Full deadlifts or not

[millenium girl]

I have lower back pain. Sometimes the pain is so back that I wake up in the middle of the night when I'm turning in bed. When I watch TV or surf the boards, I can't remain seated for too long or I can't stand up again.
Should I skip deadlifts or not?

 

[Magnesium]

where is the pain at in your back? Doing deadlifts should make your back muscles stronger so that it feels better. A friend of mine was told by his doctor to not do any lifting due to back problems and it go to the point where he could hardly get out of bed. Started doing dead lifts again and 15 years later still doing them and feels great.

 

[John Benz]

I would never advise doing deadlifts with chronic back pain. Find out the cause of the pain as it could anything from a pinched sciatic nerve to mild scoliosis. Get an X-ray, see a good chiropractor and do a lot of warming up. I know you're no beginner, but my daughter was complaining of chronic backaches and when X-rays were taken over a year ago, they showed scoliosis was the culprit. I am having her do a lot of walking, running and stretching. Lots of situps and crunches, but NO DEADLIFTS!

 

[workingout]

how are your abs and hamstrings, 80% of all complaints about lower back pain, in untrained individuals, can be linked to tight hamstrings and weak abs.

 

[liftsiron]

I would never advise doing deadlifts with chronic back pain. Find out the cause of the pain as it could anything from a pinched sciatic nerve to mild scoliosis. Get an X-ray, see a good chiropractor and do a lot of warming up. I know you're no beginner, but my daughter was complaining of chronic backaches and when X-rays were taken over a year ago, they showed scoliosis was the culprit. I am having her do a lot of walking, running and stretching. Lots of situps and crunches, but NO DEADLIFTS!

Very good advice John also workingout made some valid points as well. Often stretching the Hamstrings can really help to reduce or even eliminate low back stress.

 

[banana joose]

I just started this move today. I've not been able to perform squats or deads without irritating an old back injury for almost a year. I'm hoping this will help.

http://youtu.be/1mru33xLcDE

 

[A.B]

very good post John!

I have had problems in the past with lower back, Ive recently started light sumo deads which puts a little less stress on the lower back.

 

[MindlessWork]

Lately been doing rack deads due to some knee and leg issues...less pain now

 

[THE-DET-OAK]

Very good advice John also workingout made some valid points as well. Often stretching the Hamstrings can really help to reduce or even eliminate low back stress.

thats what works for me, i tried physical therapy and realized it was just my hammys getting tight and pinching a nerve.

 

[nutnut]

you might try trigger point massage as well, it can work wonders.

 

[MindlessWork]

how does that work, Nutty?

 

[Darkness]

MG I have some similar issues as you and have found the following to be true for me:

1. I can make my back feel better at any given time by stretching hams, quads, and calves. This takes the constant tension of my back and the spasms end.

2. Hanging upside down is my friend to decompress the disks (stop laughing folks )

3. My back actually feels best when I walk out of the gym. Unless I am in injury mode, if I do some light deads and stay away from reps if I increase the weight, the increased bloodflow and muscle excersicing actually feels better.

4. I am a nut job and cant do #4 because I cant not go heavy. 625 last sun and going to the platform tomorrow for more. I am looking for a cutie to push my future wheelchair MG and you fit the description.

 

[nutnut]

how does that work, Nutty?

Basically myofascial trigger points are small areas of contracted muscle fibers that cause a great deal of referred pain and are quite common. You can release them by applying pressure (use a lacrosse ball, super ball, foam roller etc.) but it does take a little reading to find the common trigger points.

 

[MindlessWork]

Basically myofascial trigger points are small areas of contracted muscle fibers that cause a great deal of referred pain and are quite common. You can release them by applying pressure (use a lacrosse ball, super ball, foam roller etc.) but it does take a little reading to find the common trigger points.

Sounds like what happens when you hit a tight muscle with something and a tight knot forms

 

[big ragu]

I have similair pain as well. I can't sit in a car for more than 30 mins or I'm in a ton of pain, if I go to the movies I can't sit still. I've found that deadlifts don't make it any worse, sometimes it feels better.