Hurt my back doing deadlifts.

[rick brophy]

I broke my max today doing deadlifts and when I finished, my lower back kind of hurt. Like right above my ass, the very lowest part of my back. It still hurts, like mainly when I lean over to pick something up ( it's only like 3 hours later right now ).

I've had back problems before, and I know that the I should just avoid deadlifts/bent over rows/squats until it starts to feel better, I don't think this is too serious, but is there anything else I should do to make it feel better, faster?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Cap]

I broke my max today doing deadlifts and when I finished, my lower back kind of hurt. Like right above my ass, the very lowest part of my back. It still hurts, like mainly when I lean over to pick something up ( it's only like 3 hours later right now ).

I've had back problems before, and I know that the I should just avoid deadlifts/bent over rows/squats until it starts to feel better, I don't think this is too serious, but is there anything else I should do to make it feel better, faster?

Any advice would be appreciated.

I would do a few things.  First, don't deadlift for a while.  I had the same problem and I stopped doing deadlifts.  I pulled a lot and continually hurt my back but thought it was normal until I really did it.  I was hurt for a while.  I think you will be fine on rows and squats but really look at what you want to accomplish with your body.  If it is PLing then deads are a must but I would think your form is bad to hurt yourself.  I hurt in the same area you mention (sciatic) and if you fuck with that enough you will have lasting problems.  The back is an unforgiving bodypart.

I would stretch that as often as possible.  It's hard to explain the stretches so I would google them but do them a lot.  PM "joelocal" for some good tips.  He really helped me a lot with rehab.  Once it is healed I would prehab that area and if your goals dictate, move onto another exercise.  I Olympic Clean now and my back is thicker top to bottom with no injuries. 

On top of stretches, apply ice and heat.  I'm not one for pain meds or OTC NSAIDs for healing but you may like them.  PM me if you want.  Good luck.

[pumpster]

Great example of the danger of DLs. Not essential IMO, if you have to do em keep the reps high, do rack pulls/partials, do hypers or just let the back work indirectly from other exercises like squats and rows.

Don't do anything that puts direct pressure on the back, take it easy for 1-3 weeks as needed, otherwise you could reaggrevate it and make it worse.

[rick brophy]

Thanks for the advice. I'm mainly annoyed because I have to sit through a 2 hour bus ride tomorrow and I know that's going to make it feel like shit. I've been using a heating pad for a bit and it's starting to feel slightly better.

[Deicide]

Thanks for the advice. I'm mainly annoyed because I have to sit through a 2 hour bus ride tomorrow and I know that's going to make it feel like shit. I've been using a heating pad for a bit and it's starting to feel slightly better.

Best advice you can get: see a doctor.

[Swedish Viking]

I have herntiated discs over and over again.  Having said that though, I would still LOOOOVE to deadlift again.  You can't blame the exercise for your injury, it's your unpreparedness for it.  Do as pumpster said-do your hypers, do some supermen, do some machine back extension if you have access and then go back to it if you feel up for it.  But from the symptoms you are describing it sounds like you could have already herniated a disc(if only slightly).  Whenever you sit down, you should have some lumber support.  I seriously used to carry around a rolled up t-shirt to put behind me whereever I went.  This makes sitting so much more comfortable it's not even funny.  Otherwise, if you're anything like me, sitting for two hours would be torture. 
  Last, when you are symptomatic like you are now-do some Mckenzie(sp?) exercises.  Basically lay totally flat and push your upper body, hips flat to the floor as high as you can get it-this is a way of manually pushing the discs back in.  Hold each rep for a full 20 sec and do 5 reps or so, up to 5x daily. 

[Hedgehog]

I broke my max today doing deadlifts and when I finished, my lower back kind of hurt. Like right above my ass, the very lowest part of my back. It still hurts, like mainly when I lean over to pick something up ( it's only like 3 hours later right now ).

I've had back problems before, and I know that the I should just avoid deadlifts/bent over rows/squats until it starts to feel better, I don't think this is too serious, but is there anything else I should do to make it feel better, faster?

Any advice would be appreciated.

This sounds like the typical ass-muscle-being-short-thing.


Check this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretches.php?MainMuscle=Glutes


Especially the Seated floor twist, I do a version of this, always before squatting. Standing I put the knee on an incline bench and twist. It should stretch back up in the ass.

I do it before I am warm, as well. My sports therapist told me it would be better that way. I usually crack out the back a little this way too.

[LatsMcGee]

Great example of the danger of DLs. Not essential IMO, if you have to do em keep the reps high, or do hypers instead of just let the back work from other exercises like squats and rows.

Don't do anything that puts direct pressure on the back, take it easy for 1-3 weeks as needed, otherwise you could reaggrevate it and make it worse.

High rep deadlifts?  Bad idea.

[ngm21084]

i know the thing that helps me is first off always wearing a tank top tucked in my shorts to keep constant warmth on the area and stretching is huge when you first get out of the shower and right before you start lifting...and if the pain does get to intense a couple of naproxen sodium or aleve before working out (its not a good idea) but times when you just want to lift and want to get rid of that pain for a bit...youll pay for it though....STRETCH it is vital to everyone and anyone but especially to someone with a lingering injury..

[Gene]

If it turns out there's nothing seriously wrong, epsom salt is your friend. Amazing how it can really speed healing of minor injuries, strains and pains.

[Your MAAAAaaaa]

High rep deadlifts?  Bad idea.

