# Lower back pain after heavy deadlift single with bad form



## Blytheryn (May 25, 2017)

Hey guys,

What the title says, I went for 375 single on my deadlift, setup was good, but it was too heavy and my back rounded. As a result I've been having some lower back pain for about the last week and a half. Doesn't feel like it's in the muscle. Left side, right above my hip bone. It's getting better, but I just wondered if any of you guys have any tips to rehab it out, before I go to a chiropractor or something. Hoping this isn't serious.


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## USMarine75 (May 25, 2017)

Blytheryn said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> What the title says, I went for 375 single on my deadlift, setup was good, but it was too heavy and my back rounded. As a result I've been having some lower back pain for about the last week and a half. Doesn't feel like it's in the muscle. Left side, right above my hip bone. It's getting better, but I just wondered if any of you guys have any tips to rehab it out, before I go to a chiropractor or something. Hoping this isn't serious.



Unless you have anything like GI issues (ulcers, diverticulitis, etc) or liver/kidney issues, take 800mg Ibuprofen 3x/day (not to exceed 2400 mg/day) and take it easy for at least 2 weeks. No lifting. If the pain doesn't subside, or if it gets worse, see your doctor immediately. No *heavy* lifting, including back/legs, for up to 6 weeks.

But don't go to a chiropractor... go see your doctor. An actual medical doctor. No one can diagnose you from a forum lol... but you could have torn the fascia which is basically a common tendon that everything in your lower back inserts into (like the lats)... or you could have done some more serious damage like your erector spinae and other deep muscles around the spinal column. Even worse you could have slipped or perf'd a disc. No way of knowing without a physical exam and possibly imaging.


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## Blytheryn (May 25, 2017)

USMarine75 said:


> Unless you have anything like GI issues (ulcers, diverticulitis, etc) or liver/kidney issues, take 800mg Ibuprofen 3x/day (not to exceed 2400 mg/day) and take it easy for at least 2 weeks. No lifting. If the pain doesn't subside, or if it gets worse, see your doctor immediately. No *heavy* lifting, including back/legs, for up to 6 weeks.
> 
> But don't go to a chiropractor... go see your doctor. An actual medical doctor. No one can diagnose you from a forum lol... but you could have torn the fascia which is basically a common tendon that everything in your lower back inserts into (like the lats)... or you could have done some more serious damage like your erector spinae and other deep muscles around the spinal column. Even worse you could have slipped or perf'd a disc. No way of knowing without a physical exam and possibly imaging.



Nothing wrong with my liver etc, and I've been taking Ibuprofen once in a while. It's definitely gotten better, in terms of that I can bend over and put my shoes on without pain. I'll definitely hit up a doc soon, to see what else is going on.


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## USMarine75 (May 25, 2017)

Blytheryn said:


> Nothing wrong with my liver etc, and I've been taking Ibuprofen once in a while. It's definitely gotten better, in terms of that I can bend over and put my shoes on without pain. I'll definitely hit up a doc soon, to see what else is going on.



Also, check out this guys vids. A lot of great stuff, especially about injury prevention. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/JDCav24

Good luck and I hope you feel better. Back pain just plain sucks...


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## Blytheryn (May 25, 2017)

USMarine75 said:


> Also, check out this guys vids. A lot of great stuff, especially about injury prevention.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/user/JDCav24
> 
> Good luck and I hope you feel better. Back pain just plain sucks...



Familiar with his stuff, took advantage of a lot of his pull-up tips when I was training for my USAFA Fitness Test.

Thanks man. Yeah when you painfully realize that almost everything you do involves your lower back, well yeah. Pain. 

Also the most important lesson here in my case is to be humble with the weights, and work on my form. Painful lesson, but definitely learned. In my 3 years of lifting I've never had any type of more serious injury, and I guess it was just a matter of time.


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## Gizmo Skatoon (May 25, 2017)

You need to stretch your hip-flexors. psoas iliopsoas. get on one knee, lift up your ipsilateral arm above your head and lean forward till you feel a stretch in your groin. Tight hipflexors go hand in hand with low back problems.


