Hurt Back doing deadlifts

xtinct · 07-02-2008, 01:36 AM

Seven days ago I did two heavy sets of bent over rows after deadlifts. I was beding over very far, keeping my upper body near parallel to the floor which puts a great deal of stress on my lower back. I'm not sure what happened but for the next 3-4 days my lower back was hurting pretty bad but the pain eventually went away.

Today was back day again and although my back seemed fine again I could feel something wasn't quite right in the same spot that hurt last week as soon as I started doing deadlifts. I felt it even with only 135 on the bar. With 315 it was hurting enough that it was affecting my form, causing me to lean forward more than I normally do. But I still went ahead and put 585 on the bar. On the first rep the bar came up without much problem but on the second rep, when the bar was still below my knees I felt a snap or pop in my lower back and a sharp shooting pain. I immediately put the bar down. By the time I got home I could barely walk up the stairs. Every step was hurting. The pain is 1-2 inches to the right of my spine very low on my back -- about 3 inches above my glute. It hurts to bend over and turn in any way. What happened here and how long will it take to get better?

LiftHard410 · 07-02-2008, 05:39 AM

It sounds like you may have slipped a disc or severely strained a muscle...you need to get an mri ASAP to figure out exactly what happened otherwise you could have permanent problems, worst case scenario of course

Did the pop/crack feel like it came from the side of the spine or on/around the spinal area? Is there a very tight muscle on either side of your spine?

Pixie · 07-02-2008, 06:56 AM

LiftHard is right... get it checked.

Why? Well... Shooting pain... did it radiate into your butt, down the back of your leg? If so, then you could have a disc pinching down on a nerve. Sure, it could just be a malalignment of the vertebrae causing muscles to tighten on the nerve, but from experience shooting pain radiating from the back and into the leg (saying generically, not sure if this is your problem) is generally caused by a disc being blown or herniated. It can get so bad if not properly treated that if can affect bowel movements and potentially permanent damage... happened to my fiance. He was doing good mornings and felt the pop of his disc blowing, had radiating pain and then... led to him having surgery, but he's feeling much better now and lifting without problems again.

The other option I'd suggest is go to physical therapy. I know many don't like this suggestion, but it can help. I had several of my patients back to playing basketball or lifting shortly after suffering a back injury with just a little exercising, stretching, heat and electrical stimulation. You may need a prescription from a doc for this... some states don't require it now.

xtinct · 07-02-2008, 09:30 AM

Maybe "shooting pain" was the wrong description. The pain does not radiate. It's localized to a small spot on my right erector muscle. No numbness or tingling, just pain in that one spot. Unfortunately an MRI is out of the question as I don't have insurance right now.

Pixie · 07-02-2008, 09:41 AM

Ok... if it starts to radiate, get it checked, despite the lack of insurance. Find a way...

The more localized pain could still be disc related, but not as significant, or it could just be a muscle strain/micro-tear. I'd say get a massage, an adjustment (if it helps) by a chiro and lay off some of the exercises that hurt it for a bit. However, don't lay off all back exercises. This could be a sign of a weakness. Do some stretches for the back that nail that area... static after workouts and on off days, dynamic stretches pre-workout. Ice after workouts, heat or heating rubs (i.e. icy hot) pre-workout to make sure the area is warm.

Glad it's not radiating. Hope you get better soon!!

ILIEKFUDE · 07-02-2008, 10:01 AM

Not good if ya heard a pop n got pain.
Id go see a doc.
Also, i get a little back pain fairly often when i do too much for the lower back in one week - like squats / deads / sldl etc etc. Its yr body telling you to relax. I take a week off from heavy lower back stress n do lighter reps or some such - and it clears up no prob.
Maybe try something else for yr lats if your gona keep doing them the same day as deads. Maybe some chest supported rows or something else that takes the low back out of it, deads hit yr low back enuf in one day imo.

trivial · 07-02-2008, 10:11 AM

If you don't have insurance, go to the ER. At least you get treatment, and bills can be paid off in time. Your health is the most important thing. You can't always get that back.

LiftHard410 · 07-02-2008, 10:11 AM

Pixie and fude gave good suggestions,

I could be wrong but I think you mentioned just restarting deadlifting recently...if that's the case your deep abdominals and/or erector spinae group might not have been developed enough to pick up where you left off. Without radiating pain it may just be a misaligned vertebrae..rest and ice would be best, seeing a doc would still be a good idea IMO

RagingBull666 · 07-02-2008, 10:17 AM

Xtinct, a couple of things but the first in retrospect. If it hurts don't do the lift!! I know this is a no brainer but dude your back was tweaky when you started yet you pushed through?? That was a stupid, beginner, thing to do.

