10 Myths About Lower Back Pain (LBP)

feralseppo

Billy Hamilton status
Feb 28, 2006
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Tightness doesn't cause numbing. Muscular or soft tissue swelling can cause temporary tingling sensation...but not numbing.

Bulged discs usually resolve on their own and getting two MRI's was probably two too many. As you've experienced..they haven't fixed anything and now you feel like your broken and are feeling random numbing sensations.
I don't feel broken. The change in the bulged disc could have been nothing more than coincidence with lifting and then the whole perineum area going numb. No idea what the cause is. I have a number of bulged discs in the low back and I don't have back pain.

This problem also started in connection with getting sideswiped on the driver's side of my car that totaled it. My left shoulder has been a bit jacked ever since as well. Pushing weight can be painful at times. Physical therapy was useless and did nothing.
 

PRCD

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Feb 25, 2020
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I don't feel broken. The change in the bulged disc could have been nothing more than coincidence with lifting and then the whole perineum area going numb. No idea what the cause is. I have a number of bulged discs in the low back and I don't have back pain.

This problem also started in connection with getting sideswiped on the driver's side of my car that totaled it. My left shoulder has been a bit jacked ever since as well. Pushing weight can be painful at times. Physical therapy was useless and did nothing.
 

Mr J

Michael Peterson status
Aug 18, 2003
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mr j are u doing voice to messsge?
no I am not Havoc, I am typing posts to this forum using a computer keyboard, if thats what you mean. I don't have the patience for one fingered phone typing and haven't explored voice to message. Do you use voice to message? You would need special software to produce your erBB dialect though, or is it available?
 
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Bob Dobbalina

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I've read the same things. The fact that some people have bulged discs and no symptoms doesn't really prove much other than people can have bulged discs without any problems. I am not in pain. I just have numbness is different parts of the lower extremities. I didn't have back pain. The pain was in the outside of my shin and wrapped around to the inside ankle. That is one of the areas that is now permanently numb and has been for more than 3 years.
I can relate to the pain in the shins and ankles. My story is a few pages back. I get cramping/painful sensations in different hotspots from my thighs to my ankles (the shin is a consistent spot) when I try to sleep. It's becoming a ritual. Ease into bed trying as hard as I can not to light up my glutes, then as soon as I'm down, the spots start lighting up. They get to a point that it's unbearable but there isn't much I can do. If I roll over, the other side lights up. Usually it's 15 - 20 minutes, then I can relax. A few hours later they fire up again.
 
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Autoprax

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I don't feel broken. The change in the bulged disc could have been nothing more than coincidence with lifting and then the whole perineum area going numb. No idea what the cause is. I have a number of bulged discs in the low back and I don't have back pain.

This problem also started in connection with getting sideswiped on the driver's side of my car that totaled it. My left shoulder has been a bit jacked ever since as well. Pushing weight can be painful at times. Physical therapy was useless and did nothing.
Check your ankles for pronation.

I had l5 herniation.

My foot was numb for years.

Then the nerve really got zapped and I got foot drop.

Had the surgery but the nerve damage was permentant.

Anyway, I can get away with this.

Start slow. Just doing the motion. Barely loading.


This helped a lot.

My glutei were really weak because of the Lower leg injury.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
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How are you going Llilibel? Any updates on your symptoms, has your training evolved. On the plus side you would be well on your way to getting a fairly solid core, better than prior to your back problem, just need to find a way of resolving that pain - or maybe its just time that is needed.

I'm treading carefully with all the extra physical stresses from adding skimboarding to my surf sessions. Currently operating on a one day on, one day rest cycle, I can get in the sea every other day now. Today is a rest day - yesterday surfed/skimmed twice and at the end of the day did some of my home training - I've introduced light dumbbell lunges now - that definitely does some flexor work for me.
Mr.J, I've settled on this work out-

-short run (4 miles with stairs)
-squats with empty bar, 2 sets of 20, no squat rack (this is a move VM called "stupid" and "dangerous"- pressing up and then lowering the bar behind your head- I don't think I'll go much beyond the empty bar, maybe add 10 lbs a couple weeks from now... it does feel dangerous)
-overhead presses with empty bar (45 lbs) 2 sets of 10, again I can eventually add 10, maybe 20 lbs.
-the pull up /push up routine (1 pull 2 push, 2 pull 4 push, 3 pull 6 push...until failure, each time I've failed at the attempt to do 7 pull ups, then you work back down- 6/12, 5/10, 4/8... in the end I do over 30 pull ups and about 80 push ups
- 2-1/2 minute plank, 1-1/2 minute side planks
- some hollow holds
-2 sets of 10 lunges with 10lb dumbells
-some dumbbell curls, just because when I was a kid I thought that's what strong men do...

I will eventually up the stress by upping the reps, except the deadlift which I can keep adding weight

Valsalva dizziness stopped when I did the barbell work before the other exercises. I initially did it at the end of the work out.

