Threw My Back Out For The First Time

[Agross]

Stretching, doing things correctly, and chiropractor. Done it many times, mostly when I’m lifting something, or loading something with pour form , but can happen doing all kinds of stuff.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Thanks to all for the advice. I’m going to schedule a chiropractor visit and start a back/core strengthening regimen.

 

[Muddler]

Get this book and read it. Knock on wood Im about 18 months from the last time my back went out.
You can google the Mcgill Big 3 exercises..bird dogs, side planks and this isometric crunch thing

Back Mechanic: Fix Back Pain With The Step-By-Step McGill Method

Fix back pain with the Back Mechanic book as it guides you through self-assessment of your pain triggers, then shows you specific exercises to rehabilitate.

www.backfitpro.com

 

[North of 60]

Just wait until you are over 40 it doesn’t get any easier

Oh that is funny...wait for the fun coming after 60, 70, 80, etc.

The thing that has helped me most other than core strengthening was dropping a bunch of weight and keeping it off.

And a good PT is worth their weight in gold for proper technique. Youtube has some good PTs with info, and in-person PT is worth it when needed.

 

[rickyw]

Get this book and read it. Knock on wood Im about 18 months from the last time my back went out.
You can google the Mcgill Big 3 exercises..bird dogs, side planks and this isometric crunch thing

Back Mechanic: Fix Back Pain With The Step-By-Step McGill Method

Fix back pain with the Back Mechanic book as it guides you through self-assessment of your pain triggers, then shows you specific exercises to rehabilitate.

www.backfitpro.com

I was just thinking of suggesting this. @Mighty Mouse
McGill Method used right is very helpful in preventing injury and calming flare ups, because it’s about assessing your pain triggers and eliminating them and then addressing your weaknesses.

There really is no one sized fits all approach. Hence, the variability in responses. People share what has worked for their spines with their unique anatomy and physiology.

I’ve had patients in significant pain respond well to spinal manipulation, I’ve had them respond well to dry needling, I’ve had them respond well to laying on their tummy while I lightly traction their legs to decompress their spine, etc. it all begins with a solid assessment. Sometimes they are just super weak and need to be strengthened to take stress off their spine. Other times it’s not their back at all but referred pain from a stiff or arthritic hip joint. There’s just a lot of possibilities. And then there’s plenty of people who require multiple approaches to address their issue. The goal is to examine them thoroughly, treat them, give them the tools they need and send them back to their life. Unfortunately some folks just want a quick fix and don’t want to do their homework.

Read the back mechanic book. Think about what is being said. Read it again. If you have another flare up, note what activity or movement seemed to coincide with the flare up. How can you alter it to take stress off your spine?

hopefully this was an isolated incident, but if it isn’t, then you need to become the expert on your spine.

 

[3325]

So, what can I do to minimize the chance of reoccurrence?

Strength train but don’t max out. Training should have a therapeutic effect and not just be about “gainz.” Check out the works of Stuart McGill.

Be posture aware and avoid lifting with poor from, especially lifting and twisting.

If doing manual labor, quit for the day before you need to. Don’t be out there sanding the deck and think, “I’ll just knock out this last section and then it will be done.” Nope. Quit with a little left to do and get back to it another day. Obviously, if you have an elk on the ground, you will have to be as careful as you can and do what needs to be done. But mostly, few chores just have to get finished right away so you can put it behind you.

And what can I do to hasten recovery if (when) it does happen again?

Rest. Ice first for 24 hours. Then switch to heat. Alternate Ibuprofen with Acetaminophen. Rest.

See an Ortho and get an MRI before chiropractic adjustments or massage therapy. Don’t let anyone push or pull on you before knowing exactly what’s going on.

For context, I’m a 36 year old male, 5’8”, 130 lb, classic ectomorph, active but not currently practicing a consistent workout regimen.

59 years old. “Threw out my back” at 28, discectomy at 35. Periodic but infrequent episodes since. Rule of thumb: Once you’re in the “back club,” you’re in the back club. There will never be another day when you’re not in the back club. It becomes about maintenance.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Get this book and read it. Knock on wood Im about 18 months from the last time my back went out.
You can google the Mcgill Big 3 exercises..bird dogs, side planks and this isometric crunch thing

Back Mechanic: Fix Back Pain With The Step-By-Step McGill Method

Fix back pain with the Back Mechanic book as it guides you through self-assessment of your pain triggers, then shows you specific exercises to rehabilitate.

www.backfitpro.com

Ordered a copy this morning. Thanks!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I feel like every few years I do something that makes my lower back spasm, sometimes worse than others. Back maybe ~ 2 years ago I hit the perfect storm and it laid me out for a few days.

I’d cut up 3 trees and split the wood by myself over the space of the week, it was like 3 cords of wood. I’d stacked it and piled it. The day after I finished I went out on my snow machine for a caribou hunt, it was a bumpy ride, jarring my back. I shot w few caribou and while I was loading them into my sled I sank into the snow, felt sort of a strain in the back. Bumpy ride home and got the caribou hung.

That night it snowed about 16” so the next morning I cleared snow then figured it was still early so I’d get a quick 10k on my rower. I clearly remember I was a 9784 meters and my lower back just spasms.

