Well, it's finally happened

[TheMightyMcClaw]

I finally managed to overdo it on deadlifts today, and hurt my back somehow. I was trying to kick up the weight five or ten pounds from my last set, and my body didn't seem to like that.
On the fifth repetition of the second set, my back got a kinda cramped feeling. It wasn't a sharp ain, and there wasn't any popping or breaking, but I was getting a clear signal from my body not to do anymore deadlifts. I went and massaged it for a while, and then took a hot shower. The shower seemed to relax it a fair bit. I've been sitting around since then, and it's starten to stiffen up again.
I'm fine standing up straight or curled up. It's when I'm leaning over just a wee bit that my back starts sending me what the **** signals. It's not swollen or discolored, so I'm pretty sure I didn't explode my erector spinae or anything to drastic.
I've basically got that "need to pop my back" feeling, except with the problem that I can't actually pop it.
On the one hand, I feel stupid for not knowing my limits and hurting myself. On the other hand, I'm kinda proud. I feel like hurting oneself lifting weights is one of those stupid guy thing rites of passage, and I am now part of an elite group of stupid guys, rather than just an ordinary one.
Other than RICE and see a doctor if it doesn't get better, anyone got advice for this sort of thing?

[Emevas]

I've been training around a minor back injury the past month or so. Something about deadlifts higher than a single tending to really rack up the back. I've just recently switched to sumo pulls, and have good results there.

[bitparity]

Go see a doctor. Some wisdom is not worth the cost to learn it. Like getting crippled or dying because you didn't wear your seat belt.

[Teh El Macho]

Shoot, welcome to the club dude.

The most likely thing is that you got a herniation. It's not as bad as it sounds, but it takes between 6 to 12 weeks to heal if you let it rest and work around it.

The best thing would be to go to a chiro and have him do some X rays to make certain. If you don't have insurance and the chiro is out of the $$$ question, then just avoid deadlifts and squats altogether for a couple of weeks.

Besides RICE, doc and ibuprofen (lots of it around the clock for days), there are things that you can do.

Slowly and gradually work your way to this sequence of yoga poses. I've used this and similar variations with good effect.

2-3 minute warmup : alternate between these two poses, holding each stretch for 5-10 seconds. Make sure not to over stretch yourself. Accomodate and alter the depth of the poses to the level of discomfort that you feel you can tolerate safely.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/474
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491

Then perform the following poses in the given sequence (go to the depth you feel comfortable):

Utkatasana (Chair Pose) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/493

Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1675
^^^ this one is very important, make sure the stretch is felt at the hip and where the hip meets the lower back WITHOUT flexing/arching the lower back.


Balasana (child pose): http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/475

Then repeat balasana but with arms stretching forward. These two are to lenghten your entire back and aleviate any compression you may have suffered.

Then see if you can perform these two:

Marjaryasana (Cat Pose ) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2468

Bitilasana (Cow Pose) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2467

As you get better, do this:

Pasasana (Noose Pose) : http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/937

With pasasana, concentrate in rotating on the torso, not on the lower back. In fact, avoid twisting on the lower back.




Once you begin to recover your range of motion (and not before), start deadlifting again, starting with light weights (don't shy away from 20lbs dumbbells). The idea here is to work through the range of motion, concentrating in good form and with moderate weight to strenghten and stimulate your back.

Deadlift with empty hands only, concentrating on the range of motion, for reps as well (20-30 reps per set at a time.)

[pauli]

sounds like a pulled muscle to me.

[Teh El Macho]

I forgot to ask, where do you feel the pain? Is it on the spine? On the muscles along the spine? Is it more localized on one size or is it experienced on both sides of the spine?

Try using these two pictures below (from the wiki page on the vertebral column) to indicate where you are getting the "ow wtf" pain signals:






And since we are at it we may as well add this colored picture from "Gray's Anatomy" (also from wiki) since we neandertards don't really learn this **** until we **** ourselves. Knowing a bit of this helps in treating yourself (to supplement, not replace, the care provided by a doctor, PT or chiro.)

[TheMightyMcClaw]

The injury seems to be right around L4 on the gray photograph.
Curiously, as I wake up this morning, there is no pain when at the previous 'slightly leaning forward' position. Instead, it is when I try to recurve my back (such as in the upward facing dog position) that my back starts groaning. It's definitely in the muscle and not the spine itself.
Not knowing anything in particular about medicine or anatomy, I'd be inclined to agree that it's a pulled muscle.

[Teh El Macho]

Be careful. If the pain is there, it means you flexed your lower back (a big no-no), and I'm more inclined to believe a herniation could have taken place.

Nothing is cast in stone, but one usually pulls a muscle on the thoraccic area or within the hip (on or below the sacrum), but herniates in the lumbar or cervical (neck) areas. It could also be a pulled muscle or ligament, but you may as well treat it like a herniation and err on the side of caution.

See a chiro or a doc and get them to take X rays, just in case.

Anyways, just take it easy, do the stretches with care, RICE it and let it heal (worst case, 6-12 weeks before you can start DL'ing heavy again.)

BTW, film yourself when you deadlift and review your form after every set. Obviously your form went bad at some point and flexed the lumbar area (or pulled with your lower back, rather that punching the hips forward.)

[GIJoe6186]

I also hurt my lower back recently deadlifting. Oh well. I'm going to start sumo pulling when I'm better. Much easier on the back, I think it's easier to get hurt when pulling standard, although it has its benefits.