Tight lower/mid back

Hi,

In April, just before I started F1, I "threw out" my back.  Basically I was very sore for a few days (couldn't even tie my shoes) and then it went away.  This is the only time I've ever had any issue with my back.

About a month ago during my first deload week my lower mid back started to hurt when I would stand up from sitting or get out of bed. It doesn't hurt when I'm doing the F1 workout, so I don't think I'm injured.  The more time I take off from working out (up to 4 days), the stiffer/sorer I get.  I assume that I am adapting to the F1 workouts but the stiffness/soreness isn't going away.  I'm making good progress on SL/PE1 and suspect that it may be the cause, but like I said, when I stop doing it for a few days my back actually feels worse.

I've been using a lacross ball for massage to loosen up and it seems to be helping some.  I've also tried a foam roller, but it doesn't put enough pressure on my back to make much difference.  

Is there a stretching/massage routine that can help to loosen my back up?  Should I expect this just to go away?  It makes me feel like an old man.

I think a better question might be: why did you throw it out in the first place?  Something was clearly not sitting right in your spine, whether it was mobility, strength or both.  You may consider figuring that out first and correcting it so it doesn't happen again.

Hi Ben,

Second post I'm writing today on the same subject and unfortunately saying the same thing.

You will definitely have some degree of underlying disc issue. When I say issue I mean a disc suffering from too much compression, causing it to over-stretch and become inflamed. This can range from a small area slightly bulging under pressure, to large bulges to prolapse.

You won't have a prolapse as pain would be much higher and your movements more restricted. It is even possible for discs to bulge into the vertebrae themselves when we are younger and still growing, setting up weak spots when we are older. Likelyhood is you have a small bulge. I say this not to scare you but give you clarity as most people lIke yourself don't appreciate they have an injury and can make it worse.

I say this as an Osteopath, with lots of experience seeing this type of presentation. Pain bending over when symptoms start are classic discogenic signs. The fact that you get better when training does not mean that you are not injured, it just means that the movements help ease some of the reflex tension caused by the nervous system as a result of the disc injury. When you work out you ease this tension, clear some of the local swelling (on the inside you can't see it but will be there) and so you feel better. Discogenic pain also has a characteristic of delayed pain, so when you initially woke in the morning and felt the pain, you definitely already injured it the day before but the inflammatory reaction is slower in connective tissues. 

Moving around and keeping mobile is the best thing you can do for the spine even with bulges, the key is to get the balance right: moving enough to bring relief but not too much or in ways that put more pressure on the spine.

Flexion of the spine puts more pressure on discs as a general rule so take care not to over do these. Traction is beneficial to achieve decompression, hanging from the arms, the lat stretches for early iM's in rope climb (keeping the back flat). I would avoid Jefferson curls for now, and at least 6 weeks after symptoms stop. Discs can take up to 12 weeks to resolve, depending on how they are managed, how bad it was to start etc. I usually get my clients to invert on inversion tables at least 3 x week for 15 mins (divided into sets 4 or 5 sets), I treat to reduce reflex contractions once a week for first month and prescribe specific exercises as above.

Take home message is 90% of lower back pain is discogenic, there can be delayed pain response which causes confusion, they take time to heal and even though a first epsidoe can seem like it started in an instant, they never do. It's a slow build up of pressure and wear just like a car tyre.

Take it easy, don't push too hard and give it time!

Hope it helps,

Wesley

Damon Amato said:

I think a better question might be: why did you throw it out in the first place?  Something was clearly not sitting right in your spine, whether it was mobility, strength or both.  You may consider figuring that out first and correcting it so it doesn't happen again.

I'd been doing crossfit for about a year and a half, we did a couple of metcons on consecutive days that really stressed my lower back. I remember going home thinking that I'd overdone it, and later that afternoon it was confirmed when I could barely stand up.  A week later the pain was pretty much gone.

In addition to this I had also developed a sore right shoulder and a sore knee from performing squat cleans incorrectly. I was getting a lot stronger but not any more mobile, and the injuries sucked.  So that's what led me here to Gymnastic Bodies.  I was hoping for foundations and handstand to correct/repair me so that it wouldn't happen again.  

Right now my knee and shoulder are much better and I'm getting stronger and more mobile, so I think it's working.  I'm not doing Crossfit right now, and not sure if I'll go back.  I miss the competitiveness and camaraderie though.  Right now I have my hands full with F1 and H1.

