Wrenched Back Deadlifting

Wookinpanub

This really sucks as I have been doing SL 5X5 and a modified SL 5X5 since last December and have been making some really good gains especially on squat, deadlift and bench. Last Saturday I wrenched my back deadlifting. It was my last set and I think I was tired and my form was bad.

It still hurts and I went to a chiropractor yesterday and he told me I have a degenerative disc in my lower back.. I had back issues 10+ years ago too. He said no more deadlifting.

Hopefully the pain goes away in a few days and I can get back to the gym within a week. I plan on easing into it but what alternatives to deadlifting would you recommend? Think I could still do squatting?

I had been having issues on the overhead press too as the weight has gotten heavy and I lean back to get the weight up and felt some discomfort in my middle back at times.

foursirius

Id get an mri and a second opinion from a legit dr. I tweaked my back deadlifting a few months ago and it took a good 6 weeks to heal up.

auddii

foursirius wrote: »

Id get an mri and a second opinion from a legit dr. I tweaked my back deadlifting a few months ago and it took a good 6 weeks to heal up.

Agreed.

slideaway1

I have never and refuse to do any deadlifting for this very reason. You cant mess around with your back. I hope you feel better soon.

thesupremeforce

There's not really a direct alternative for the deadlift. I agree with the people who suggest getting a second opinion from an actual doctor. Since you're having back issues and you have a history of back issues, you should absolutely see a doctor.

Wookinpanub

When I had issues 10+ years ago I saw MDs, specialists and a physical therapist and none helped a bit cept for the pain meds. The pain was crippling back then. I went to a chiropractor and after a couple months my back was gone. No issues since then even when I was out of shape and carry a lot of weight in my mid section. Maybe it was dumb luck that it healed after the chiropractor visits.

navyrigger46

slideaway1 wrote: »

I have never and refuse to do any deadlifting for this very reason. You cant mess around with your back. I hope you feel better soon.

Any heavy compound movement done with poor form can tweak your back, deads just get a bad name because it's and incredibly heavy and complex movement that people think is just picking something off the floor. They bend at the hip, round their back, turkey neck and try to jerk the bar off the floor, never once considering that there's a very fine tuned method to it. My good friend refuses to do deadlifts for this very reason, his squat form is $#!^^% too, but since he knows everything there's no fixing his issues.

Op, get a second opinion, and an MRI, when you do get back at it do so slowly. I also like to do some form deadlifts about once every 4-6 weeks. When I do this I'll just do sets with warm up weight, maybe up to 315 and focus on form. Form should always be your first priority, especially with heavy compound movements.

Best of luck
Rigger

arabianhorselover

I've been deadlifting for about two years, and I still don't feel like my form is right. Maybe because I'm short? I feel I'm using my back too much.

Wookinpanub

arabianhorselover wrote: »

I've been deadlifting for about two years, and I still don't feel like my form is right. Maybe because I'm short? I feel I'm using my back too much.

I am tall (6-3) and feel the same. I have a long way to pull the weight so I feel I have to use my back too much.

DopeItUp

Wookinpanub wrote: »

arabianhorselover wrote: »

I've been deadlifting for about two years, and I still don't feel like my form is right. Maybe because I'm short? I feel I'm using my back too much.

I am tall (6-3) and feel the same. I have a long way to pull the weight so I feel I have to use my back too much.

arabianhorselover wrote: »

I've been deadlifting for about two years, and I still don't feel like my form is right. Maybe because I'm short? I feel I'm using my back too much.

Deadlifts are pretty much all posterior chain and back so you're probably doing it right. It will definitely stress your back more than anything else.

Cherimoose

arabianhorselover wrote: »

I've been deadlifting for about two years, and I still don't feel like my form is right.

Either have a good trainer check your form, or post a form check video here and others will critique it.

Steve_Lewis

navyrigger46 wrote: »

slideaway1 wrote: »

I have never and refuse to do any deadlifting for this very reason. You cant mess around with your back. I hope you feel better soon.

Form should always be your first priority, especially with heavy compound movements.

Best of luck
Rigger

Deadlift should form part of any strength routine and variations for bodybuilding, but as has been said and repeated here form is the absolute key to staying injury free.

We have all done it, exactly what the op has done where they are physically and mentally tired at the end of a set, but some of us have got lucky.

Sorry to hear about your injury, but as a former powerlifter with a 696lb deadlift I would say get a scan and stay well clear of deads and squats until you are given the all clear. It may be muscular or it may be a little deeper.

Don't take chances with your back.

Steve_Lewis

Cherimoose wrote: »

arabianhorselover wrote: »

I've been deadlifting for about two years, and I still don't feel like my form is right.

Either have a good trainer check your form, or post a form check video here and others will critique it.

Spot on.

I got stuck on dealift for a while. making little or no progress. I studied videos (Mark Rippertoe) for one and worked on perfecting my form with light weights before I pushed again.

The change and progression after this was huge.

JoRocka

foursirius wrote: »

Id get an mri and a second opinion from a legit dr. I tweaked my back deadlifting a few months ago and it took a good 6 weeks to heal up.

cosign.

and also form checks.

AmandaHugginkiss

I am not a doctor, but I deadlift.

The bar was probably too far away from your shins and you didn't pull it vertically. Form is very important.

I don't think a chiropractor did you as much good as you believe 10+ years ago. Time, on the other hand, probably did you some good.

Massage, physical therapy, and a reputable orthopedist - one trained in sports medicine. These do more to heal injuries than snapping your bones and what not.

Deadlifts are a fantastic exercise for keeping a spine from degenerating. Don't overdo the weight, keep form in check, and build your spinal erectors to support your back with muscle and not just bone and soft disc tissue.

