| I've been experiencing an interesting, though painful, problem that may
be back related. Several months ago, I strained my lower back
muscles at the gym while doing squats (the odd part is that I used
proper form, and was only doing very light weights because I hadn't
done this exercise in a long time). I didn't even notice it while I
was doing the exercies, but noticed after I was finished that I
definitely did something.
This eventually healed, until I reinjured the right half doing
something stupid. The muscles on the left were fine, but the ones on
the right were definitely re-injured. This made life interesing for a
week or so, but it got better until a few weeks later when I was
stretching... I must have stretched too far, because I had difficulty
standing up. In fact, once I got myself straightened up again, I found
that bending at the wast was VERY difficult (for the next few days to a
week).
This all happened over about a 6-8 week timespan, and several months
have gone by since my last reinjury. Unfortunately, the injury refuses
to heal. It's been months now, and if anything, I seems to be getting
worse to the point of being painful nearly all the time (not real bad,
just constant... and changing position from sitting down to standing or
vice versa can be painful).
I've tried skipping the gym for a couple of weeks, but when I did this,
it just got worse, so I've been working out as normal as I can (I now
avoid dumbell presses, as I have to bend or squat down to pick up the
weights). I have no problem running once warmed up, and in fact doing
this seems to help a bit (that and stretching), at least until the next
day.
The interesting part of this is that my BACK doesn't hurt now, the pain
SEEMS to be coming from the glute (sp?)/butt muscle. When I move
wrong, the pain shoots down the glute and into the calf. I also
experince stiffness. I find it is a lot of work just to loosen up
enough to touch my toes (straight leg)... which is rather pathetic (I'm
a black belt in taekwondo).
Anyone else experience this sort of thing. I think it's odd that a
back pain had moved to a different location. It really doesn't stop me
from doing most things, it just makes doing things more painful.
Any advice would be appreciated. I have a good idea what my doctor
will adivse, and I really don't care to take a lot of medicine... I'm
not one who likes to pump chemicals into my body unless it's absolutely
necessary.
-steve
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| Sounds like a pinched nerve and not really a muscle problem. I have
had back problems and spent some time in the back wards. Normally
the disk slips and pushes on a nerve. This give the felling that it
is a muscle problem. Sometimes it slips back in and then heals, and
sometimes not. It might still be a muscle problem and from standing
off the normal, you put pressure on the nerves which give you this
shooting pain. Best way to find out for sure is to go to a doctor.
Xrays or MRI finds the problem most of the time and sometimes not.
In any case, it is not a fun time.
|
| Sounds like exactly what I have been going through over the past
couple of weeks.I know what you mean about using drugs, but I do
use 400mg Ibuprofen. A great mixture of pain killers, and more
important, an anti-inflametory.
My problems stem from the fact that I have one leg slightly longer
than the other causing the hip to be put ata slight angle, shortened
hamstrings, and a spinal cord that doesn't move as easily in the
spine than it should.
I get the pain in lower back, both sides, sometimes in left buttock
and the back of the left leg. All I can recomend is a good physio.
or osteopath, and to avoid the things that cause pain. IE. take it
very easy, but keep moving.
Simon
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| My back never hurts... and the leg muscle affected feels very stiff.
I've been through enough muscle pulls to recognize that this is exactly
how one feels, but I actually never hurt my leg... at least I certainly
don't remember hurting it.
It's a very odd injury. I tried the treadmill out yesterday, and had
to stop. Last week, I could run without too much pain, once I warmed
the muscles up. This time, the muscle rebelled big time... it also made
the rest of the work-out very difficult. Oddly enough, even coughing
causes it pain.
It is getting worse... it stiffens no matter what I do (and even if I
do nothing).
Aspirin and Ibuprofen don't seem to do much... maybe deaden the pain a
bit. Guess I'm forced to go see a doctor.
Curiously, when I do chin-ups, I usually "dangle" from the bar to
stretch and relax the muscles before I do the exercise. If I relax my
lower body completely, I get shooting pains down the right side (upper
buttock and down the right side of the leg - though not all the way down).
Would this suggest a disk problem, or could it be just an overly
sensitive muscle?
Time to see a doctor, I guess. I keep hoping it will heal on its own,
but it doesn't look like this is going to happen. It's not like I'm
not in good shape... I've been a gym rat for the last 10 years. I
don't expect any injury to last this long... especially when I didn't
*DO* anything to promote such a chronic injury. It makes no sense at
all. When I injure a muscle, I know it right off, and I know how bad
I've hurt it (and how to rehabilitate it). This one baffles me, and I
have no idea what to do with it.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
-steve
|
|
If it's an overuse injury, it would stand to reason that
you would not be able to pinpoint a specific incident
that caused the problem.
Low back pain is often overuse, though the symptoms that
you are having seem to suggest more than just the lower back.
I know that sciatic nerve problems are similar to the
pain that you feel.
When my sister suffered from Sciatica during her pregnancy,
she had to stop teaching aerobics - the pain was just to
acute, and got worse with exercise, not better.
You need to see a doctor !
;-)
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