Lower Back Injury

Discussion in 'Injuries and Prevention' started by Mitch, Jun 22, 2013.

  1. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    I'm not sure if I slipped a disc, but I properly hurt my back on Wednesday. No sudden traumatic event, but I noticed after teaching a class that it was twinging, then it got worse and worse till I couldn't really stand.

    I'm going to get a proper diagnosis and recuperate, but my question for here is, what can I do exercise wise to strengthen my lower back to stop it happening again? Any thoughts folks?

    Mitch
     
  2. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Damn....bad backs are like puppies...they aren't just for Christmas.
    No advice from me I'm afraid...I slipped a disc when I was about 23 and still get the odd twinge (and bad flare ups).
    Welcome to the dodgy back club...Frodo's got the kettle on and I'm breaking out a selection of biscuits.
    Was looking forward to throwing you about next week. :(
     
  3. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    Nasty, I've been in this position and it's not funny.

    I got properly diagnosed and for me small stabilising muscles had switched off and large muscles had taken over, causing the pelvic tilt we've been discussing in other threads recently.

    I wouldn't be exercising until diagnosed, especially if it is a disc injury.

    I'm not qualified to give professional advice, but I would be just trying to relieve the pain enough to get through the day without those horrible electric shock type of pains that shoot up your back and legs.

    I did that by stretching, particularly trying to lengthen the muscles around the buttocks and hamstrings.

    Here are a few ideas that have worked for my students and I.

    The stretches at 3.30 and 6.40 are really good.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f1Y4OV3QlA"]How To Yoga Stretches for Low Back Pain & Sciatica Relief by Jen Hilman - YouTube[/ame]

    The stretch here at 7.00 minutes is very good, especially with a partner.

    Have your partner gently ease the raised knee toward the opposite shoulder.
    Not across the body, but across and up, to lengthen the line across the glutes.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29RJaiZ2TSo"]Lower Back Stretches - HASfit Low Back Stretch - Lower Back Pain Exercises - Ache - Stretching - YouTube[/ame]

    As I've said, I'm not medically qualified, but have used various stretches and drills given to me by a professional and they did get me back to good health.

    I'm actually on leave next week, so I'd be happy to help with a few stretches.

    I'll see if I can find any of the exercises I was given.
     
  4. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    I think many of us (definitely me) ignore some really simple exercises. Possibly because things like press up, crunches, squats etc are either trendier, or seem to give greater results.

    Glute bridges, or as shown in this video, single leg bridges are a really good exercise.
    Just make sure that it's the muscles right at the base of the abs (below the belt line that do the work.
    This video shows a progression. I started with my arms by my side and had both legs on the ground.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ7GvKEcUnQ"]Pilates Body - Single Leg Bridge Exercise - Progession - YouTube[/ame]
     
  5. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    When I injured my lower back earlier this year (facet joint) that exercise was part of my rehab.
    Personally I try and run through some downward and upward dogs as often as I can. Trying to at least maintain some level of mobility.
     
  6. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    Here's a good exercise, one I still struggle with as my single leg balance is terrible (and then some).

    I've not done this variation with a twist. I was just told to go straight forward, although I did also do a variation where the leg that kicks back was also bought up into a forward high knee position.

    Due to my injury and weakness I held onto something when doing this drill. You can also hold a light dumbbell 1-3 kg and reach that forward and touch it on the ground.

    So many stabilising muscles firing off it's crazy.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18YZR74lxh8"]Single Leg Squat & Reach - YouTube[/ame]
     
  7. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    Bad news there Mitch! I can recommend an osteopath who can also kick your butt in a major way...

    Obviously get a proper diagnosis and don't, whatever you do, get fobbed off by your GP with 'it's a muscle strain, rest it and stretch it' like I did!

    The advice from my osteopath for immediately following the injury is to take painkillers (paracetamol is a good one, I found co-codamol worked really well and you can also use it with ibuprofen if the pain is particularly bad), and keep as mobile as possible - walking is excellent, don't sit still for long periods, get up and move around regularly if you can. Don't stretch it at first.

    The exercises I've been prescribed are lots of core work - overhead carries, waiter carries, planks, side planks, side dumbbell bends, glute activation work (bridges, clams, side lying leg raises), hip flexor stretches, dead bugs, single leg work is great for stabilisers (pistols, Bulgarian split squats, single leg Romanian deadlifts, skater squats). At the moment I'm working on single leg movements rather than heavy squats and deadlifts. Pallof presses and half kneeling landmine presses are good too.

    The thing that tends to set my back off is bending awkwardly, leaning over too far and for too long or being crunched up in a ball (or stacked in BJJ). Obviously your injury could well be different to mine, but do make sure you get a correct diagnosis and not just 'it's a disc issue' - most older folk have some form of disc degeneration, but not all have symptoms. Rosi thinks my issue is from a trapped facet and not 'tight lats' as my idiot NHS physio guessed at.

