Lower back pain.

if i had lower back pain for YEARS i'd probably ask a doctor about it.

just sayin

Tight hamstrings can cause cause a pelvic tilt that can lead to lower back pain especially if you're working the hams out. But... It could be a million different things. Maybe a bulging disc, annular tear or weak deep abdominal muscles (not the ones frequently worked out) ... Or work related especially if you sit at your job... Or have a physically demanding job. It's probably not muscle weakness in the back if you are strong and working out... more like a possible muscular imbalance... strong muscles can overpower others and create bad postures. I'd say stretch out your hamstrings frequently... every time you sit throughout the day and see if that doesn't improve things a bit. Tall back and flex foot then lean into it. And then make a Dr appt and ask for physical therapy

check the doctor to make sure is all ok.
check form
stretch. and practice restorative poses that take pressure off of the lower back

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that you aren't yet in enough pain to be on the floor in agony without being able to walk or even stand. The bad news is that can happen. I injured my back when I was 18-19 at a job. I was lifting far more than what I should. At the time, being stupid and not wanting to get fired, I didn't tell anyone, took pain killers, and got through it. For nearly 20 years I had lower back pain after that off and on. There were some good days and some bad. But eventually one day I picked up something heavy (I even lifted it correctly) and felt something in my back give out. The very next day I was in so much pain (if there was an 11 on the pain scale, I was there) in my left leg and buttock that I wanted to die. I could not even sit still for an MRI, they had to shoot me full of morphine just to get me to take an x-ray. I ended up in emergency surgery a few days later when I lost all feeling below my waste. It was a bulging disc and it was crushing my sciatic nerve. They said it was likely bulging for many years, but the last thing I lifted pushed it finally into the nerve root. The moral of this story, go see a back specialist if you have insurance. Pay your co-pay and get an MRI. There are things they can do to help you. Skip the chiropractors until a specialist tells you it's ok. You will know a good specialist when he/she tells you that surgery is the absolute last resort and that they want to try other things, like injections, first.

I just went through another bad month of downtime recently due to more bulging discs in my back. I, however, have degenerative disc disease, so my back problems will likely plague me the rest of my life. However, losing weight (you're on the right site for that) is the right thing to do, and if you follow the advice of a specialist you will probably avoid the issues I've had. Otherwise, ignore it, and one day you'll experience true pain. ;(

At the very least, stop putting weight on your lower back, continue with stretches, for about a month, and see how it goes. If that doesn't rebound you, consider a specialist. Just my opinion.

How intense is the pain? In this thread I see references to tight muscles, bulging discs, etc. I had a protruding disc and you'll know the difference between something like that and tight muscles; good chance some nerve pain down your leg due impingement on the sciatica will accompany certain disc and vertebrate injuries.

If it's just sore it's likely just tightness and you need to work on your mobility. Self-myofacial release via a foam roller or lacrosse ball coupled with stretching on a consistent basis will help a lot. Make sure you're getting your hamstrings, hips, glutes, lower back with the foam roller, honestly I find a lacrosse ball is often needed.

Aside from that it could also be related to weak Core muscles. Weak Core Stabilizers such as the transversus abdominus (TrA), multifidus, and erectors can be related to lower back pain as well. Although heavy squats and deadlifts are great for the erectors and multifidus they aren't all that great for the TrA or even as great for your rectus abdominus and obliques as most think they are. You should do a little extra work for those muscles, emphasis on little. An exercise known as the "Drawing-In Maneuver" is really geared towards developing the TrA.

If the pain is more intense than just light soreness or gets worse, consult with a back specialist MD as soon as possible.

I too thought my back pain was just sore muscles from the type of work I did until one day I was walking around an art festival and collapsed. My right leg had no feeling and I couldn't stand on it. At the hospital the mds thought Id bad a stroke until the MRI and cat scan came back. I had 4 bulging and one heriated disc and my sciatica was pinched off. Even with pt and pain shots I am never out of pain.All my lumbar discs have heriated and I have spinal stenosis. I will never be pain free. Don't wait to see a back specialist and physical therapist. There is never time to waste. The back is complicated.

I used to see a naturopath who also did chiropractic techniques. He helped me a lot with my back. I also saw 2 different chiropractors after a car accident and was taught some new stretching techniques(but this was mostly for my neck, as that was the affected area from the accident). What helped me the most was lifting free weights, and not increasing on squats and deadlifts too quickly. I still don't lift very heavy on deads as that feels the most scary for me on my lower back. I go for slightly less weight, a few more reps, as opposed to the 1x5 suggested by the SL 5x5 program. I also do a lot of cardio and some ab focused work. I think everything works together to help my back. I hardly ever have lower back pain any more. You should see a doctor to make sure there is no damage or injury. An x-ray showed that I have a wonky lower spine, which can cause a muscle imbalance, but nothing to be injured or aggravated by my exercises(as long as I'm careful).