My back injury

Hurt my back deadlifting last Thursday - was it a max DL pulling a new PR - well no, I was warming up with 85K. Isn't it always the dinky one's that sneak up & get you! Anyway was totalled for a couple of days. Basically on the couch. Finally today (Sunday) I managed to put on my own trousers & can stand up using with both hands pushing on my legs for extra support. I'm pretty much certain (over 99%) that this is a soft tissue problem.
I've invested in some cissus I looked into this product a few years ago & rate it as a recovery aid (but it can give a false positive in a drugs test so for athletes competing I'd steer clear!), you can check up my discussion on the plant here (I checked this out a few years ago, so if anyone has any updates on the research let me know!). I'm also taking ginger, glucosamine, MSM, DHA, vit C & D. I'll also be investing in some q10 once I move some more cash into my 'online spending account' next week.
So basically an injury costs you a lot
I've been doing regular ROM type movements the last few days attempting to regain max pain-free ROM (with most injuries this is a good idea unless a doc says no), next week I'll start doing some upper body stuff - mainly bands as lifting weight discs may not be the best idea. As I recover I'll start adding in lower body bodyweight & assisted exercises, then move on to weighted stuff that do not involve the back directly (like hip squat belt squats) while working on strengthening the back & getting mobility & stability back into the area.
I'll be fairly cautious until the Animal Aid Christmas fayre then push on a bit harder after that.
Anyway, I'm hoping my goals haven't been set back too much? I should be back on track by 2011, so it's not so bad...& the extra time has been spent playing about with the back-end of the website which should be updated by the end of the week (although it will still look very similar)

I'm glad it doesn't seem to be anything too serious. Must ask though, are you sure deadlifts are worth it?

My thinking is that sooner or later, something really bad happens.

Anyway, I hope you recover quickly.

I believe the deadlift (in one form or another) is probably the single most important exercise, I say that both from a physiological move & psychological angle:

Physiological

It works more muscles than just about any other non-ballistic movement. I could write an essay simply about the positive effects of the move. Most sports orientated physical therapist rate the deadlift as do virtually every sports orientated coach (for example check out Gray Cook, Gary Gray, Stuart McGill, Mike Boyle, Alywn Cosgrove, Coach Dos, Eric Cressey etc etc) it is pretty much universally agreed by both the sports PT world & athletic coaches that were the squat may not be needed (much as I love the squat), pressing overhead may not suit everyone & benching can be given up, just about everyone insists that any athlete that needs strength or speed needs to do a form of deadlift. I'm working my way through rewatching secrets of the core-the back side, some Gary Gray lumbar spine, lifting, lumbar spine (again), squatology,hip, trunk (I own all the Gary Gray series 48 indepth DVD's), plus I'm rereading some of Stuart McGill books & DVDs as I've got them & see if there's anything in the new Gray Cook book which I've just got hold of.
I'm reviewing all of those before I hit the weights & will work my way back up trying to figure out what I need to do to stop it happening again (as I have DLed for many years I think it was simply overuse that ground me down a bit as I was hitting squats & deadlifts too often

From the psychological

Someone, I can't remember who, said that flexion is how the body expresses pain, fear & most of the negative emotions (if you are scared you want to 'curl up in a ball', if you are hurt you curl up, if you are angry you clench you fist & tighten you muscles, if you are upset again you curl up), so negativity is expressed by the body with flexion..well in my mind that made both the deadlift & the overhead press as 2 of the most positive psychological moves you can do as a deadlift is an extension, or opening out of the body, while the overhead press is nothing if not the position of victory (hands over head fully extended). I believe both can be very positive for the mind as well as the body.

So for both those reasons I would prefer to keep in a form of deadlift in some form. That need not be a barbell deadlift, you've got shrugbar deadlift, one leg deadlift, one arm deadlift partial deadlift etc etc so plenty of options to use.

Again I'm not saying everyone must deadlift, obviously that's optional & depends on your goals, but for me personally squats, deadlifts, some form of heavy pull & heavy press are all pretty must a must. I simply would not enjoy training as much without the big lifts.

OK. I love the idea of the deadlift and except for the injury potential it would be my primary exercise. I guess if you've been doing it for years without issue. Maybe just a bit of overuse. I think that was primarily how I got hurt (overuse). Was actually experimenting with high volume/very light weights on that movement and squats at the time.

Mine was certainly overuse to some extent as I was hitting both the squat & deadlift several times a week.
If I had to rate one thing to get to learn the deadlift it would be the Gray Cook secrets of the core-the back side as a great way to go from not knowing anything to getting a decent idea of a deadlift.