Second, as Pixie and Trivial said, you HAVE to go get it checked. Go to the ER or something. This can be nothing or it can be one or more herniated dics!! The potential for long term damage is huge!! I ruptured three discs in 1994 and it's not fun. Get it taken care of!! SS, RB

KKAZ · 07-02-2008, 10:20 AM

Go to the er if its not better with motrin/ibu.

Kabeetz · 07-02-2008, 10:38 AM

I had the same thing happen last summer... snap crackle pop. Kept me from doing any back work for a couple months. Daily ice morning and night 10-20 minutes, rest 10-20 minutes, then heat 10-20 minutes, advil, and when it was time lots of stretching and support work rehab, continued ice, and once u get back into it... slowly adding weight to the bar from only 135 or 185, no rush.

I dont have insurance and couldn't afford an ER bill.

This simple common sense approach managed to work for me (thankfully).

RagingBull666 · 07-02-2008, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kabeetz

I had the same thing happen last summer.

Okay Kab I'm going to pick on you.

This response is WHY you should get it checked Ex!! Kab, how do you know you had the SAME thing happen? Are you a doctor? Did you examine him?

This is why you should NOT come here looking for answers on injuries. Go to a doc (eat the bill) or a PT. Back injuries will haunt you for life if not treated properly and they are severe enough. SS, RB

Kabeetz · 07-02-2008, 10:55 AM

I couldn't agree more.

But you don't have health insurance or can't afford the 3k+ bill for the er visit and x-rays/mri/whatever.... and literally have no alternative, I would imagine ice + advil + rest was a better course of action for me to take than say deadlifting again the next day. I also paid a good chiropractor out of pocket weekly for a couple months (was about 35 a pop), big, big help and my fault for forgetting that factor in my recovery.

That is not my advice, but that is my experience.

When I get insurance, hopefully very soon now that I have my degree, I am going to make appointments to see doctors and dentists left and right, i can't wait

KKAZ · 07-02-2008, 11:37 AM

ERR on the side of caution. No deads for a month. Pain is like the oil light on your dashboard. If that little red light comes on. Stop what your'e doing and get it seen about. Ambulation is the best therapy for a hurt back;well maybe after sex.

JoeD · 07-02-2008, 11:46 AM

i know hind sight is 20/20 but lower back injuries aren't something that you tweak a little bit and are fine a week later... Trust me, I learned the hard way; looks like you did too.

do what the others say! get it checked out!!

and i would advise dragging a sled in order to keep muscle and strength while you heal up.

ASGARDIAN · 07-02-2008, 12:55 PM

I "locked" my back doing deadlifts. It cost me 50.00 to get it looked at. The physiotherapist turned me on my side and tangled her arms around my body....anyway she worked her magical shit and i heard a loud pop in my back. I could actually feel my back release tension. It set my training back a couple of months, but everything is ok now.
Nothing here really helps you but, go get it looked at!
Also i wrecked my back going GM's for the first time. I went to heavy and paid for it for a long time. Pain was so bad i couldn't even bend down to pick up an Atlas Stone.

xtinct · 07-02-2008, 05:47 PM

It feels better today. Still far from perfect but much improved from yesterday. Yesterday I could barely make it up the stairs but now I can get around almost normally even without any pain killers or anti inflammatory drugs. I think I will probably be ok in a few days. But I will definitely take a week or two off from all heavy lifting that puts any kind of stress on my lower back.

I learned my lesson on this. I got careless because my lower back has always been bulletproof but it was a mistake to try for 605 lbs when I knew my back was still tweaked from the week before.

07-02-2008, 01:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
xtinct Gold Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,004 Rep Power: 19892	Hurt Back doing deadlifts Seven days ago I did two heavy sets of bent over rows after deadlifts. I was beding over very far, keeping my upper body near parallel to the floor which puts a great deal of stress on my lower back. I'm not sure what happened but for the next 3-4 days my lower back was hurting pretty bad but the pain eventually went away. Today was back day again and although my back seemed fine again I could feel something wasn't quite right in the same spot that hurt last week as soon as I started doing deadlifts. I felt it even with only 135 on the bar. With 315 it was hurting enough that it was affecting my form, causing me to lean forward more than I normally do. But I still went ahead and put 585 on the bar. On the first rep the bar came up without much problem but on the second rep, when the bar was still below my knees I felt a snap or pop in my lower back and a sharp shooting pain. I immediately put the bar down. By the time I got home I could barely walk up the stairs. Every step was hurting. The pain is 1-2 inches to the right of my spine very low on my back -- about 3 inches above my glute. It hurts to bend over and turn in any way. What happened here and how long will it take to get better?

