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Thread: Lower Back Pain - Going on 6 Weeks

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
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    Southwest Michigan
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    Default Lower Back Pain - Going on 6 Weeks

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    Hi All -

    Male
    6'2"
    ~250lbs.
    Estimated 1RMs (Based on training history):
    Squat: 445#
    Bench: 280#
    Deadlift: 495#

    I've been training for about a year straight since my last leg surgery (9 total), and am well into "Intermediate" training. I ran an 18 week LP, switched to the Texas Method for 24 weeks, at which point my progress began to stall. Around this same time, I started playing more golf, and experiencing what I would call lower back fatigue (not pain, just soreness). Timing was good, because just as I felt the end of TM approaching, I was in Dallas, and decided to work with an SSC to discuss subsequent programming, have him assess my form, etc. (I was pleased that my form was assessed as pretty good for having never worked with a coach, and he gave me props for doing a "no-shit Texas Method" at the age of 29.) At that time, he (Jordan) helped lay out a four-day split program, which I've been loving so far - I have so much more free-time around training sessions!

    Unfortunately, around that time my lower back soreness began to turn into pain, tightness, etc. and really raised my concerns when it "popped" on a 415# block pull, and the pain increased. Since then it's been two steps forward and what step back: I've been stretching religiously, training as usual (sometimes call it quits on deadlifts early if popping/pain occurs, which just happened this morning on a 430# block pull again), and eating and sleeping as normal (4000kcal, 9+ hours of sleep). Interestingly, deadlifts from the floor (of which I haven't gone heavier than about 335# since this began) almost never create these issues.

    I'm posting here to get input from others who have been training longer than me. Over these past ~6 weeks of dealing with this, I go through phases of being very worried, reminding myself not to be worried as that will affect my performance and I'm not necessarily INJURED, and repeating. Most of the time my back is slightly sore, some days are worse than others, and some days it's as if there's no pain. In the past when I've tweaked my back, it never lasts longer than about a week, so this is a new experience for me.

    For some additional background: I've had surgery on my left leg nine times, have my soleus relocated (does't work), and my anterior tibial tendon has been removed. This of course leads to me favoring my right side, which may or may not have an influence on this issue. I am sick of having surgery, going to doctors, and in line with Rip's beliefs, always take a doctor's input with a grain of salt. Additionally, this would have to be a lot worse for me to take a break from training.

    The pain is generally isolated to the lower back and glutes, and sometimes down the OUTSIDE of my left leg (as opposed to the back of my left leg). That feels like a stretch more than anything. I'm wondering if it's related to the SI joint, and my dad mentioned that it could be sciatic nerve pain related (he's had back surgery twice, and is biased to what he knows, so I'm cautious to jump to that conclusion).

    I would love to hear others' inputs, ideas of what I might be dealing with, or advice on how to best deal with this and/or mitigate the issue WITHOUT stopping training or going to a doctor.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,557

    Default

    Why 9 operations on your leg?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Southwest Michigan
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    Default

    Hi Rip!

    I broke both my tib & fib at the age of 24 while skateboarding. Had immediate surgery to reset the leg (titanium rod, screws, etc.). Within a few hours this led to compartment syndrome, whereby the leg began swelling uncontrollably. Then they performed a double fasciotomy (cut open both sides of leg to relieve pressure). This worked on one side of the leg, but not the other, which led to exposed muscle dying (forget what they called that). Basically over about a month in the hospital, the trauma surgeon just kept putting me under and fucking up my leg more and more - in my opinion. Though, all personal responsibility taken into account, it's my own damn fault for breaking my leg.

    Last August (now four years after the incident), the scar on my shin began to open up from the inside and expose tendons, etc. I knew there was an issue, but the trauma surgeon told me to "not worry about it," the wound doctors couldn't do much (without surgery), and eventually I was referred to a plastic surgeon who found that it was a case of osteomylitis (bone infection) from the previous surgeries. At that point, I prepped for the 9th and hopefully last surgery, where they moved the soleus to the shin to promote blood circulation to help the bone fragments that the surgeon removed to heal and fuse back together.

    That last hospital stint is when I finally ordered both SSBBT and PPST and just laid in that damn hospital bed and prepped myself for an NLP and subsequent programming, which I began as soon as I had my picc line removed in early November 2020.

    Hope that answers your question in a relatively concise manner...

    As an aside, I also tore my labrum in that initial accident, which has yet to be dealt with (I am sick of surgeries at this point, and will put it off for a while). Hasn't stopped me from pressing movements, but it is a bitch nonetheless.

  4. #4
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    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    Stop estimating your 1RMs, because they are exactly shit right now. And we're sorry about your shitty doctors. Your question is about your back, right? Are you deadlifting? Are you doing situps?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Southwest Michigan
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    Will do, although to be clear those "Estimated 1RMs" are just what my last Intensity Day working weights were during TM, for singles across. Jordan and I just used those numbers to determine where to start on a four day split. I "misspoke" in my initial post.

    No need to be sorry about the shitty doctors - it was a tremendous learning experience, and has set me on a new path - though I appreciate the sentiment.

    Yes - I'm looking for input on what I might be dealing with, and how best to mitigate pain, specifically on "Intensity Day" Rack Pulls x5, which is when it seems to "flares up" most frequently. Deadlifting from the floor isn't as much of an issue, but like I said in my initial post, I haven't gone above ~335# from the floor since this began. I was advised by Jordan in Dallas to do Rack Pulls for a set of 5 for Intensity Deadlift, as opposed to what I had been doing (Heavy Single, followed by a set of 3 at ~95%, all from the floor).

    Also noteworthy, squatting doesn't bother my back - if anything it feels better under weight.

    No situps.

  6. #6
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    North Texas
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    If rack pulls aggravate your back and full deadlifts do not, stop rack pulls and resume your LP from the floor only.

  7. #7
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    Feb 2021
    Location
    Southwest Michigan
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    This solution is so simple I seemed to have overlooked it. I guess I've subconsciously assumed that if it hurts from the blocks, it'll certainly hurt from the floor at that weight, too. Only one way to find out.

    I'll give this a go next Tuesday - and will be tremendously relieved if it becomes a non-issue.

    Thanks for taking the time to respond, Mark. It's much appreciated.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Posts
    105

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    starting strength coach development program
    Many thanks Evan for posting about your situation, and Godspeed in your recovery process. Sounds like you've been through a ton of trash, but hopefully approaching the light at the end of the tunnel!

    Forgive my childish curiosity, but can I ask what happened on your skateboard? I'm also a skater, and both my ankles are probably messed up for life...but I still skate a couple days out of the week, if I have time (priority obviously goes to strength training). That being said, maybe I'm being stupid by continuing to skate...I'm doing mostly flatground stuff (no vert or jumping big stair sets), but of course that's no guarantee for safety. But if I can learn anything from your incident, I'm all ears.

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