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## USMarine75 (May 25, 2017)

Blytheryn said:


> Familiar with his stuff, took advantage of a lot of his pull-up tips when I was training for my USAFA Fitness Test.
> 
> Thanks man. Yeah when you painfully realize that almost everything you do involves your lower back, well yeah. Pain.
> 
> Also the most important lesson here in my case is to be humble with the weights, and work on my form. Painful lesson, but definitely learned. In my 3 years of lifting I've never had any type of more serious injury, and I guess it was just a matter of time.



I've seen more LBP, knee, and shoulder injuries in the last five years due to crossfit and HIIT inspired lifting. The deadlift has become the standard lift and people are doing it multiple times per week and going heavy. No rest for the tendons and ligaments anymore. And yeah as someone who powerlifts and has a bad injury from Iraq myself, it's humbling when you have to go light and just worry about form. 

Glad you like Jim! He's awesome.


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## Blytheryn (May 25, 2017)

Gizmo Skatoon said:


> You need to stretch your hip-flexors. psoas iliopsoas. get on one knee, lift up your ipsilateral arm above your head and lean forward till you feel a stretch in your groin. Tight hipflexors go hand in hand with low back problems.



HO-LY SH1T!

I think that's exactly where the pain is coming from. How do you recommend me stretching it, just keep doing it a few times a day until it feels good?


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## Blytheryn (May 25, 2017)

USMarine75 said:


> I've seen more LBP, knee, and shoulder injuries in the last five years due to crossfit and HIIT inspired lifting. The deadlift has become the standard lift and people are doing it multiple times per week and going heavy. No rest for the tendons and ligaments anymore. And yeah as someone who powerlifts and has a bad injury from Iraq myself, it's humbling when you have to go light and just worry about form.
> 
> Glad you like Jim! He's awesome.



For sure. 

I went and did a light chest day about week ago, didn't want to go heavy given I had just injured myself. Some light work with dumbbells focusing on form and contraction really humbled me.


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## USMarine75 (May 25, 2017)

FWIW Gizmo is spot on... a lot of LBP can originate from tight hip flexors and hamstrings. Jim has a couple great videos on unlocking hips and proper stretching. I never even knew that I was stretching my hamstrings wrong for over 25 years of lifting lol.


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## Semi-pro (May 25, 2017)

I feel you! Do you have nerve pinches in your leg or does the pain radiate to a large area? Because if not, it might be curable relatively quick with two super simple things: strenghtening the core muscles and increasing mobility in hamstrings.

I used to have a bit of lower back pain after deadlift days, even with lower weights and proper form. Went to the doctor, he told me that the exterior muscles are just tired and I should strenghten my core and that the spine should be fine as long as the pain doesn't radiate to your legs and/or cause nerve pinches. I didn't really believe him but decided to give it a try. After 4 weeks of planking (at least 3 days a week first 2x1min, now 2x2min), and it's almost gone already! The trick is static exercises. Everything that includes moving around leaves the job mostly to the "visible" muscles and the core doesn't get dedicated exercise.

Hamstrings, glutes and lower back can be seen as a "package", a foundation on top which your body is built. Many ppl with back issues usually have limited mobility in either hamstrings (yours truly!) or glutes, and they should be worked on.

Hope you get it fixed!


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## Blytheryn (May 25, 2017)

Semi-pro said:


> I feel you! Do you have nerve pinches in your leg or does the pain radiate to a large area? Because if not, it might be curable relatively quick with two super simple things: strenghtening the core muscles and increasing mobility in hamstrings.
> 
> I used to have a bit of lower back pain after deadlift days, even with lower weights and proper form. Went to the doctor, he told me that the exterior muscles are just tired and I should strenghten my core and that the spine should be fine as long as the pain doesn't radiate to your legs and/or cause nerve pinches. I didn't really believe him but decided to give it a try. After 4 weeks of planking (at least 3 days a week first 2x1min, now 2x2min), and it's almost gone already! The trick is static exercises. Everything that includes moving around leaves the job mostly to the "visible" muscles and the core doesn't get dedicated exercise.
> 
> ...



