back pain

[dshale]

Now that I am working out more consistently I have noticed a sharp pain in my middle back. I stretch it out for a few seconds and it goes away for 10 or minutes. Is this something anyone else has experienced? Any suggestions on what it could be and how I could prevent it?

[Sam]

Hello dude,

I've had lower/mid back pain, slightly to the left of my spine for a while now. I narrowed it down to a few things, that once eliminated stopped the pain.

The first was Running. My technique was all wrong, I was a heavy 'heel-toe' kinda runner. After changing to keep my knees more bent, body weight more forward and bounce on the ball of my foot, the pain subsided.

I've yet to buy a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and get into barefoot running, but when I do I'll probably see some awesome results, perhaps invest here?

Secondly, Push-ups, Squats, and Sit-ups are some of the many exercises notorious for causing back pain if performed even slightly incorrect. Have a browse through your workouts and focus on performing reps with perfect form, keeping your back

as straight as possible. Dead-lifts are another, invest in a weight lifting belt, concentrate on form and lower the weight? Form over speed, form over weight = pain free.

If nothing else, try a sports therapist to work out some tension, and maybe they can identify the problem? It may even be caused by something casual, if you work in an office, the height of your chair, distance of your keyboard etc can have a massive impact on slouching shoulders, curved spines etc. Check out some ergonomic ideals, how you're positioned t for the majority of the day will obviously make a difference to your body.

Good luck

[Pat G]

Mid back pain that stops temporarily when you stretch it out?

have you tried going all out on the stretching for a couple of weeks or so, 15-20+mins a day on your legs and lower back?

If you're like me, a desk jokey, you'll probably have chronically tight everything with eeekish posture, getting everything limber might help out.

Otherwise man, more info would be needed or a trip to the doc or physio if that doesn't help.

[dshale]

Mid back pain that stops temporarily when you stretch it out?

have you tried going all out on the stretching for a couple of weeks or so, 15-20+mins a day on your legs and lower back?

If you're like me, a desk jokey, you'll probably have chronically tight everything with eeekish posture, getting everything limber might help out.

Otherwise man, more info would be needed or a trip to the doc or physio if that doesn't help.

I think you might be spot on. I am going to try stretching more and on off days.

[Scooter McGee]

You can also try rolling out on a lacrosse ball. It's going to hurt like a mother (you will seriously whince in pain), but its does wonders for muscle recovery. Assuming this is back pain related to the muscles in your back and not your spine.

[Heather D.]

I am very close to religious levels with my foam rolling and lacrosse balling. I don't think my body would function without it.

I wouldn't start off with a lacrosse ball, though. Try a tennis ball first, and then work up to lacrosse ball levels when the tennis ball doesn't cut it anymore. Same thing with foam rollers. Start off easy, then you can work up to the hardcore spiky rumble roller that I torture myself with on a regular basis.

[Tola Seng]

+1 on the rollers. Foam rollers are really cheap and work amazingly well. I've had low back problems for a long time and started to focus on stretches for my lumbar spine which help tremendously. I bet your hip mobility is bad as well so you'd also want to focus on that. I know we all spend a lot of time on building our muscles but our skeletal system/ spinal column needs work as well

[Rilo]

I was just coming to make a thread about this, I also get pain in my back but it's more to the lower sides of my spine so I think it's more muscle related. Yesterday was my off day for working out, I did some yoga which I do to try and stop this pain from affecting my work outs. This morning I woke up and I was in agony, lay down for an hour in bed with a hot water bottle on it and did some stretches and it seems to have helped.

Anyone got any advice on what I can do when this pain happens? I don't want to do anything to cause more pain but I don't just want to lay around all day.