Maybe try some back iso work like the Roman Chair after you've rested for a while to recover from your injury.

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senecarr

Wookinpanub wrote: »

When I had issues 10+ years ago I saw MDs, specialists and a physical therapist and none helped a bit cept for the pain meds. The pain was crippling back then. I went to a chiropractor and after a couple months my back was gone. No issues since then even when I was out of shape and carry a lot of weight in my mid section. Maybe it was dumb luck that it healed after the chiropractor visits.

Even a good chiropractor who stays away from the subluxations stuff is only about as good as physical therapy.
Definitely see someone with an eye towards sports medicine for this.

Wookinpanub

Thanks y'all. I am starting to feel better and am thinking by Monday can do some light cardio and maybe try to do some bench presses. I really liked doing the deadlifts and my weight increased a lot especially after I worked on my form but I never had someone critique it.

colors_fade

When I started StrongLifts 2 years ago, I hurt myself deadlifting after about 16 weeks. I was enthusiastic about PR's and I tried to do too much. It took a month before I could deadlift without pain again (I never stopped going to the gym though; just didn't deadlift heavy).

About a year later I hurt myself again deadlifting while attempting to get a 5th rep on a heavy weight. I basically didn't listen to my body very well; I could tell I was tired, I could feel my back giving way during the 4th rep, and I pushed for the 5th and shouldn't have. That injury kept me from deadlifting for 2 weeks.

Those lifts were valuable lessons, especially the last one. I learned how to really listen to my body on the deadlift, and know when to call it a day. There comes a point when doing reps as I ladder up the weight during the workout, and I can tell what my body is capable of on that day. If I get to a rep now that doesn't feel right, I don't push it another rep and risk injury; I just stop at that weight. There's always next session.

I think a large part of lifting heavy, and working out (and eating right as well) is learning to listen to our bodies. We don't talk enough about this aspect, and we don't think enough about it. But it is crucial to listen to your body. It will send you signals when it's had enough. There is no heroism in pushing to the point of injury.

kwtilbury

I gave up squatting after multiple lower back issues, some so bad I couldn't walk for a few days.

I'm still able to squat and can do other things for my lower back - kettlebell swings, hyperextensions. It's not the end of the world.

Mayor_West

Wookinpanub wrote: »

It still hurts and I went to a chiropractor yesterday and he told me I have a degenerative disc in my lower back.. I had back issues 10+ years ago too. He said no more deadlifting.

This is chiropractor-speak for "Keep coming back to see me indefinitely"

Go see a real doctor, preferably one with a background in sports medicine.

whatatime2befit

Without a test, i'm not sure how he would know you have a degenerative disc. My DH has two degenerative discs in his back, but he had to see a specialist to get an MRI and diagnosed for it. Unless the chiro has x-ray vision, he can only speculate on the cause.

Wookinpanub

whatatime2befit wrote: »

Without a test, i'm not sure how he would know you have a degenerative disc. My DH has two degenerative discs in his back, but he had to see a specialist to get an MRI and diagnosed for it. Unless the chiro has x-ray vision, he can only speculate on the cause.

He took an xray. But he was spouting off things just by seeing how my hips, legs were aligned and how I was moving.

levitateme

For any and all people who think their deadlift form is "off" : the bar should be in contact with your legs through the entire lift, basically dragging the bar up your shins. Your feet should be hip width, with the bar right over the middle of your foot. Before you lift, you should press your shoulders back and clench your glutes. You should not start to straighten out your legs until the bar is about to hit your knees.

Chief_Rocka

Does your chiropractor even lift?

Wookinpanub

levitateme wrote: »

For any and all people who think their deadlift form is "off" : the bar should be in contact with your legs through the entire lift, basically dragging the bar up your shins. Your feet should be hip width, with the bar right over the middle of your foot. Before you lift, you should press your shoulders back and clench your glutes. You should not start to straighten out your legs until the bar is about to hit your knees.

Agreed. SL 5X5 has good info on form. I was really struggling initially b/c my feet were too wide and my legs were getting in the way of my arms which had go wide. Once I corrected my form, I made good gains.

Wookinpanub

Chief_Rocka wrote: »

Does your chiropractor even lift?

No, he said I should do any "pulling" type lifts but pushing are ok.

navyrigger46

Wookinpanub wrote: »

Chief_Rocka wrote: »

Does your chiropractor even lift?

No, he said I should do any "pulling" type lifts but pushing are ok.

Huh, seems legit.

Rigger

whatatime2befit

Wookinpanub wrote: »

whatatime2befit wrote: »

Without a test, i'm not sure how he would know you have a degenerative disc. My DH has two degenerative discs in his back, but he had to see a specialist to get an MRI and diagnosed for it. Unless the chiro has x-ray vision, he can only speculate on the cause.

He took an xray. But he was spouting off things just by seeing how my hips, legs were aligned and how I was moving.

I would still go see your family doctor, or arrange to see a specialist.

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juliewatkin

levitateme wrote: »

For any and all people who think their deadlift form is "off" : the bar should be in contact with your legs through the entire lift, basically dragging the bar up your shins. Your feet should be hip width, with the bar right over the middle of your foot. Before you lift, you should press your shoulders back and clench your glutes. You should not start to straighten out your legs until the bar is about to hit your knees.

I would be a bit careful about offering emphatic form advice particularly if you're neither an expert nor have you seen a video of the person to whom you're offering advice. My own technique follows none of what you've outlined above as it works for my levers and build and has been developed from years of fine tuning.

This is more of a caution about out of the box form advice that is expected to be relevant to everyone. It really isn't.