Like an idiot I figured I was going to miss a few workouts so it made perfect sense to grind through to the end of that one. When I finished I struggled to stand, I couldn’t even pick the light end of the rower up to put it away.

Went to work, my boss was in and out all day and not responding to texts so I couldn’t really leave. By the time I got the go ahead to go home it was an hour until the end of the day so I just stayed. I spent the weekend cutting caribou as my back would tighten up and loosen up, it was tough.

Finally Sunday I called my boss and told him I wouldn’t be in that Monday. For 2 days I couldn’t really get out of my chair, I’d try and move and feel things tightening up.

I hate that.

 

[KenLee]

Cyclobenzaprine along with aleve and keep going asap.

 

[BadDogPSD]

Thanks to all for the advice. I’m going to schedule a chiropractor visit and start a back/core strengthening regimen.

I'd recommend an mri before seeing a chiropractor. If it's a bulged or ruptured disc, a chiropractor may make it worse.

 

[Ralphie]

Like everyone else said core exercises. I like deadlifts, Russian twists, leg lifts.

It amazes me how much better I feel with just simple stretches like toe touches. Double knees to chest, happy baby. You look pretty stupid with those last two and maybe it’s just mental but dang I feel better after stretching.

Once while playing bball, mid age-ish exercise, one of the older guys was asking the MD that played with us about his upper leg pain. The first thing the Dr asked him was to do a couple stretches. The guys flexibility was pretty bad. He could run up and down the court but couldn’t come close to touching his toes.

 

[Bubba]

A little about myself. Im a firefighter and I messed up my back in training. I went to the doctors and they gave me prednisone and some PT. I returned to workin 2 weeks. I returned to working out doing weights and CrossFit style workouts. Was in great shape. I started getting sciatica down my left leg. I was pain full driving out of state for hunts. I took all the fun out of hunting. I re-injuried my back 2 years later.This time I went to an orthopedic doctor. I had a L5 S1 herniated disc pressing ob the nerves. This didn't slow me down I went through PT but also kept lifting. My PT advised me to keep at it.I keeper throwing my back out. So I stopped working out and took a few months off. I went form being in great shape to average shape. I was eager to get back in shape. I was pushing myself harder and harder and I was only hurting my back more. I went into a deep depression and a very dark time. After receiving help mentally, I was able to get back on the horse and made a plan to slowly improve myself. I started to train smarter and not harder.
I'm 50 y/o and my body hurts it takes me longer to recover. I'm still in good shape and had to accept that I was never going to get back to the shape I was in at 47. My body needs more time to recover now. I walk with a 20 pound weighted vest 2 time a week, weight train with a push, pull and legs approach. I do 1 cross training workout a week. My back is 90 percent. I still get occasional PRP in my SI joints. I will never do corticosteroids again. They don't work and the science is showing they are bad and I time a temporary fix.

I highly recommend going and having a MRI done.

Things that helped me.
1. stretching. this was the most important.
2. warm up before working out.
3. don't ego lift an d don't forget about recovery
4. Diet and reducing inflammation.
5. walking then walking with a weighted vest.
6. core work and lower back work (Mckenzie 3 core workout)

Youtube has a lot of good info.

hope this helps.

 

[LostArra]

You did the best thing possible for musculoskeletal back pain, move on with life and don't stop.

Preventing reoccurrence is a matter of strengthening your posterior chain and core.

Deadlifts, squats, lunges, and twisting the core against resistance have all helped mine.

I had a painful back for years starting my last few years in the Navy. I never got help, but stretched and acted like a wimp for years. Finally I said "f**k it, I'm done acting crippled and if I become actually crippled I'll be in the same position" and interestingly that was the start of it getting better. I started forcing myself to move in ways that hurt when it locked up and just working on over all fitness. Now about the only time I notice it is if I over fatigue the muscles in the gym, but then I just drop weight and keep doing the movements.

At 38 my back is better than it was from 22 to 33. I was fit in my 20s, but avoid the best movement patterns (heavy ass to grass squats and deadlifts) because of believing the bullshit that they would hurt my back more.

Passive stretching is pretty worthless in my experience. Done with care, loaded ROM has been great for all angry muscles from torn calf, to torn glutes, to my pathetic back. Injured muscle heals best when loaded as it aligns the scar tissue with the muscle fibers resulting in a stronger and more functional repair.

NSAIDs do nothing to speed recovery, if they help you function better, then use them. But they are only treating the symptom and do not improve long term outcomes (opioids actually hurt long term outcomes, so avoid them unless your life literally depends on functioning). Unless you have neurologic symptoms, there is not any evidence I'm aware of that steroids do better than placebo.

Unless you have experienced it, mentioning barbell exercises especially deadlifts and squats for treating and preventing back pain sounds insane. But if you know, you know.

I'm 73 and I've just quit talking about it to avoid the lectures from the uninformed about lifting "heavy" weights. If you can do 5 reps with good form, the weight isn't heavy. It may be hard but it's not too heavy.

My wife (same age) wanted to start real weight training. Being happily married for almost 50 years I suggested she get a coach (NOT ME). She joined a Starting Strength gym and loves it.