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Thread: Lower Left Back Pain after Lifting

  1. #1
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    Default Lower Left Back Pain after Lifting

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    I’ve been lifting on and off for the past few years. Recently had some health issues (low testosterone, sleep apnea) that made recovery unmanageable and took a lay off until those issues got resolved. Been trying to get back into LP and things have been going well except for a low back issue I’ve been having. This issue has come up in the past but it’s getting to the point where I need to do something better than just endure.

    During the lifts, I don’t feel any pain. Some stiffness and soreness directly afterwards but nothing that seems unusual to me. However, a couple hours after lifting I start getting pretty unmanageable lower back pain. It can last anywhere between a day to almost a week. Sometimes it even wakes me up from sleep. The left posterior superior iliac spine area has a constant pain. When I shift around the pain changes, sometimes worse sometimes better. When I stand up straight and lean back toward my left I get a much sharper pain in the same area of my back. The pain often goes down the leg too. It does not hurt at all when I actually squat or deadlift and I can’t tell from the lift if it’s going to hurt. Sometimes I say, “feels pretty good, must be fine today” and can hardly walk the next day. Sometimes I think “this is gonna be bad,” and don’t have the issue at all.

    It hurts the worst when I have to stand for extended periods and slightly leaning forward, like when I’m doing the dishes. Once it gets hurting, sitting or standing or lying down doesn’t take the pain away. Just have to keep shifting around and try to ignore it. Some mashing and massaging the area does seem to help, despite the tenderness. If I'm not lifting at all, the pain is generally not there but once or twice it came up with no apparent stressor.

    Went to the orthopedist. He took an X-ray. Said “congrats, you’re fine” and said I should stop lifting. Obviously not helpful at all.

    Any thoughts on what I can do? I feel like this is some kind of sciatica. I’ve never been to a massage therapist or chiropractor but really considering it now. I’m just concerned because it seems to happen 4/5 times after a lift, and doesn’t seem to be going away or changing at all.

  2. #2
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    Welcome 10 year veteran member!

    Show us your lifts.

  3. #3
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    Apologies for not following the upload guidelines. These are some lifts from a previous work out. I will try to take more videos according to the guidelines if these aren't helpful enough.

    June 6, 2023 - YouTube
    June 6, 2023 - YouTube

  4. #4
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    An X-ray will not show the problem. You need an MRI and from the sound of it you might have bulging discs. I have 5 bulging discs, L-1-L-5, and standing or any forward lean about kills me. No over head press, squats, deadlifts, hamstrings, leg press, or anything to put pressure on your back. I walk 2-4 miles a day and do 200 Cobra pushups and my back is feeling better but still a couple of months away from being back to normal. According to the severity of the bulge, it will take 6 months to heal. The only squats I can do is Bulgarian split squats with light weight. YMMV.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry R View Post
    An X-ray will not show the problem. You need an MRI and from the sound of it you might have bulging discs. I have 5 bulging discs, L-1-L-5, and standing or any forward lean about kills me. No over head press, squats, deadlifts, hamstrings, leg press, or anything to put pressure on your back. I walk 2-4 miles a day and do 200 Cobra pushups and my back is feeling better but still a couple of months away from being back to normal. According to the severity of the bulge, it will take 6 months to heal. The only squats I can do is Bulgarian split squats with light weight. YMMV.
    Worst advice I've ever seen, Jerry. If this is healing you up, it's in spite of this stupid shit, not because of it.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesuh45 View Post
    Apologies for not following the upload guidelines. These are some lifts from a previous work out. I will try to take more videos according to the guidelines if these aren't helpful enough.

    June 6, 2023 - YouTube
    June 6, 2023 - YouTube
    Well, your squat depth is too deep, so that might be aggravating things.

    Put the pins on the other side of the rack so you face outward and not at the mirror. Look at the ground and lean over, not a lot, but some.

    Regarding your deadlift, stop trying to lower the bar down from the top. Let gravity to the majority of the work. As the set goes on, pay attention to staying over the bar and pushing the floor away. I think your step 4 needs work. Right now, you're just snapping your head up and less squeezing your chest up.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Worst advice I've ever seen, Jerry. If this is healing you up, it's in spite of this stupid shit, not because of it.
    D387AA6A-8FF6-48B3-B824-7CAC41667CEF_1_105_c.jpg

    Well this is me at 67. What can your fat ass do? The man asked for advise and you attack me. I could out lift you back in the '80's when I was 182 pounds and at 71 I can still out lift your sorry fat ass! It must make your narcissistic self feel all self important. The only stupid shit is most of what you say. I would bet money this will not be allowed to be posted. That's alright, I'll come to your gym and say it in person.

  8. #8
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    You seem confused about the difference between physical ability, intelligence, and experience. Can I help with this?

  9. #9
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    You have a subtle amount of hip shift in your squat: your whole pelvis moves slightly to the right at the bottom. The camera angle might be playing tricks on my eyes but I don't think so. Not sure if this is a primary or secondary cause, or an *effect*, but it's probably related somewhat. I would bet that the left erector is slightly weaker than the right, and so working disproportionately hard. It appears to get worse with depth so not going so deep and leaning over more as Satch says might do something to address this.

    What does your pulling programming look like? I found when my squat and my deadlift were that close my low back couldn't keep up with the squatting, and I had similar discomfort (though not as severe). Your deadlift is only 25(?) pounds ahead of your squat, and looked like way more work (to my remote eye). You might just need to get your back stronger.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry R View Post
    An X-ray will not show the problem. You need an MRI and from the sound of it you might have bulging discs. I have 5 bulging discs, L-1-L-5, and standing or any forward lean about kills me. No over head press, squats, deadlifts, hamstrings, leg press, or anything to put pressure on your back. I walk 2-4 miles a day and do 200 Cobra pushups and my back is feeling better but still a couple of months away from being back to normal. According to the severity of the bulge, it will take 6 months to heal. The only squats I can do is Bulgarian split squats with light weight. YMMV.
    You are correct about the MRI part, but medical articles have shown lumbar back surgery isnt the best, unlike cervical. As for rehab I have had some back issues there and then and the deadlift and squat helped the most. You just have to find a weight that you can do without injurie pain. This could even be a body weight squat at first. We rehab with the same movments we use to get strong, Just with lighter intensity. So for example you messed up your back it hurts to bend over. You start Ibprofen to keep inflamation down. You may need to take a week off, but at some point you have to make it heal. I have had both my shoulders worked on and I can tell you the overhead press helped a ton. Nothing wrong with a lay off for a short period, but at some point you have to get blood flow and give the body a reason to heal.

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