I've been resting for 2 days. On rest days I still do stretches.

I quit doing gbg's self suck stretch because any back flexion brings pain.

I found this video and the description of the symptoms are exactly what I experienced (down to the coughing) and the stretches given are exactly what the PT has given me. I like where he says, "You are effectively pushing the jelly back inside the disc." I imagine I'm doing that when I do the back extension and dig my thumbs into the muscle (like the deep massage). This idea might be hogwash but psychologically maybe it has a good placebo effect.

The second video is another stretch the PT gave for the glute pain. Today my glute was painful free.

Oh, I do burpees but still can't do pop ups (too painful). Burpees I can do maintaining a fairly rigid/straight core. Pop ups require that extension to flexion motion. Flexion is my weakness. Still hurts when I bend over to put socks on.
Following the instructions in this video I stopped doing the knee to chest stretch and my glute pain has begun to subside.

Oh, FYI- the test the PT gives me to see how I'm progressing is the first movement the video says to avoid- bending over in the forward direction. She notes where I start to feel pain as I bend forward and reach down my legs with my hands. On the first visit I felt pain at the knee. Now I'm half way down my shins, mostly limited by tight hamstrings. I used to be able to touch my toes easily. Actually, I used to be able to put my palms on the floor.


ps Thanks again to everyone for feedback and suggestions. Big shout out for VM for contributing his knowledge. Hope everyone stays healthy in these Strange Days.

 
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feralseppo

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Mr.J, I've settled on this work out-

-short run (4 miles with stairs)
-squats with empty bar, 2 sets of 20, no squat rack (this is a move VM called "stupid" and "dangerous"- pressing up and then lowering the bar behind your head- I don't think I'll go much beyond the empty bar, maybe add 10 lbs a couple weeks from now... it does feel dangerous)
-overhead presses with empty bar (45 lbs) 2 sets of 10, again I can eventually add 10, maybe 20 lbs.
-the pull up /push up routine (1 pull 2 push, 2 pull 4 push, 3 pull 6 push...until failure, each time I've failed at the attempt to do 7 pull ups, then you work back down- 6/12, 5/10, 4/8... in the end I do over 30 pull ups and about 80 push ups
- 2-1/2 minute plank, 1-1/2 minute side planks
- some hollow holds
-2 sets of 10 lunges with 10lb dumbells
-some dumbbell curls, just because when I was a kid I thought that's what strong men do...

I will eventually up the stress by upping the reps, except the deadlift which I can keep adding weight

Valsalva dizziness stopped when I did the barbell work before the other exercises. I initially did it at the end of the work out.

I've been resting for 2 days. On rest days I still do stretches.

I quit doing gbg's self suck stretch because any back flexion brings pain.

I found this video and the description of the symptoms are exactly what I experienced (down to the coughing) and the stretches given are exactly what the PT has given me. I like where he says, "You are effectively pushing the jelly back inside the disc." I imagine I'm doing that when I do the back extension and dig my thumbs into the muscle (like the deep massage). This idea might be hogwash but psychologically maybe it has a good placebo effect.

The second video is another stretch the PT gave for the glute pain. Today my glute was painful free.

Oh, I do burpees but still can't do pop ups (too painful). Burpees I can do maintaining a fairly rigid/straight core. Pop ups require that extension to flexion motion. Flexion is my weakness. Still hurts when I bend over to put socks on.
Following the instructions in this video I stopped doing the knee to chest stretch and my glute pain has begun to subside.

Oh, FYI- the test the PT gives me to see how I'm progressing is the first movement the video says to avoid- bending over in the forward direction. She notes where I start to feel pain as I bend forward and reach down my legs with my hands. On the first visit I felt pain at the knee. Now I'm half way down my shins, mostly limited by tight hamstrings. I used to be able to touch my toes easily. Actually, I used to be able to put my palms on the floor.


ps Thanks again to everyone for feedback and suggestions. Big shout out for VM for contributing his knowledge. Hope everyone stays healthy in these Strange Days.

Kind of funny. I have 4 or 5 disc herniations starting at L1 on down. Doing that cobra stretch and laying face down is about the worst thing for me. Those are the two things my low back does not like along with deadifts (and not being sarcastic). Bending over forward touching the floor. No problem. Just goes to show everyone's situation is different.
 
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Mr J

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Aug 18, 2003
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Llilibel, that’s a great sounding workout. What you wrote today has a lot more similarity with my situation than your previous posts. As I explained in a previous post on my recovery history I was told to avoid all forward bending when in the delicate stage. There is even a technique for washing the dishes where the cupboard door below the sink is open and one knee pushed into the cupboard to help keep lower back straight.

The gbg stretch is downright dodgy for someone who has been given these instructions and should be avoided. There is a difference with the knee to chest stretch shown and what I do - the one I was given always has one leg straight with only one going to the chest.

Cobra position rings alarm bells for me, for no other reason other than my gut feel about it - did the pt really prescribe that? I was not given that one. I do have a couple of mobility stretches which involve no bodyweight - will try and find a link or describe in another post.

