Lower back issues

bigdog123 · Nov 8, 2017

Not sure what's caused it but a few months back I started to become unable to squat without my lower back not hurting. Lying on my back in bed I would find that I could hardly walk once I got out for the first 20 yards. Went to see a physio and he said I needed more flexibility and to stretch more and that tight muscles in lower back were pressing on nerve. Possibly my sacro Iliacjoint and ligaments around it. A month passed, no better. Then I saw an osteo who said my l5 vertebrae was out, didn't help me. Then went to see another physio who contradicted the others and said I was fine and flexibility was good but my lower back muscles were weak and needed strengthening. I'm 230 at 5'8 and have trained 20 years and never had this before.

I can't squat more than 80kg without my lower back hurting and concerned it may give way. If I move in certain positions it makes me yelp as it pushes the nerve, mostly on the lower left side, just off centre. Often spreading down left side, I.e. sciatica.

Wtf is going on here? I'm getting no where. I'm now doing extensions and lunges only for legs as can't squat and certainly can't do stiff leg deads. Legs shrinking and its very frustrating. They said an mri scan won't show anything as everyone has stuff show up on an mri.

socialdfan · Nov 8, 2017

Look into Smashwerx videos on low back pain.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Professional Muscle mobile app

OutToLunch · Nov 8, 2017

Another good one is athlean X

BillHilton · Nov 8, 2017

An MRI won't prove anything? For me it proved I had 3 bulging discs in my lumbar region and for which I received an epidural. Another showed a deteriorated disc in my cervical and for which I had a disc replacement and fusion. You need an MRI brother.

heavyhitter · Nov 8, 2017

BillHilton said:
An MRI won't prove anything? For me it proved I had 3 bulging discs in my lumbar region and for which I received an epidural. Another showed a deteriorated disc in my cervical and for which I had a disc replacement and fusion. You need an MRI brother.

I was about to say the same thing. I had the same symptoms and found out I had herniated l1s1

Bio · Nov 8, 2017

bigdog123 said:
Not sure what's caused it but a few months back I started to become unable to squat without my lower back not hurting. Lying on my back in bed I would find that I could hardly walk once I got out for the first 20 yards. Went to see a physio and he said I needed more flexibility and to stretch more and that tight muscles in lower back were pressing on nerve. Possibly my sacro Iliacjoint and ligaments around it. A month passed, no better. Then I saw an osteo who said my l5 vertebrae was out, didn't help me. Then went to see another physio who contradicted the others and said I was fine and flexibility was good but my lower back muscles were weak and needed strengthening. I'm 230 at 5'8 and have trained 20 years and never had this before.

I can't squat more than 80kg without my lower back hurting and concerned it may give way. If I move in certain positions it makes me yelp as it pushes the nerve, mostly on the lower left side, just off centre. Often spreading down left side, I.e. sciatica.

Wtf is going on here? I'm getting no where. I'm now doing extensions and lunges only for legs as can't squat and certainly can't do stiff leg deads. Legs shrinking and its very frustrating. They said an mri scan won't show anything as everyone has stuff show up on an mri.

Any doctor that tows that line isn't worth seeing! Yes people can have disc issues and not be symptomatic. An MRI is the only way to see if it's a disc issue. Go see an orthopedist who is a spine only specialist.

Depending on the MRI outcome, I would definitely work with a good PT group and see if that gets you any relief.

BigTex · Nov 9, 2017

bigdog123 said:
Not sure what's caused it but a few months back I started to become unable to squat without my lower back not hurting. Lying on my back in bed I would find that I could hardly walk once I got out for the first 20 yards. Went to see a physio and he said I needed more flexibility and to stretch more and that tight muscles in lower back were pressing on nerve. Possibly my sacro Iliacjoint and ligaments around it. A month passed, no better. Then I saw an osteo who said my l5 vertebrae was out, didn't help me. Then went to see another physio who contradicted the others and said I was fine and flexibility was good but my lower back muscles were weak and needed strengthening. I'm 230 at 5'8 and have trained 20 years and never had this before.

I can't squat more than 80kg without my lower back hurting and concerned it may give way. If I move in certain positions it makes me yelp as it pushes the nerve, mostly on the lower left side, just off centre. Often spreading down left side, I.e. sciatica.

Wtf is going on here? I'm getting no where. I'm now doing extensions and lunges only for legs as can't squat and certainly can't do stiff leg deads. Legs shrinking and its very frustrating. They said an mri scan won't show anything as everyone has stuff show up on an mri.

I was a very good powerlifter and competed for 27 years. My best squat was 950 and deadlift 800. So I have honestly abused my body. I retired from the sport in 2010 after finally detaching all three quads in my knee.

Anyway, I started having low back pain similar to what you say you have about a year and a half ago. I went to a sports medicine doctor and he said it was just a muscular injury and gave me some NSAIDS. After 2 months it went away but a few months later it came back and got worse and worse. I just took Ibuprofen and went about life in some discomfort.

I finally went to the doctor Monday and they did low back x-rays and the doctor called me today and told me I had degenerative arthritis most likely from the excessive weights over a long period of time. Hopefully this can be solved nonsurgically, well see next week. Had the doctor I went to over a year done x-rays, it might not have ever gone this far.

Get some x-rays done and make sure you don't have some spinal issues going on. It might be a bulged disk, arthritis, or another problem that needs to be solved. Might just be a muscular injury but it never hurts to be sure.

sylentkaos · Nov 9, 2017

BigTex said:
I was a very good powerlifter and competed for 27 years. My best squat was 950 and deadlift 800. So I have honestly abused my body. I retired from the sport in 2010 after finally detaching all three quads in my knee.

Anyway, I started having low back pain similar to what you say you have about a year and a half ago. I went to a sports medicine doctor and he said it was just a muscular injury and gave me some NSAIDS. After 2 months it went away but a few months later it came back and got worse and worse. I just took Ibuprofen and went about life in some discomfort.

I finally went to the doctor Monday and they did low back x-rays and the doctor called me today and told me I had degenerative arthritis most likely from the excessive weights over a long period of time. Hopefully this can be solved nonsurgically, well see next week. Had the doctor I went to over a year done x-rays, it might not have ever gone this far.

Get some x-rays done and make sure you don't have some spinal issues going on. It might be a bulged disk, arthritis, or another problem that needs to be solved. Might just be a muscular injury but it never hurts to be sure.

Ive had w procedures for the degenerative arthiritis in my lower back. They went in and burnt the nerves in 3 separate locations each time. The first time I was pain free for only 4-1/2 months. You have to wait a minimum of 6 months before you can do the procedure again. I had it done about 3 weeks ago for the second time and they are hoping it will last longer this time. I made an appointment with a neurosurgeon as well.