'Naturally' flat low back

Hello Rip, everyone: I had an appointment with a chiropractor today. It was my second visit to address some wonkiness I've had in my left hip/low back for a few months. An MRI in February read as follows:

Physiologic lordosis of the lumbar spine. Normal signal of the vertebrae and discs with the exception for desiccation of the discs L4/5 and L5/S1. Mild disc loss height at L5/S1. Small anular tears at the disc L4/5 and L5/S1. Mild disc bulges at those levels. No evidence for a disc herniation or protrusion. Normal width of the lumbar spinal canal. No evidence for recent or remote vertebral fractures. No evidence for compression of neural elements. No significant facet joint arthropathic changes visible.

Thank you for bearing with me through that. Anyway, at the end of the session I asked him if he could tell me if I was properly locking my spine into rigid extension. I demonstrated what I thought was good technique, but he said I was hyperextending and that my low back is actually quite naturally flat. I usually think of the 'dick between knees' cue, but that seems to compromise good form in my case. Is a naturally flat low back a thing? As a point of interest, this chiropractor works with a lot of NHL and CFL players, and seems pretty legit.

I'll be road-tripping to visit Sully as soon as my schedule allows, but in the meanwhile, can any advice be offered in this regard?

Rip, thanks for everything.

Your back is normal for an adult. The fact that the chiropractor works with high-level athletes is meaningless, since high-level athletes do not usually train with barbells, and if they do, they do it incorrectly. And your chiropractor is not a barbell coach, so he doesn't know what a correct back position in a pull is, or why. Post a video.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Theban93

The earlier you accept what Rip just told you here, the better for you in the long run. Those people are irrelevant.

---

I went to a chiropractor to get a LLD measured so I could get my lifting shoe shimmed, the chiro had me do a bunch of shit that in no way got me the measurement I needed, he asked me to do a body weight squat, and when I squatted with a forward leaning torso (like a properly performed low bar squat) he instantly proclaimed "OH! See how you are forced to lean forward? That means your hip flexors are too tight!!". This is what Rip refers to as "silly bullshit", and After hearing it straight from the chiropractors mouth I replied "I just need you to measure my LLD". He hounded me with phone calls for two months because he said I needed "consistent adjustments". Modern day snake oil salesmen.

One of the great myths in medicine is that team medical personnel are more qualified than the run-of-the-mill practitioner.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by O'Brien

An MRI in February read as follows: Physiologic lordosis of the lumbar spine (...)
-
he said I was hyperextending and that my low back is actually quite naturally flat.

---

I'm not quite sure what "naturally flat" is supposed to mean, but the MRI seems to be pretty clear, so unless he means "normal", I wouldn't read to much into that comment.
A flat back isn't normal. Physiologic lordosis = normal curvature of the lower back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe

Your back is normal for an adult. The fact that the chiropractor works with high-level athletes is meaningless, since high-level athletes do not usually train with barbells, and if they do, they do it incorrectly. And your chiropractor is not a barbell coach, so he doesn't know what a correct back position in a pull is, or why. Post a video.

---

And that of course.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr Wilson

I went to a chiropractor to get a LLD measured so I could get my lifting shoe shimmed, the chiro had me do a bunch of shit that in no way got me the measurement I needed, he asked me to do a body weight squat, and when I squatted with a forward leaning torso (like a properly performed low bar squat) he instantly proclaimed "OH! See how you are forced to lean forward? That means your hip flexors are too tight!!". This is what Rip refers to as "silly bullshit", and After hearing it straight from the chiropractors mouth I replied "I just need you to measure my LLD". He hounded me with phone calls for two months because he said I needed "consistent adjustments". Modern day snake oil salesmen.

---

Did you end up getting your LLD measured? Is measuring a LLD something that any chiropractor should be able to do and do they receive any formal training on it?

Thanks for the replies, guys. I was able to film today--posted a link over in the Technique thread.