deadlifting causing me problems

[Rach]

The first time this happened was on 28th August- soreness in lower back. Last week upped the weight again, felt ok with the 60kgs and it seemed to be the 70kg that caused problems. I was doing it on my own so may have slipped into poor form. TBH wasn't pushing heels into floor enough. The pain this time was to the right of lower back, spread to right buttock a bit too, hard to put jeans on, lace shoes etc. Saw an osteo and think he said it's the IS that I've strained, can't remember full name of muscle.Treatment seemed to help. Still a bit sore though and hate not doing any deadlifts.

Grateful for advice from more experienced of you about how long to leave it for and best way to step it up. Will I build my 1 rep max by doing longer sets of lighter weights? Am not seeing my trainer for another week or so yet so and am only a recent beginner to learning powerlifting so keen to get better each week.

[baldy]

Everytime I hurt my back from deadlifting I freak out and think I have slipped a disc. Probably because so many people that I have spoken to tell me I am going to slip a disc.

With me its always just a muscle strain and sounds like what you have. Strained muscles are going to happen and I generally take it as a sign of a something you need to train more rather than less. Your back is probably the weakest link so it got strained, try to do assistance stuff to make your back stronger once its better.

To live with a sore back from deadlifting try keep it moving. If you sit for a while at a desk (or worse in a car) then you will barely be able to stand up and stumble around like an old man.
If its sore take drugs, ibuprofen works for me.

Personally I like to try stretch it out, not sure if this is very clever but it always feels good, like picking a scab. Obviously you dont want to make it worse so dont go heavy on the exercise you caused it on. I like to go some exercise to get the blood pumping to it though. Again not sure if thats a good idea but it feels good.

Going for a run seems to loosen me up very nicely.

[JP]

do you do high reps?

if you do, maybe worth it trying not to? As in instead of a set of five, rather do five singles, focusing on each rep 100% and making it perfect form, fast, powerful...

I dont rep deadlifts because of a dodgy vertebrae joint in my lower back which used to go periodically - way too often. I then learned to live with it, can recognise the warning signs (and sometimes even listen to them!), and also know what to do if it goes to minimise the injury time. IN the past i used to rest if i injured it and was out of action for 2+ weeks. Nowdays i do exactly the opposite, small movement all the time, stretching and pelvic tilts to all four directions etc. Ice, ibu and so on too.

but stoppping reps on deads is the single biggest factor why i dont get injured so often these days i think.

[Rach]

Thanks Baldy and JP. I shall go for a light run and follow the single rep advice and see how I get on.

[vegieburger]

Everytime I hurt my back from deadlifting I freak out and think I have slipped a disc. Probably because so many people that I have spoken to tell me I am going to slip a disc.

I do the exact same thing. My back was sore after my last max effort a couple of months ago and I was so worried that I think I took it too easy on my back and am only now getting back to lifting that weights that I was before I hurt my back.

Have you been doing any lower back assistence exercises like good mornings or reverse hyperextensions? Maybe they would be helpful to do once your back is feeling better.

[haisuli]

How is your back nowadays Rach? Have you found any exercise efficient for you to getting help these problems?

Here's one more signing up for this issue who cant lace shoes right now. Not sure is it caused by DL, futsal, repairing mate's car or all these together or something else, but back is hell sore especially if sitting. It's been sore for about two weeks, but when I tried to do DL on this week it wen't much worse. Doctor suspects just regular lumbago, and sent me to a physiotherapy. Let's see what they'll figure out.

[XkillerX]

I consider myself a person who overcame a whole big bunch of back pain and small injuries so I think these lessons might be useful to some:

* Most chronic pain comes from pinched spinal nerves (specifically the sciatic). Poor posture and lack of abdominal and spinal erector muscles result in the spine having to maintain the weight of the body (which is, btw, completely imbalanced - poor posture) do a lot of damage over time. Constant flexions (aka situps and ab crunches) also hurt this. Then again some people have legs of different lengths. They (read: I) might not like running , especially on hard surfaces.

* Most acute back pain will come from a strained muscle. This is mostly due to lifters trying to lift the weight at all costs instead of calming down, focusing to make a perfect lift, and then do it. Read JPs advice. It's better to reset yourself after every lift, and also, lift heavier weights, then to force inferior muscles (spinal erectors) compared to superior muscles (quadriceps and gluteus maximus) when lifting.

Rant:

Dues! Now, that gives me 9,999 words to explain it. Okay, go to any gym in America and there'll be a collection of guys wearing tank tops, weight belts, wraps, straps and those head things, cranking out a set of curls, then checking out their guns. These guys are experts on all things related to strength training, strongman, big lifts, bodybuilding, body composition and physique. Yet they don't squat because "it hurts my knees." They don't deadlift because "it hurts my back." They don't put weights overhead because "it isn't safe." Bah!

Now, people who do squats and deadlifts are much better than usual.

People who do full ROM deadlifts and zercher deadlifts get even better at.....


.....picking up heavy shit from the ground.


Funny but I've met tons of bodybuilders and recreational sportspeople with fucked up backs. And I still haven't met a physical worker who pickups up fucking bricks; and shovels shit; and carries 50kilo cement bags, but has a bad back. These people learned to pick heavy shit up, and to pick it up in a way not to hurt themselves.

So focus on not fucking yourself up with every lift. When going for that final rep, or a new PB, please make sure that you are doing the "dying goldfish" (JP please elaborate), and that you want to MOVE THE EARTH with your legs and ass - as opposed to straightening your back while your holding on to xxx kilos.

And last but not least - if you have a sore back muscle - stronger dychlophenac should help; if you have a bad back - lots and lots of relaxed and focused stretching is key.

[Rach]

Thanks for further replies definitely agree with your points xkillerx!

Have been following the advice and doing regular pelvic work tilts, and twists and exercises on the stability ball and have been able to resume deadlifting. Have avoided wearing a belt as am only a novice lifter so not lifting really heavy yet and my reasoning is I want my own core to do the work when I lift. I don't know if this is good or flawed reasoning?

I notice that when doing supermans on the stability ball I find it more difficult to maintain the position on my right side, maybe this is still weaker so I am spending longer on that side to try and get its stability to the same as my left side. I was a bit jittery at first when starting deadlifting but thankfully no probs. I get into it by doing a couple of sets nice and light to get warmed up and my form right. And I do the single lift thing for heavier weights. How's your back doing Haisuli?

[haisuli]

Nice to hear that you're making progress with your back Rach!

Mine is still bit shitty and moody, today it's fine, but it varies by week or even a day. No heavy DLs...

Specialist doctor took more x-rays about two weeks ago and after that he sent me to MRI, which was done on Wednesday. Some years ago, when I last time had more back problems, doctor (other one) said that my legs aren't even and that causes back problems. Now my current doc said that he doubts it and that's why he took more x-rays. And he is right, x-rays showed that there isn't any noticeable difference between legs. But left hip is damaged somehow, there are some signs of arthritis in joint and that could explain incorrect position of lumbar area. Also there are some abnormalities in vertebras and spaces between those. I hear the MRI results on Wednesday, then I should know more..