    Anyway, I've set up a back support chair in the corner for you, do you want tea or coffee with PASmith's biscuits?
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2013
  8. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    Although this may be unrelated to your injury, this video is certainly worth watching, especially if you want to know what muscles connect where and which job they do in maintaining correct alignment.

    It explains anterior pelvic tilt and its correlation to back pain relief.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKAmmnitqA"]Anterior Pelvic Tilt: Key To Back Pain Relief? - YouTube[/ame]
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2013
  9. Ero-Sennin

    Ero-Sennin Well-Known Member Supporter

    Frodo is spot on with a lot of the stuff she said. I had a back injury from last August from a boxing workout in which we did a core exercise I was not ready for yet physically. I felt a twinge that night and it felt sore, went to sleep and then I literally couldn't get out of bed the next morning and had to call in injured for the landscaping job I was currently doing. Any time I rotated the lower portion of my body I felt excruciating pain and tightness, it really felt like there were no muscles attaching my lower body to my torso. Because of the area the pain was in I was confident it was a serious muscle strain, but definitely get the PC to send you to somebody to get it checked out.

    The biggest thing for me was not laying in bed. Getting up and moving around (not doing too much, but being active) made it heal pretty quickly for how serious an injury it was. I pretty much rehabbed the injury through very light, very slow deadlifting and a lot of slow, static, full body stretching with some specific stretches for my lower back. The tightness and lingering twinges of pain lasted for about two months until I started doing planks and plank variations. The biggest thing is to not overdue it and steadily work back into things, and making sure you are plenty warmed up before you do any form of exercise.

    If it's a disk injury I don't know if this will help, but if you lay down and put your legs up on the wall at 90 degrees it takes the pressure off your lower back if the tightness is unbearable. It's nice to sit like that for a little bit for some relief. When you're sitting down, if you can place an object on the ground to put one foot on it take pressure off your lower back as well to help deal with a little bit of the tightness. Sort of like the rod running underneath a bar that you prop your foot on while sitting on a stool. Luckily my wife had some pain killers left over from her kidney stones that lasted a couple days and those were a life saver.

    Best of luck and hope you get better Mitch! It's Mankini Season and we need you out there!
     
  10. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    Thanks all, good stuff!

    I had a visit today from Late for Dinner who was up this way on a course and very kindly stopped in to have a look at me.

    His conclusion, that I am a twisted man and unusually stiff in places, will surprise no-one, but he as given me some exercises to get me going again.

    Massive thanks to Ross for his time, very much appreciated. :)

    Mitch
     
  11. Fujian Animal

    Fujian Animal Banned Banned

    hello i am also injured lower back from inproper lifting and also sleeping wrong, i am wing chun practioner so does not effect my training in kung fu but injury does limit my flexibility and ability to perform certain work habit so am also find that heat treatment therapy and yoga exercise helps, it may not cure the pain but it can help make the day easier
     
  12. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    This looks painful - and it can be if you balls it up - but this is one of teh best lower back exercises i have found. It helped contain my quadratus lumbar strain from "can barely walk" to "man that is really stiff"

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    I'm okay with the first two pictures, but not so sure about the second two.

    The glute bridge is an excellent exercise, simple but deceptive.

    The hands/arms can be placed across the body for a little less stability, which in turn fires off more stabilising muscles.
     
  14. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    The extra "turn over" stretches it out more - I don't recommend going straight to it, but it really gets the knots out...just do it somewhere soft
     
  15. Grass hopper

    Grass hopper Valued Member

    I once pulled nearly every muscle in my lower back (I don't remember how I managed that) and proceeded to ignore it until it became a huge issue. For a few months my freshman year of high school I walked like a penguin. Still went to karate though!

    I shouldn't have to be honest, I ended up on a prescription for some fairly strong anti inflammatory drugs for a while and having a sore back until my senior year. My advice, let it heal!
     
  16. boards

    boards Its all in the reflexes!

    I can't help on the injury, but in general I would say, make sure your posture is good and if you are still doing weights really really make sure your form is correct, especially when you are do squats and deadlifts.
    I have been looking through Kelly Starrets MobilityWOD website which has a huge amount of information about mobility and correct form in exercises and how to heal yourself from injuries. He talks a bit "bro", but he is a Physiotherapist and specialises in sports and high performance athletes. He decided to make a video everyday for a year about mobility (which are usually a few minutes long) and there is a huge amount of information there for free. The new stuff has to be paid for, but all his old stuff is still on there and I believe that he has been rearanging the structure to make it easier to find stuff. http://www.mobilitywod.com/episodes/
     
  17. Fujian Animal

    Fujian Animal Banned Banned

    am glad to say that after a month of hard work, yoga exercise, physical therapy and devotion to practice and rest, my back is fine and i am back training hard again
     

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