10 Myths About Lower Back Pain (LBP)

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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Fantastic news llilibel (y) On the subject of stretching I realise the evidence that it can help prevent soreness and injuries is inconclusive, but I've started jogging down the beach with my surfboard to get a short warmup, doing a few flexor and adductor exercises then going surfing - I use a lot of leg kick for catching waves. Then after a surf I jog back to my car and exchange surfboard for skimboard, then put in some more stretches - a little bit more than the pre surf stretches. I'm just feeling looser and more ready for action this way, so I'm going to carry on doing this.

Did you ever incur much running injuries llilibel and did you have any strategies for avoiding them?
I started running the Los Angeles Marathon when I turned 50. It was like a mid life crisis "Can I do this?" kind of thing. I used get get really sore knees after long distances. After the marathon itself I would be limping, partly from muscle soreness, partly from knee pain. Then a friend suggested I read "Born to Run." It's a good read, entertaining. I suggest it to anyone, even if they don't run. After reading it, I tried running in sandals. It takes a long while to get used to. You use your calf muscle a lot more. You get blisters and chafing. But once I got used to it, I never had knee issues again. Zero. Never had any issues. I'll still get a blister if I run a long distance without working up to it ( from me anything less that 10k is a short run, 10k to half marathon- 21k- is medium. anything over half marathon is long). In 2016 I had my PR of 3 hours 23 minutes, 7:48 mile pace. I had finally got under 3:30. I've done six marathons in sandals.

When you run barefoot, or with sandals, you are forced to land with the forefoot or full foot. If you land on the heel you can feel it reverberate in your head and you know instinctively you're doing something very wrong. It corrects your running form. To understand correct running form, two pieces of advice helped me. First- run in place. You will find when you run in place you will land on your forefoot, never your heel. Then, run in place and move forward with the same foot strike. Second- run uphill. When you run uphill you automatically have correct form. You will not, cannot, heel strike.

The sandals make you very aware of how you're running. The big padded shoes are the worst. The footwear industry doesn't want you to know this. And they have this whole BS about changing shoes every 300 miles. Total BS. I wore one pair of sandals for 3 marathons and all the training involved. I do have shoes (Merril Trail Gloves) but they are minimalist and I only use them when I run on trails when it's cold.



My back is slowly improving. Pain has moved mostly out of the glute back and into the back, which the PT said is an improvement. And, curiously, I never had any repercussions in my back from running. I guess while running your back is pretty still and straight.

I posted this on another thread but there was no interest. Oh well. I find it fascinating. If you run, watch it. And read the book. If you don't run oh well. Some people find running boring as hell. The author of "Barbell Prescription" for example. I love it. For me it's like going for a cruise on a motorcycle or convertible on a mountain road or coast highway. Wind in the hair. Freedom.

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One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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Ya patrolman try doing rdl’s. Fixed my sciatica. Also ur hamstrings get woke and swole
Don't tempt me just yet. Got to get pain free before I get into the shabby strength stuff. Every time I try to get ahead of the PT prescription I get set back...
 

Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
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3 sessions of rdl's at 135-140lbs slow higher reps fixed sciatica for me. i was able to conventional dl again albeit at lower weights as i'm restarting nlp. make sure ur hamstrings are activated when u pull the dl
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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Too much, too random. You need a program.
I'm working with a PT. I was before too, but kept trying out the erBB brain trust recommendations and was getting set back. PT told me it will be long, gradual process. I'm back to squats with dumbbells and planks for strength. She said at least a week of that before I pick up the barbell again. Back to hangs instead of 40 pull ups...
 
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Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
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in da hood next to paradise
I'm working with a PT. I was before too, but kept trying out the erBB brain trust recommendations and was getting set back. PT told me it will be long, gradual process. I'm back to squats with dumbbells and planks for strength. She said at least a week of that before I pick up the barbell again. Back to hangs instead of 40 pull ups...
I recently had bad sciatica tingling in my foot flute pain and back pain. Pain free in 1.5 weeks doing programmed rehab. My coach deals with similar issues from time to time. U were trying random things and not targeted.
 
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PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
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I'm working with a PT. I was before too, but kept trying out the erBB brain trust recommendations and was getting set back. PT told me it will be long, gradual process. I'm back to squats with dumbbells and planks for strength. She said at least a week of that before I pick up the barbell again. Back to hangs instead of 40 pull ups...
This sounds like a graded exposure plan, which will actually work.
 

