Pain between two of my vertebrae from press

Guys, a month ago I lost balance in the press while warming up with the empty barbell. The heel of my shoes were on a cushioned part of the gym floor, while my toes were on a rigid part. This caused me to lean back excessively and I felt like a “pressure” on my low-to-mid back between two of my vertebrae. From that moment I haven’t returned to my normal press weight (60Kg, 135lbs), because if I get too heavy I get that pressure feeling that I could break something.

I went to the doctor, they examined me, took x-rays, and couldn’t find anything wrong with my back. He told me to stretch with a foam roller and says it looks like a muscular and not a bone issue.

Do you guys have experienced anything similar?

Rory,

How old are you? Height and weight?

Are you pressing with a belt?

Post a video of your press.

So far, all of my back tweaks over many years have responded well to stretching, but not by using a foam roller. Never had a tweak from pressing, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rory M

Guys, a month ago I lost balance in the press while warming up with the empty barbell. The heel of my shoes were on a cushioned part of the gym floor, while my toes were on a rigid part. This caused me to lean back excessively and I felt like a “pressure” on my low-to-mid back between two of my vertebrae. From that moment I haven’t returned to my normal press weight (60Kg, 135lbs), because if I get too heavy I get that pressure feeling that I could break something.

I went to the doctor, they examined me, took x-rays, and couldn’t find anything wrong with my back. He told me to stretch with a foam roller and says it looks like a muscular and not a bone issue.

Do you guys have experienced anything similar?

I am no expert but I have experienced something that was strikingly similar to what you are describing. Please bear with me as this is difficult to explain in my second language.

In 2013, at age 31, I was "pressing" a military modular tent that we were tearing down, with somebody underneath folding the legs as we held the tent slightly above the ground. When we got the call to lower the tent, one leg got stuck and people starting lifting it up again. Being 5 feet tall, I overextended while standing on my toes and experienced I sharp pain in what felt like "between two of my vertebrae", exactly as you say. This left a tender spot that lasted for weeks in that location.

Although the pain was totally occasional and manageable at a mere 1-2, I was very worried because of its location, thinking I had hurt my spine. As it turned out, I had dislodged a floating rib. The pain was from the ligament holding it between T11 and T12. That is what I was told anyway. Once the rib returned to its normal position, the tender spot persisted for several months with no other complication. It flared up again on a few occasions, such as during a dragon boat event. This has not happened to me again since 2015.

All this being said, I do not know what would be the implications for pressing - and I feel very sorry for you because this is my favorite movement. But hopefully my account can give you some hope that your injury might not be as serious as it feels.