Lower back injury/pain - Trying to determine what is wrong and whether to see a doc

[Slowmo21]

I've been having some pain on the left side of the lower back for about a month now. It started when I let my lower back round on heavy front squats and a week later the same thing happened on leg press.

After that I've been very careful and substituted all exercises that could stress it. When I hurt my back I couldn't even tie my shoelaces without some kind of pain, but now there is mostly none. Still, even if I just bend over keeping my back straight with no weight (like doing a SLDL), I feel some pain. Like I said, it is only on the left side of the lower back and not bad at all. Just slight discomfort so I doubt there's a ruptured disc or something. Still, BB rows and SLDLs are not possible at this moment, and I can feel it even on heavy BB curls.

I know the only way to accurarely determine what is wrong, is by going to a doc but some of you guys probably have a lot of experience in these matters so I figured I'd ask here first. Currently I'm using a belt for most exercises (never used one before but right now I feel it is a good idea).

[Curious George]

There are a couple of things.

Do you have a knot in the tender area?
Have you had back pain before?

If there is a knot, I would recommend going to see a massage therapist to get it worked out. It has done wonders for me and only after 1 visit. If a knot, take a tennis ball behind your back and lean against a wall to try and work it out. Alternate a hot shower with a cold one a couple of times to increase blood flow to the area.

Are your abs strong? A lot of times people have problems with their lower back due to under conditioned abs. This will put a strain on it.

Are your hamstrings tight all the time? This will cause a pull on the back too. Make sure to take some time to loosen them after you have warmed up with some stationary bike riding or something like that to get the muscles warmed up. Do not try and stretch a cold muscle!

Do you sit all day at work? Rearrainge your posture every 20min or so. When at home, lay on the floor and raise your legs up over a coffee table or couch. By beinding your knees and allowing your back on the floor, you take pressure off the lower back. Put an ziplock bag full of crushed ice back there and lay on it. Be sure to move every couple on minutes to make sure you don't get statically locked in that position.

If the pain persists or you are in constant pain, make sure to do a follow up with the Doc.

Take Good Care,

Cg

[Slowmo21]

I truly appreciate the help Curious George, and I will try what you suggested. There is no constant pain, and even when there is some, it isn't bad. This leads me to believe the situation caänt be serious yet and hopefully it will get better on its own. Obviously I won't be doing any exercises that compromise that area and use a belt on squats for a while.

Also, I don't think the problem is my abs because I train them heavy. I definitely have tight hams and hip flexors and this contributes to rounding the lower back, along with being tall & having long legs, especially if I forget to stretch for a week weeks (bad I know).

[Curious George]

Here is a quick tip when doing squats to keep your back arched and safe:

Have your belt one notch looser than you normally do....when you accend, blow air into your stomach and push your belly against your belt. This will broaden your base a little and make you a but sturdier. This will help to protect the spine. If your abs are strong, give it a shot. It really helped my strength on squats too. Merry Christmas.

Take Good Care,

Cg