No radiating pain at the moment. During the day for the past few days it's largely gone away, only feel it really in the morning and sometimes in the evening. But still feel a little "twingy" weird feeling. A while back I felt it in my groin, close to my right nad (huge WTF moment)

Thank you so much for the tips. I'll try them out! Did the little thing Gizmo told me to do and I feel almost all well. Crazy what a little trick like that can do. Last week I couldn't bend down to get some water after brushing my teeth, now that isn't a problem. Definitely have some more loosening up to do. I'll keep you all posted.


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## Anquished (May 31, 2017)

Hey man.

I did something similar last November and was in pain for about 8 weeks. I went and saw a doctor who recommended just doing very very light exercise and stretching. So literally I'd deadlift and squat using only the bar for a little while and focus on form as well as just doing very careful stretching. 

Do you use a belt? I bought one on a whim as my back got better and it's helped me massively.


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## Blytheryn (May 31, 2017)

Anquished said:


> Hey man.
> 
> I did something similar last November and was in pain for about 8 weeks. I went and saw a doctor who recommended just doing very very light exercise and stretching. So literally I'd deadlift and squat using only the bar for a little while and focus on form as well as just doing very careful stretching.
> 
> Do you use a belt? I bought one on a whim as my back got better and it's helped me massively.



Hmmm, I will try that. I don't own one, but there are some at my gym that I use when I lift heavy. Never lift over 220 without one.


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## Anquished (Jun 1, 2017)

Blytheryn said:


> Hmmm, I will try that. I don't own one, but there are some at my gym that I use when I lift heavy. Never lift over 220 without one.



Cool man, go easy


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## Semi-pro (Jun 7, 2017)

Btw, how many reps do you usually do? A strongman called Jouko Ahola (World's Strongers Man winner twice in the late 90's) said in an interview that he prefers 3-5 reps. Anything more will just mess up the back for days. Then again, I don't know if that's only a thing with 800+ lbs deadlifts


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 7, 2017)

honestly, there's not much you can do for lower back pain. stretching can only do so much, just rest it and go pretty light if you do any squats/dl/cleans. If your gym has a step through bar that's the best way to maintain form and go heavy for deadlift ime.


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## Blytheryn (Jun 7, 2017)

KnightBrolaire said:


> honestly, there's not much you can do for lower back pain. stretching can only do so much, just rest it and go pretty light if you do any squats/dl/cleans. If your gym has a step through bar that's the best way to maintain form and go heavy for deadlift ime.



For sure, haven't deadlifted in close to a month and been very light on all weights, haven't trained back for a while.



Semi-pro said:


> Btw, how many reps do you usually do? A strongman called Jouko Ahola (World's Strongers Man winner twice in the late 90's) said in an interview that he prefers 3-5 reps. Anything more will just mess up the back for days. Then again, I don't know if that's only a thing with 800+ lbs deadlifts



Well it depends, on deads I rarely do more than 5x5. I don't feel like there's much of a benefit to be gained from doing tons of deadlifts with light weights.


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## Anquished (Jun 8, 2017)

Blytheryn said:


> Well it depends, on deads I rarely do more than 5x5. I don't feel like there's much of a benefit to be gained from doing tons of deadlifts with light weights.



One of the things I like to do is do my 5x5 Deadlifts first and then do either 1 or 2 sets of 15/20 rack pulls with a lighter weight. I've found it just about finishes me off for lower back plus helps me concentrate on form.


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## MikeH (Jun 21, 2017)

Epsom salt baths, routine stretching (20+ minutes a day), and light weight for a few weeks. I've tweaked my lower back more times than I'd like to remember, and there's not much you can do but rehab slowly. Also, invest in a belt. Not a shitty commercial gym velcro belt. At least 10mm thick, made out of leather. I have an Inzer 10mm lever belt and I love it, though it's more on the costly side of belts. You could find something decent for $40. It's a worthy investment, and even with a max of 485, I rarely go over 300 without a belt.


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