07-02-2008, 10:01 AM	#6 (permalink)
ILIEKFUDE I should probly b eating Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: ButcherBlock Posts: 2,300 Rep Power: 56694	Not good if ya heard a pop n got pain. Id go see a doc. Also, i get a little back pain fairly often when i do too much for the lower back in one week - like squats / deads / sldl etc etc. Its yr body telling you to relax. I take a week off from heavy lower back stress n do lighter reps or some such - and it clears up no prob. Maybe try something else for yr lats if your gona keep doing them the same day as deads. Maybe some chest supported rows or something else that takes the low back out of it, deads hit yr low back enuf in one day imo. __________________ "Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning." READ MY LOG YOU S.O.B.'S BBCKA

07-02-2008, 10:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
trivial heart like a maniac Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 4,271 Rep Power: 121191	If you don't have insurance, go to the ER. At least you get treatment, and bills can be paid off in time. Your health is the most important thing. You can't always get that back. __________________ Funny bodybuilding tees, tanks and hoodies at www.wittystees.com My log: Countdown to Hurricane Bay

07-02-2008, 10:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
RagingBull666 I AM the Alpha Male Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 996 Rep Power: 91442	Xtinct, a couple of things but the first in retrospect. If it hurts don't do the lift!! I know this is a no brainer but dude your back was tweaky when you started yet you pushed through?? That was a stupid, beginner, thing to do. Second, as Pixie and Trivial said, you HAVE to go get it checked. Go to the ER or something. This can be nothing or it can be one or more herniated dics!! The potential for long term damage is huge!! I ruptured three discs in 1994 and it's not fun. Get it taken care of!! SS, RB __________________ That which does not kill us makes us STRONGER - Friedrich Nietzsche Hairy and unshaved!! I am the LAST Bastion of True Manhood!! Try not Do or do not There is no try Yoda

07-02-2008, 10:20 AM	#10 (permalink)
KKAZ Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Geogia, USA Posts: 333 Rep Power: 17889	Go to the er if its not better with motrin/ibu. __________________ KKAZ

07-02-2008, 05:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
LiftHard410 Gold Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 350 Rep Power: 4470	It sounds like you may have slipped a disc or severely strained a muscle...you need to get an mri ASAP to figure out exactly what happened otherwise you could have permanent problems, worst case scenario of course Did the pop/crack feel like it came from the side of the spine or on/around the spinal area? Is there a very tight muscle on either side of your spine?

07-02-2008, 06:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
Pixie Gold Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 842 Rep Power: 76317	LiftHard is right... get it checked. Why? Well... Shooting pain... did it radiate into your butt, down the back of your leg? If so, then you could have a disc pinching down on a nerve. Sure, it could just be a malalignment of the vertebrae causing muscles to tighten on the nerve, but from experience shooting pain radiating from the back and into the leg (saying generically, not sure if this is your problem) is generally caused by a disc being blown or herniated. It can get so bad if not properly treated that if can affect bowel movements and potentially permanent damage... happened to my fiance. He was doing good mornings and felt the pop of his disc blowing, had radiating pain and then... led to him having surgery, but he's feeling much better now and lifting without problems again. The other option I'd suggest is go to physical therapy. I know many don't like this suggestion, but it can help. I had several of my patients back to playing basketball or lifting shortly after suffering a back injury with just a little exercising, stretching, heat and electrical stimulation. You may need a prescription from a doc for this... some states don't require it now.

07-02-2008, 09:30 AM	#4 (permalink)
xtinct Gold Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,004 Rep Power: 19892	Maybe "shooting pain" was the wrong description. The pain does not radiate. It's localized to a small spot on my right erector muscle. No numbness or tingling, just pain in that one spot. Unfortunately an MRI is out of the question as I don't have insurance right now.

07-02-2008, 09:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
Pixie Gold Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 842 Rep Power: 76317	Ok... if it starts to radiate, get it checked, despite the lack of insurance. Find a way... The more localized pain could still be disc related, but not as significant, or it could just be a muscle strain/micro-tear. I'd say get a massage, an adjustment (if it helps) by a chiro and lay off some of the exercises that hurt it for a bit. However, don't lay off all back exercises. This could be a sign of a weakness. Do some stretches for the back that nail that area... static after workouts and on off days, dynamic stretches pre-workout. Ice after workouts, heat or heating rubs (i.e. icy hot) pre-workout to make sure the area is warm. Glad it's not radiating. Hope you get better soon!!

