar. You won't be able to do heavy squats or deads until it's better. Laying off from all exercise won't make this go away, it will stay painful until you make it heal.

[t0rment]

Starr rehab is only for muscle belly injuries, and is most effective shortly after the injury occurs. This doesn't sound like a muscle belly injury to me.

[MikeC1]

But on the other hand, Starr developed his rehab protocol exactly for this kind of back pain, and he, myself, and others have found it to work for it. Just do it and see if it helps.

[t0rment]

Ah ok, wasn't aware of that.

[rlovelett]

Thanks for the advice. I don't see my physical therapist for another week or so. Common sense would be I consult her before doing starr again. Or would you think it's safe to jump back in with an empty bar? I have a feeling she will say no way to good mornings. She says I have too many muscles.

I have never done good mornings before. I recorded myself with a broom stick tonight. Am I doing them correctly? Link to the video is below. I did not experience any pain from these. It's sped up considerably. Each set was about 5 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c02np75SMrg

I think I have limited mobility due to my spine surgery. Most of my upper back is fused.

[MikeC1]

The fact that there's no pain from doing these is a really good sign. Take another video, and don't speed it up. You want to get a full ROM with this, try to touch your chest to your thighs. Narrow stance, about same width as for your deadlift, feet straight ahead or even angled in slightly. There's a smooth rhythm you want to get into with these, down and up real smooth, no herky jerky. Just like with the other lifts, you want to keep the bar balanced over your midfoot, and this means your ass has to move way back. In fact you should initiate the movement by moving your ass back.

Your therapist doesn't want you to do deadlifts, she definitely won't want you doing goodmornings. Do them anyway, you can lie to her if it makes things go smoother. As long as you do them smooth and controlled and only gradually increase the weights, you won't injure yourself with them unless you lose your balance and fall on your face or something.

The upper back isn't really involved in this lift, just let it do what it wants and don't worry about it.

[rlovelett]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zW97h1_C58

here's a new video. tomorrow I'm going into the gym with a barbell, but I'd like some critiques as to what I'm doing wrong. I sense little rhythm doing these and perhaps not getting my ass back far enough.

[MikeC1]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, you have to bend at the knees. Bend as much as necessary, maybe more than you think you should. That will help you get lower, keep in balance, and reduce the strain on your hamstrings.

Your sense of balance doing these will gradually improve, until then keep working on trying to get lower, think chest to thighs.

[williamlexcrawford]

*correction