How many days off after lower back injury?

[fxnaxn]

Last Wednesday's workout I deadlifted 195 lbs and tweaked my back a little bit. It felt weird and stiff, but not too painful. I was busy on that Friday anyway so I decided to skip a workout and let it heal. Pain stayed throughout the weekend and was almost negligible on Monday, so I went back to the gym and did squat, BP, IR, and pull ups. Everything was fine. Today's workout came, pain seemed to be gone. Did squat, fine, OHP, fine. Then did deadlift 185 lbs this time, and BAM

Had trouble bending over to remove the weights, had to pretty much limp back home because lower back was killing me. Some of the pain subsided within the hour after a hot shower, and now I can bend over slightly again to put on socks and stuff and I can walk pretty normally (have to keep my strides narrower than before though).

Two lessons learned:
1) post a deadlift form check next time instead of assuming my form is good
2) just because the pain is gone doesn't mean the injury is healed

How many days should I take off for a lower back injury like this one? How long does it usually take for them to heal completely? I'll probably keep doing BP and OH so I don't lose strength on those, but no more squats and DL for a while

Thanks

[Carl91]

Hi,

All I can say is: they can replace a heart, a leg or pretty much anything these days, but they cannot replace the spine or back. I would rest as much as possible to be honest, back injuries are worth the wait.

[atypical1]

If you were feeling better then injured yourself again then your form is way off or you made some weird move while performing the lift. Did you turn your head, jerk the weight, or do something unusual during the lift?

I would wait until you feel better then lower the weight on the deads and practice your form with an eye to making sure everything is tight.

james

[fxnaxn]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I'm not planning on going anywhere near the platform for at least 2 weeks.

I found a video I took of myself deadlifting during the summer when the weights were lower and now that I'm a little bit more experienced I can definitely see what I did wrong. My hips were rising faster than my shoulders were so my knees locked out while my back was still at about a 45 degree angle. I didn't have the "hips forward, not up" notion down. Back then, the only thing I used to watch for was whether my back was flat (it was) so I didn't catch it. Too bad I didn't post a form check here

[coreJack]

Was it a muscle injury or a spinal injury? In my limited experience, spinal injuries produce a much sharper pain than muscle injuries.

[fxnaxn]

I'm not sure, I haven't had it diagnosed. It is a sharp pain concentrated right in the horizontal center of my lower back so I'm guessing it is spinal (muscle pains are off-center, yeah?). If it doesn't get better by the end of the weekend then I'll go see a doctor, but that means going through the mess that is the American health care system.

[coreJack]

I'm not sure, I haven't had it diagnosed. It is a sharp pain concentrated right in the horizontal center of my lower back so I'm guessing it is spinal (muscle pains are off-center, yeah?). If it doesn't get better by the end of the weekend then I'll go see a doctor, but that means going through the mess that is the American health care system.

Yeah, sounds spinal; you probably sprained a spinal ligament. The initial injury occurred on Wednesday, and then was healing until you re-aggravated it a week later. Avoid lumbar flexion for a few days, even when sitting. Do the yoga cobra position and see if that provides some relief. Pick up a copy of Robin McKenzie's Treat Your Own Back. Best $10 you will ever spend on your back.