07-02-2008, 10:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
LiftHard410 Gold Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 350 Rep Power: 4470	Pixie and fude gave good suggestions, I could be wrong but I think you mentioned just restarting deadlifting recently...if that's the case your deep abdominals and/or erector spinae group might not have been developed enough to pick up where you left off. Without radiating pain it may just be a misaligned vertebrae..rest and ice would be best, seeing a doc would still be a good idea IMO

07-02-2008, 10:38 AM	#11 (permalink)
Kabeetz Gold Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.Y. Posts: 6,493 Rep Power: 124665	I had the same thing happen last summer... snap crackle pop. Kept me from doing any back work for a couple months. Daily ice morning and night 10-20 minutes, rest 10-20 minutes, then heat 10-20 minutes, advil, and when it was time lots of stretching and support work rehab, continued ice, and once u get back into it... slowly adding weight to the bar from only 135 or 185, no rush. I dont have insurance and couldn't afford an ER bill. This simple common sense approach managed to work for me (thankfully). __________________ "All you can do is stand and, worst thing you can do is panic. Use it to your advantage, avoid insanity manage. To conquer... Every obstacle, make impossible possible. Even when winning's illogical, losing's still far from optional." - T.I. "No Matter What"

07-02-2008, 10:55 AM	#13 (permalink)
Kabeetz Gold Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.Y. Posts: 6,493 Rep Power: 124665	I couldn't agree more. But you don't have health insurance or can't afford the 3k+ bill for the er visit and x-rays/mri/whatever.... and literally have no alternative, I would imagine ice + advil + rest was a better course of action for me to take than say deadlifting again the next day. I also paid a good chiropractor out of pocket weekly for a couple months (was about 35 a pop), big, big help and my fault for forgetting that factor in my recovery. That is not my advice, but that is my experience. When I get insurance, hopefully very soon now that I have my degree, I am going to make appointments to see doctors and dentists left and right, i can't wait __________________ "All you can do is stand and, worst thing you can do is panic. Use it to your advantage, avoid insanity manage. To conquer... Every obstacle, make impossible possible. Even when winning's illogical, losing's still far from optional." - T.I. "No Matter What" Last edited by Kabeetz; 07-02-2008 at 11:02 AM.

07-02-2008, 11:37 AM	#14 (permalink)
KKAZ Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Geogia, USA Posts: 333 Rep Power: 17889	ERR on the side of caution. No deads for a month. Pain is like the oil light on your dashboard. If that little red light comes on. Stop what your'e doing and get it seen about. Ambulation is the best therapy for a hurt back;well maybe after sex. __________________ KKAZ

07-02-2008, 11:46 AM	#15 (permalink)
JoeD Gold Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 886 Rep Power: 40757	i know hind sight is 20/20 but lower back injuries aren't something that you tweak a little bit and are fine a week later... Trust me, I learned the hard way; looks like you did too. do what the others say! get it checked out!! and i would advise dragging a sled in order to keep muscle and strength while you heal up.

07-02-2008, 12:55 PM	#16 (permalink)
ASGARDIAN Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 192 Rep Power: 5763	I "locked" my back doing deadlifts. It cost me 50.00 to get it looked at. The physiotherapist turned me on my side and tangled her arms around my body....anyway she worked her magical shit and i heard a loud pop in my back. I could actually feel my back release tension. It set my training back a couple of months, but everything is ok now. Nothing here really helps you but, go get it looked at! Also i wrecked my back going GM's for the first time. I went to heavy and paid for it for a long time. Pain was so bad i couldn't even bend down to pick up an Atlas Stone.

07-02-2008, 05:47 PM	#17 (permalink)
xtinct Gold Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,004 Rep Power: 19892	It feels better today. Still far from perfect but much improved from yesterday. Yesterday I could barely make it up the stairs but now I can get around almost normally even without any pain killers or anti inflammatory drugs. I think I will probably be ok in a few days. But I will definitely take a week or two off from all heavy lifting that puts any kind of stress on my lower back. I learned my lesson on this. I got careless because my lower back has always been bulletproof but it was a mistake to try for 605 lbs when I knew my back was still tweaked from the week before.

07-02-2008, 07:02 PM	#18 (permalink)
ASGARDIAN Gold Member