What I’ve Learned from a week of Back Pain
So this week I want to share my own personal experience with Back Pain…
This day last week I was in the gym
Its small group training
A change for one hour to switch off and be guided on what to do rather than showing everyone what to do
Deadlifts were on the agenda
3 Rep Max
130kg….140kg…150kg…160kg…..
Im feeling tired now, back is a bit stiff, I should stop
170kg…….. Bang
A sudden intense cramp like feeling in my lower back and it cramps up
I drop the bar, shuffle to the side and realise this is not good
Thankfully, initially anyway physio mode kicked in
I knew I needed to get the muscles so relax and calm the nervous system down
That night I focused on:
– Breathing Exercises
– Taking Anti inflammatories
– Applying Heat
– Basic isolated movements like pelvic Tilts
The Next Day
The next day was not pretty…
Low back pain I would rate as a 5/10
Very stiff with movement and it was a mammoth task to put on socks
Wednesday for me is a lot of coaching calls with other Physios so sitting
BIG MISTAKE
After an initial 4 hour stint I was chair shaped and it took about 30 minutes of stretches to free up
Lesson Learned
I updated My Management Strategy…
– Breathing Exercises
– Taking Anti inflammatories
– Applying Heat
– Basic isolated movements like pelvic Tilts
– Avoid sitting/standing/laying for greater than 30 minutes (where possible)
DAY 2
Day 2 was a challenge as on Thursdays I see clients in Enfield
One of the big wins was we had a team training morning so I was the perfect guinea pig for the team to fine tune their treatment techniques
With a couple of simple hands on treatments I felt I was moving more freely
My confidence definitely improved
DAY 3
Day 3 I had a good chat with myself and realised I needed to do more
I gave myself some simple body weight exercises
– Squat
– Lunge
– Bridging
– Slouch (basically you reach for the floor using your legs more)
DAY 4
A fitness competition in Trim…
– Running
– Bike
– Deadlifts
– Cleans
Surely I shouldn’t do this
I eased into it and did a good warm up
I modified what I did and lifted lighter than I would normally
I did the deadlift for 130kg and I knew that was my limit
I changed my foot position to allow my body to move through the movement
Outcome:
I felt better for moving
Our Team came 2nd overall – It’s ours the next day!
Day 5
Definitely a little stiffer at the back for having done the competition but confidence improved that I could do more without injuring myself
Day 6+7
Gentle movements and restoring normal movement as I found I had a altered walking pattern from when I had hurt my back and it remained even though it didn’t need to
Key Learnings:
1. Don’t Panic (breath and try to calm the system down
2. There is a role for short term pain relief/anti inflams
3. Heat is great in the short term
4. Get an assessment so you know what you should and shouldn’t do
5. You can often so more when you have the right advice and confidence grows
6. Don’t try to be a hero in the gym
Acute episodes of back pain is something that we see so commonly in the clinic
If you suffer from Back Pain reach out and get the right advice rather than guessing what you should do
It has definitely reinforced for me the fear and doubt that can be associated with back pain
A useful reminder of what our clients experience and the importance of reassurance and a clear plan