Image Credit: Cardio Coach
Posted by Sasper in StrongLifts.com Forum:
I tweaked my lower back during Squats. I let my form slip and brought my lower back in towards the front of me. It hurt bad immediately and I had to cancel the rest of my workout.
I had trouble walking and moving around for the next 24 hours. I started taking some ibuprofen to help with the pain and met with a personal trainer at my gym. He gave me some stretches to hit my lower back as well as the rest of my core.
Mobility vs. Stability. Some of your joints are designed for stability, others for mobility. Starting with your feet, joint function alternates like this:
- Ankles: mobility
- Knees: stability
- Hips: mobility
- Lower back: stability
- Middle back: mobility
- Shoulder-blades: stability
- Shoulders: mobility
Lower Back Stability. Your lower back is designed for stability: it keeps your torso upright. Both when walking around or performing Squats. If you stretch your lower back, you compromises its stability function.
By stretching your lower back you try to increase its natural range of motion. Stretching doesn’t alleviate your lower back pain. Stretching makes a back that is already unstable more unstable.
You want a strong back. A strong stable back that keeps you upright when doing heavy squats. Stop stretching your lower back. No more hyper-extension or rotational stretches for your lower back.
Lower Back Injuries. Sasper injured his back. Here is some of the advise I gave him on StrongLifts.com Forum:
- Rest. Stop loading your lower back for 2-3 weeks. Sasper took one week off strength training followed by 1 light week. Start with singe leg exercises then Front Squats.
- Glute Activation. Excessive sitting causes dormant glutes. Glute activation teaches you to use your glutes when doing Squats & Deadlifts.
- Hip Mobility. If you have dormant glutes, you have tight hip flexors. Improve your hip mobility so your lower back doesn’t have to compensate.
- Technique. Sasper will agree improper technique caused his lower back injury. It’s his responsibility to improve his Squat technique now so it doesn’t happen again.
- Doctor. If your lower back pain gets chronic, see a doctor.