Agreed, i'm not saying go crazy heavy and do 3-4 reps but higher reps leads to more injuries, as I can attest too. 5,6,7 reps works fine imo

They need to be done properly and the benefits are huge! How many times does it need to be said!?

ta ta

[ngm21084]

Agreed, i'm not saying go crazy heavy and do 3-4 reps but higher reps leads to more injuries, as I can attest too. 5,6,7 reps works fine imo

They need to be done properly and the benefits are huge! How many times does it need to be said!?

ta ta

also i think ive noticed people who try to do dead lifts to fast...ive seen a couple of guys one i was lifitng with for a bit go to fast and completely pull or throw their lower back...if you slow down drop the wight a little and focus on the movement and position of your body from your feet to your head i believe you can see some really good gains from...

[Your MAAAAaaaa]

also i think ive noticed people who try to do dead lifts to fast...ive seen a couple of guys one i was lifitng with for a bit go to fast and completely pull or throw their lower back...if you slow down drop the wight a little and focus on the movement and position of your body from your feet to your head i believe you can see some really good gains from...

Amen to that.


I agree with Pumpster that they can be a danger and people do let their ego take over, this leads to dogshit form and then injury.

You need to go heavybut not at the expense of form or your spine!
 


ta ta

[ngm21084]

thats what im sayin maaaa   but that also applies to working out period...also movements and exercises i actually was a victim of this  when i first started working out but i have learned alot and really try and focus now on positioning and concentration on the negative rep as well as the positive trying to get maximum muscle strain...im not huge YET but i will be...

[Montague]

I broke my max today doing deadlifts and when I finished, my lower back kind of hurt. Like right above my ass, the very lowest part of my back. It still hurts, like mainly when I lean over to pick something up ( it's only like 3 hours later right now ).

I've had back problems before, and I know that the I should just avoid deadlifts/bent over rows/squats until it starts to feel better, I don't think this is too serious, but is there anything else I should do to make it feel better, faster?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Good advice here from mods and members.

Question(s) for you:
Is the pain you feel directly in the center of the back, or is it a bit off to the side?
And if so, does one side hurt more than the other?

[pumpster]

High rep deadlifts?  Bad idea.

Without explanation as to the reasoning behind this, this is baseless.

Weight lifting 101: going heavier with lower reps puts more stress on joints and connective tissue, and isn't as effective as moderate reps for muscle growth.

[pumpster]

Agreed, i'm not saying go crazy heavy and do 3-4 reps but higher reps leads to more injuries, as I can attest too. 5,6,7 reps works fine imo

They need to be done properly and the benefits are huge! How many times does it need to be said!?

ta ta

There's no reason at all why higher reps would be a problem; if it happened to you it's quite possible that you were doing something else in conjunction with the higher reps to cause it.

It's actually quite the opposite from my experience. Coleman's a good example of what i'm talking about; he stays with 10-15 reps per set both because it's better for growth and because lower reps and higher weights is far harsher on the joints and connective tissues-good just once in a while for selling DVDs but not for everyday training or development.

This is basic stuff; low reps and very heavy weight is much harder on the body.

[rick brophy]

Good advice here from mods and members.

Question(s) for you:
Is the pain you feel directly in the center of the back, or is it a bit off to the side?
And if so, does one side hurt more than the other?

It's primarily in the center but I'm tilting back and forth right now and I think it hurts a little bit extra on the right side.

Also after a night's sleep it hurts just as bad now as it did before. This bus ride is going to suck.

[rick brophy]

Have you given any reason why higher reps would be more dangerous? I think the reasons why higher reps would be more safe are very obvious and self explanatory, I'm interested in why you think what you do.

[ngm21084]

imho couldnt you consider that lighter wieght higher reps would equal more muscle fatigue by set and cause the oppurtunity for bad form and injury?  but i also think the same could be said about to heavy a wieght....like i said imho all i can say i know as far as this is concerned is i love dead lifts do them every back day and always keep my rep range between 8 for my heavy sets and 12 for lighter....but the 8 reps on my heavy sets i could do 10 with i just concentrate hard on form and control...if that makes any sense to anyone but myself i dont know..?

[wes]

Hurt my back doing rack deads a few weeks ago......recurring back problems for the last few years.

No more squats or deads for me for a while anyway. 

If you have access to a reverse hyperextension machine get on it fast....great for re-habbing lower back injuries.

Higher reps with slow prgressive weight increases but do them in good form.

I swear by this exercise for helping my back in the past.

[coltrane]

Hurt my back doing rack deads a few weeks ago......recurring back problems for the last few years.

No more squats or deads for me for a while anyway. 

If you have access to a reverse hyperextension machine get on it fast....great for re-habbing lower back injuries.

Higher reps with slow prgressive weight increases but do them in good form.

I swear by this exercise for helping my back in the past.

great advice here....or just do hyperextensions on a roman chair apparatus.  Fixes the lower back in no time!

[rick brophy]

If you have access to a reverse hyperextension machine get on it fast.

do hyperextensions on a roman chair apparatus.

Links to photos of these? I'd love to be able to work on it so that it will heal faster. It hurts enough right now that I wouldn't even be comfortable doing cardio. But I've been walking around and it's starting to feel a little bit better.

Thanks guys.

[Montague]

It's primarily in the center but I'm tilting back and forth right now and I think it hurts a little bit extra on the right side.

Also after a night's sleep it hurts just as bad now as it did before. This bus ride is going to suck.

Okay.
Not saying it is, but it may be that your sacroiliac (SI) is out. The SI is the small triangular bone that sits on either sides of the lumbar. You can see these joints from the outside as two small dimples on each side of the lower back at the belt line.
A lot of people will mistake SI pain as a pulled/sprained muscle.

Either way, if the pain doesn’t start getting better after another week or so, I would consult a good PT or Chiropractor.

Good luck.

[haider]

High-rep deadlifts = injury prone because of form degradation with each rep. Don't take much to injure back with bad form.

But who would want a massive lower back pump anyway?