One difference in the symptom description is that I would go straight from being hardly able to walk to the localised pain situation in a few days, missing out the sciatica phase.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
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Mr. J- Cobra position was called "prone press up" and I was given instructions to keep lower back and glutes relaxed and to stop if I had any pain. Yesterday I was pain free. This AM as I got out of bed I had a couple of pangs in the glute. Did the extensions and thumb pressure now I'm sitting eating breakfast, no pain in the glute (yeah!).

I suspect lack of rest days did not help my recovery. Weeks of doing gbg's self suck might not have helped either.

Today I'm going to do the work out with no run. My daughter and I been running to the beach (about a mile) then walking along the shore picking up trash. That way we stay upwind of the crowds (yes, there are a lot of people at the beach) and it feels good to leave the beach pristine. My shins were getting sore and I was wondering what exercise was causing that, then realized it's from running/walking on the inclined beach.

Havoc- it's actually good to hear that Rogue sold out. It means at least some businesses are seeing a momentary uptick. Must be hard on the gym owners. I really have no where to put a full rack. I have one spot outside in the yard I could put a half rack but my neighbors will be able to watch me lift.

feralseppo- is it possible that your discs are herniated on the other side? This article says the disc can herniate in any direction. It would make sense.
 

Bob Dobbalina

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Feb 23, 2016
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Bob Dobbalina

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I'm maintaining. Thanks.

I walked around the block the last two days. I have to climb 3 flights of stairs to get in and out of the house.

Nights are the worst. Getting into bed, the weird cramp like pain starts up and down my legs, It took about 30 minutes of it before it subsided and I could fall asleep. I wake up screaming 30-60 minutes before it's time to take my medication (1-2 AM). I take the meds, I writhe in pain for another 30 minutes, then sleep until about 5-6am.

Daytime is a bit better 30 minutes after a shower. I can't really imagine much PT. I did a few small degree squats.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
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You can power clean the bar up but working with max weight x 5 without a rack isn't a great idea.

I would go to a weight you can easily handle and increase stress with additional reps and sets. You'll be mazed at how doing this until you can train regular again will increase our OHP.

If you were doing 3x5 at 75lbs, try 3x8-12 at 50lbs.

Or even better, 3-5 sets of 50lbs to RPE 8, which roughly translates to knowing after a rep that you only have two left.

Or even better, 1 set at RPE 6, one at RPE 7, one at RPE 8, two more at RPE 8.
Today I did OHP 3x10 at 55lbs.
Squat with empty bar 3x10
Deadlifts 4x5 75lbs

Only the OHP felt like I exerted myself. Is there a risk doing say 5x10 squats with empty bar, 8x5 deadlifts with 75lbs. What am I doing upping the reps but not weight? Any good? In a couple more weeks I'll buy some heavier plate for the deadlift...
 
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PRCD

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I'd focus less on the weight x reps lifted (quantitative) than on the qualitative - how you felt, did you feel the target muscles, did you cause a flare-up. What risk are you worried about with higher reps? It really only matters whether you caused a flare-up (pain that doesn't stop shortly after exercise). If so, progress more slowly.
 

VonMeister

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JOE BIDENS RAPE FINGER
Today I did OHP 3x10 at 55lbs.
Squat with empty bar 3x10
Deadlifts 4x5 75lbs

Only the OHP felt like I exerted myself. Is there a risk doing say 5x10 squats with empty bar, 8x5 deadlifts with 75lbs. What am I doing upping the reps but not weight? Any good? In a couple more weeks I'll buy some heavier plate for the deadlift...
How do you feel now? Any additional pain or discomfort

How were the reps, especially the last couple of every set. Super easy, medium, tough?

Generally you want to add stress incrementally while keeping the other metrics the same so we want to settle on a rep range that is still a challenge with the weight you have available.
 

Havoc

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May 23, 2016
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in da hood next to paradise
Today I did OHP 3x10 at 55lbs.
Squat with empty bar 3x10
Deadlifts 4x5 75lbs

Only the OHP felt like I exerted myself. Is there a risk doing say 5x10 squats with empty bar, 8x5 deadlifts with 75lbs. What am I doing upping the reps but not weight? Any good? In a couple more weeks I'll buy some heavier plate for the deadlift...
u can mk your own squat rack
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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How do you feel now? Any additional pain or discomfort

How were the reps, especially the last couple of every set. Super easy, medium, tough?

Generally you want to add stress incrementally while keeping the other metrics the same so we want to settle on a rep range that is still a challenge with the weight you have available.
No pain or discomfort. Besides the OHP I never felt I was close to failure. Didn't feel really tired even after the full work out. I'm used to training for the marathon. When I do a long training run I'm totally knackered and need to nap. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I read what you recommended for Havoc (I had to look up RPE) and feel I could have done more. Also, doing the weights at the beginning of the workout, with no run either, I had no dizziness issues.