Super66

Legend (inyourownmind)
Dec 24, 2019
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I recently had bad sciatica tingling in my foot flute pain and back pain. Pain free in 1.5 weeks doing programmed rehab. My coach deals with similar issues from time to time. U were trying random things and not targeted.
A guy I train with is dealing with something similar. Former collegiate volleyball player great athlete. He would train light for a week, feel better then jump back in and would up letting his ego keep him in set backs. It's tough to lift light when lifting is such a goal oriented activity.

Right now the program is keeping him light but hitting rep range goals. Strict programming is key. He was mid 400 deadlift low 400 squat singles at RPE 8 before this injury. Now the focus is trying to complete reps of 20-30 squat and 10-15 deadlifts at very low weight keeping pain free while making incremental progress. It's hard and when increased weight is slowly introduced he's going to find his strength is still there even though he isn't testing it. He feels he's ready so that's the challenge.
 
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Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
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First week post surgery and I'm really, really happy with the results.

No pain, not even at the incision (a quarter sized plus sign stamped into my back that the boys have dubbed "the tramp stamp"). The only residual feelings is a patch of numbness/stiffness just above my knee and some discomfort in the back of my thigh. The surgeon said wait until about 6 weeks and se how it feels. THere's the possibility that the nerves are irritated from surgery induced swelling/healing. Otherwise it may stick around indefinitely or go away if it's from the remnant of the disc and that piece gets reabsorbed. It's nothing that I can't do just about everything with anyway.

I can't believe how much better and complete I feel. I'm really fortunate. Those of you fighting intermittent nerve pain that may be disc related, take your training seriously and patiently in the hopes that your body will give you time to let things heal, but when things escalate, get with a team and see what your options are. Relief is possible.
 

Super66

Legend (inyourownmind)
Dec 24, 2019
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First week post surgery and I'm really, really happy with the results.

No pain, not even at the incision (a quarter sized plus sign stamped into my back that the boys have dubbed "the tramp stamp"). The only residual feelings is a patch of numbness/stiffness just above my knee and some discomfort in the back of my thigh. The surgeon said wait until about 6 weeks and se how it feels. THere's the possibility that the nerves are irritated from surgery induced swelling/healing. Otherwise it may stick around indefinitely or go away if it's from the remnant of the disc and that piece gets reabsorbed. It's nothing that I can't do just about everything with anyway.

I can't believe how much better and complete I feel. I'm really fortunate. Those of you fighting intermittent nerve pain that may be disc related, take your training seriously and patiently in the hopes that your body will give you time to let things heal, but when things escalate, get with a team and see what your options are. Relief is possible.
Did you walk out of the surgery center or hospital where you had the surgery? I've heard stories of people waking up feeling elated that the pain is gone and three weeks later walking around the block and such.

I've had a few surgeries and they have all left me with weird tingles at the incision and somewhere else. Like if I press on my right clavicle on the incision I can feel a tingle on a spot over my right bicep.

Happy for you.
 

Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
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Did you walk out of the surgery center or hospital where you had the surgery? I've heard stories of people waking up feeling elated that the pain is gone and three weeks later walking around the block and such.

I've had a few surgeries and they have all left me with weird tingles at the incision and somewhere else. Like if I press on my right clavicle on the incision I can feel a tingle on a spot over my right bicep.

Happy for you.

The pain was gone when I woke up. It was always intended to be an outpatient procedure and that intention held. I went in at 7am, passed out a few hours later, woke up pain free at 12 or 1pm, left at 3 and was walking up 3 flights of stairs to get in the house by 4PM. I have felt no pain in my left side (the worst side), and only small bits of numbness and dull discomfort in my right leg. The incision site has been painless unless I am actually putting some pressure on it (pressing back against a couch cushion or laying on my back I can feel it and it can make it feel like it's being tugged a bit which feels weird, but not really painful.) It's early days in healing the incision so we will see, but the nerve pain is taken care of.

I'm taking a full 2 weeks in the house to avoid infection or falls/twists/stumbles that could open up the incision. After that I'm going outside, dammit!m I haven't walked beyond my block since March 13th.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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FYI, in case anyone is still interested, I now have a 30-45 minute plank regimen I do everyday. Still doing squats and RDLs (no deadlifts yet). Every time I upped the weight past what the PT recommended I had set backs, a return of the nerve twinging in my glute, so I follow pretty closely the PTs recommendations.
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Watervalley

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Dec 27, 2016
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I'm a Tim Ferris fan and in his book Tools Of Titans he recommended gymnastic bodies program Bob Summers, i joined online the quad street restore program finally fixed my lower back , was worth the 200 for a year right there , and i'm doing handstands and truly making my shoulders core etc with a true posture , actually blew me away