As a few people have asked I thought I'd give you all a quick update on my back issues. It's been a few weeks now & yesterday I manage to lift with good form 72.5K deadlift using a shrug bar (sometimes called a trap bar, or parallel grip deadlift bar - it's like a bit hexagon or diamond you stand in & lift- hold on I'll find a youtube clip - here you go:



This is the same brand as mine...but I got a it with tandem grips, so you get the 1" grips, then you spin the bar over & can use 2" grips for extra grip work). I recommend this bar if you have a lower back issue as it keeps the weight centred throughout the lift. The other issue is I've developed a 'tail tuck' when I go into the hole So far I can squat to a box with an empty bar to legal depth, any weight added & I start to tuck...I'm going to be working on that get that sorted.
My rehab has been working into higher reps, keeping form tight, doing a lot of uni-lateral stuff as I've found some imbalances between my left & right side. I not a great high rep guy, but it's something I need to do for a cycle I think, get those left/right imbalances sorted out with stuff like split squat (I'm not doing Bulgarian [raised rear] or front elevated versions as now isn't the time to risk over extending the back, which 'could' happen at this point), step-ups as well as form practice with bi-lateral movements, reverse hyper extension, conventional hyper extensions, plenty of core variations, as well as working on stuff like lats & other 'sort of' stabilisers (that is stuff not commonly thought of as stabilising, but do actually have a roll in keep things tight when you lift). I'm also actually taking every warm-up like a work set & focussing on form so similar you couldn't tell if it was 10 or 100 pounds in a lift.
As I've had to set back my lifting goals I have decided to do a few runs in early 2011, as this doesn't seem to affect the injury. I've been asked (nagged!) a few times by some in the vegan runners group about giving it a go, so I might do a few short 5-10K type runs. I'm no where near the fastest runner in the world, but hopefully like the tortoise I'll get there in the end . Later in the year as the weights get back up to normal I'll focus more on lifting & maybe see what's going on around the country then. Hopefully the more balanced strength I'll have gained will actually improve my totals :-)
I think that's about it in terms of my plans for the next few months. I hope you all have a fabulous festive season & a great new year. If you have any plans for 2011 then let us know as we'd all love to hear your training, diet & contest goals for the coming year.
Have a great one!!!!!!

On the 27th I bent over & hurt my back again!
It's really annoying as it was doing nothing, just bending over!
This time I had thought about it, so I've been taking photos of my modified posture & how the spasms have affected the body.
This sounds pretty horrific when I write it down:

Right side of pelvis raised
Lose of spinal curve
The spine looks kind of like someone with scoliosis
Left shoulder raised
Slight anterior pelvic tilt

These are the symptoms looking at the photos.

So, as it's almost certainly soft tissue, this implies to me:

Weak right glutes & hams (tested these before I know this is the case)
Tight right adductors (maybe - too much pain to test right now with any accuracy)
Tight right quadratus lumborum (seems to be the case)
Possible tightness on left glute & hams (not tested this yet)
Tight hip flexors

-----------------
Basically this is my preliminary list of stuff to fix as soon as possible. The 'tail tucking' issue I've been having when squatting was obviously a warning that things need serious fixing, so I'm going to have to take a step back from lifting & focus pretty much on rehab stuff until I feel the issues have been fixed.

I'm going to invest in a inversion table, I've also got quite a few back products that I've bought or friends have given me. One I found pretty useful was "Lose the back pain" here's a clip:



It's a pretty easy to use product for just about anyone.

I subscribe to quite a few youtube channels & this came through today, which I found quite useful:



Some of the moves actually seemed to help a bit.

Anyway as I'm getting photos taken daily, I can tweak my recovery depending on how I am progressing. As I said it sounds like a train wreck, but I think it's actually just a second warning to get things fixed up before I can go any heavier. So, I'm looking at it as a way to balance things up & then hit some PRs later in the year (or early 2012).
So, for now I'll be backing off both the weights & the running & focus totally on the rehab for a bit & hopefully sort out the repairs I need to make the gains later on?

That's my end of 2010 report - let's hope yours is a bit better!

Here's a quick update the back is around 70% better. As I guessed the back is slowly inching back to normal. I've done a lot of tennis ball rolling on the lower/mid back area, been working the QL with lateral hip raises (not sure if that's the correct term for them), basically with one foot on a step, lengthways (so you face the banister). The other foot is floating in the air, next you raise & lower the hip...I think I need a short video.
Also my upper body muscularity has started 'turning back on' - in the first photos every muscle above the waist seems 'switched off' (that's the best way to describe it). I look kind of plump, but everyday I've been looking more toned up & tighter as everything switches back on...it's weird watching the daily photos as my body straightens up & gets more toned looking, the shoulder straighten up, the back loses its scoliosis-like kink I might even stitch together an animated GIF of the back (I'm naked...so the back ).
Oh yea the tight QL is confirmed on the right side, much less ROM on that side.
I've also ordered an inversion table & next week I'm going to invest in Primal Reflex Release Technique study course as enough people who I believe know their stuff have mentioned it, so worth the risk & checking it out.

I think I'm going to modify my running to include less distance & more sprints for cardio when I get back to training seriously - the only thing I've done more of is distance running over the past few months, so I might change that & see how the imbalances go?
That's the update.

Ouch!
Yes, back injuries really get you where you live. They hurt like hell, and prevent most exercises that might help recovery.