Wes Tan said:

Hi Ben,

 

Second post I'm writing today on the same subject and unfortunately saying the same thing.

 

You will definitely have some degree of underlying disc issue. When I say issue I mean a disc suffering from too much compression, causing it to over-stretch and become inflamed. This can range from a small area slightly bulging under pressure, to large bulges to prolapse.

 

You won't have a prolapse as pain would be much higher and your movements more restricted. It is even possible for discs to bulge into the vertebrae themselves when we are younger and still growing, setting up weak spots when we are older. Likelyhood is you have a small bulge. I say this not to scare you but give you clarity as most people lIke yourself don't appreciate they have an injury and can make it worse.

 

I say this as an Osteopath, with lots of experience seeing this type of presentation. Pain bending over when symptoms start are classic discogenic signs. The fact that you get better when training does not mean that you are not injured, it just means that the movements help ease some of the reflex tension caused by the nervous system as a result of the disc injury. When you work out you ease this tension, clear some of the local swelling (on the inside you can't see it but will be there) and so you feel better. Discogenic pain also has a characteristic of delayed pain, so when you initially woke in the morning and felt the pain, you definitely already injured it the day before but the inflammatory reaction is slower in connective tissues. 

 

Moving around and keeping mobile is the best thing you can do for the spine even with bulges, the key is to get the balance right: moving enough to bring relief but not too much or in ways that put more pressure on the spine.

 

Flexion of the spine puts more pressure on discs as a general rule so take care not to over do these. Traction is beneficial to achieve decompression, hanging from the arms, the lat stretches for early iM's in rope climb (keeping the back flat). I would avoid Jefferson curls for now, and at least 6 weeks after symptoms stop. Discs can take up to 12 weeks to resolve, depending on how they are managed, how bad it was to start etc. I usually get my clients to invert on inversion tables at least 3 x week for 15 mins (divided into sets 4 or 5 sets), I treat to reduce reflex contractions once a week for first month and prescribe specific exercises as above.

 

Take home message is 90% of lower back pain is discogenic, there can be delayed pain response which causes confusion, they take time to heal and even though a first epsidoe can seem like it started in an instant, they never do. It's a slow build up of pressure and wear just like a car tyre.

 

Take it easy, don't push too hard and give it time!

 

Hope it helps,

 

Wesley

Hmmm...This isn't really what I was hoping to hear, but thank you for your response. It sounds like you think this may go away if I just continue with F1/H1?  I don't have an inversion table but I can hang from the pull up bar for some decompression, though not for 15 minutes. Yet. 

Are anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen beneficial?  I don't need it for pain, just wondering if it would accelerate healing. Also, will massaging it with a lacross ball improve it or will it aggravate the discs?  Seems to feel better afterwards so I'll keep doing it unless there's a reason to stop.

Thanks again Wes.

Hi Ben,

No worries and sorry to be the bearer of bad news, though to be clear is a good thing. In the other post I mentioned writing today I gave an example of a 22 year old I am currently treating, he has one prolapsed disc and one bulge, history of on off back pain for 6 years and 3 months ago a bad epsidoe like you described that lasted for over 1month. Cross fitter for last 18months.

I have a few guys that train with me in my adult GST classes who have had disc bulges and nerve root compression from deadlifting and heavy squatting. One is in his 40s, hasn't lifted in the last 12 months, switched to GST and last 6 months following F1 and HS1. He now doesn't feel his back, except if he over stretches on his PIKE work, and by that I mean if he excessively rounds his lumbar spine instead of keeping his spine elongated (even then it is only a slight sensation of tightness). He is on PE 3 for front lever, PE 2 for side lever, PE 3 SLS (and it is hear where a lot of the problems are, it has taken best part of 8months to perform a single cossack squat with correct form, very tight in the legs feeds tension into the lumbar spine), PE 3 sPL, PE 3 HBP, PE4 rope climb, PE 2 manna. Mobility has definitely been where he has had to work the most.

In my professional and personal opinion, stick to F1 and HS1 and don't lift. I understand the fun of cross fit, but you only have one spine and you need to look after it. I too have suffered with lo back pain from sore discs so I know you can get over this, and GST has made me far stronger than I have ever been and I am currently 36.

If you don't need anti-inflammatories for pain relief don't bother. If you can hang from a bar from your knees, this is perfect for decompressing the lumbar discs!

Let me know how it goes,

Wes