I mentioned elsewhere here that I'd been off training for about three weeks. My wife underwent surgery so I've been nurse and housekeeper for a while. While helping her out of bed I twisted my back, although not nearly as bad as yours was.
Anyway, my wife is better, my back is better, and I did go back to the gym yesterday.
I took it easy with the weights and avoided things that might stress the lower back (well, I did chance a few bent-over rows, but with a light bar).

Good luck with yours. You've done a good job of using the experience as a teaching opportunity.

Pretty much a new educational opportunity... I'm learning more about fascia than I ever knew before & I had my first go on an inversion table (although it's flipping massive & I'm not sure where its going to live!).

Sorry to hear still having issues with the back. I might mention I've found running to be helpful at keeping some back issues at bay personally. Although, I'm still having knee issues thanks to the running. lol. I just bought a pair of strength shoes to keep my heels completely off the ground to see if that helps my knees. (I used to have a pair. Loved them. Just have to be careful not to overstrain my calves.) I have an inversion table by the way. They can be quite useful.

I've been reading pretty incessantly about backs since the last incident. Running is actually a common cause of back injury...but obviously everyone is different. I think a lot depends on your build, personal weaknesses etc. I'm was doing purely rehab, but edging in a bit of bodyweight stuff today with some push-ups & inverted rows (taking extra care to line up the 3 points -the glutes, the upper back & the back of the head - so you can lay a PVC pipe on them if necessary - you need a guest spotter to check that out).
Been doing a lot of self myofascial release with a tennis ball down the back & plenty of bird dog, plank, etc etc - not as exciting as lifting big weights, but has to be done (I suppose).
The inversion table is good BIG, but good

Been making sure I hit my multifidus as they have some association with back pain - but that's just the basic McGill type stuff that's becoming quite common now. Been working the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) quite a bit, then of course working with the old tennis ball some more (OUCH!).

Still my back is now looking 100% normal & the pain is more of a mild ache when I hit certain angles (that's kind of a hint to AVOID those angles I think ). Anyway, hopefully all this strengthening will actually end up with me hitting a bigger total later on?

I am also injured with my back pain and now I am following a doctors advice that is sleeping of on the flat floor and I am feeling well now. I hope you also can feel better by following this.

I have a thin mattress on the floor, have done for a long time. I also tend to sit on the floor (I just don't like chairs that much). I think a lot depends upon your injury, stuff like bone issues will be different from soft tissue or nerve issues & also the position of the injury can affect the issue I suspect (I'm no back expert, but it makes sense).
I've been reading up on studies - it seems acute injury will pretty much get better at the same speed whatever you do, or don't do. So, if you go to the chiro, acupuncturist, or just bed rest & you tend to recover at the same speed (chronic pain is different), but the main difference is what you do after the injury has healed.
Things like your multifidus tends to get badly affected in an injured area & the fast twitch muscles (the one's that react hard & fast). For reasons unknown the fast twitch muscles can shrink in an injured area, they tend then to be hyper-responsive (that is work too much) which may be a cause of issues. Things like bird-dogs, planks & side planks can help build up the region, also working the abs, with stuff like roll-outs once the back feels strong enough.
Obviously run any exercise plan past your medical adviser before starting it as some back issues need different protocols. There seems to be some interest in the whole back issue so I will be doing a blog post on my whole experience. I might also throw up some pics or videos of exercises I'll be using to combat the issue.
Hope you back stays well!

After much thought I have decided to do a blog post about my back issues I've suffered over the xmas period. This was a pretty personal post & does include some back shots of me that include glutes (so be warned). I cover what happened, how I'm dealing with the issues & what rehab I'm doing & why I'm doing it. It also covers changing goals due to events, & even how you can benefit from injuries or other setbacks.
So here's the link to the post http://shrvl.com/tL2Vr it would be great if you are able to comment below the post & if you want more details or to get some more info about the rehab, recovery & coming back post in the blogs comments ection & if the demand is there I'll add some stuff about what I'm doing.

Here's the link again http://shrvl.com/tL2Vr

Pete,
I've just been re-reading your account of your back injury.
How are you doing now?
Back injuries are limbs-of-satin, and put you out of action for longer than you'd think.

Last time I went that roue I hurt for a long time, and got WAY out of practice before things returned to normal.
I've forgotten whose bulk-and-training routine I was following when things went bad (my fault, not the trainer's) --I'll go back and check my training log to see if I noted it

Good luck with yours.

Coming on slowly. Still really at what most of us would call 'rehab weights'. I'm doing this recovery slowly as it's a re-injury. Lots of weighted bird dogs. Going to move onto Turkish get-ups this week (light kettlebells only) as you get some 'integrated core work' (at least I call it that, for the core I split stuff into static - planks etc, dynamic - say going into & out of a side plank, then ingregrated which is where you add the core back into movements - like get-ups etc). But I am definitely on the mend slowly.
Just starting running again today as it happens.