Keep your lungs full and core tight *all* the way down, not 90% of the way

[abyssinia]

Dear people who lift heavy things:

Even if deadlift is one of your favorite lifts. Even if you're confident about your form. Even if it makes you feel strong.

Do not end your 195 lb 5 rep set (during which you are feeling good and keeping your form locked in) by letting yourself get slightly lazy at the very end of putting the bar down. You will do something to make your back/hip hate you. With a passion.

Please, please, learn from my stupid mistake.


On that note, I'm trying to keep gently stretching/foam rolling. I'm standing and walking (movement helps) and trying to avoid stiffening. And I'm popping ibuprofen. And I know it's going to hurt like hell when I get up tomorrow morning and I need to just take care of it for the (hopefully) 1-2 weeks of healing. But, has anyone out there strained a back while lifting? Any warnings/advice/tips/etc?

Thanks!

Comments

[rydra_wong]

Owwwwww. I have been there and done that.

FWIW, macerated comfrey oil (topically applied) is my magic cure-all for any kind of strain/sprain.

I will also dump a handful of Epsom salts into a hot bath; I'm not sure if this does anything (whereas I'm pretty sure with the comfrey), but the hot soaking doesn't hurt.

[abyssinia]

I just feel so stupid about it - I was so careful and then got lazy the last second. Dumb dumb dumb.

I hadn't heard of comfrey but a quick internet search looks promising - I'll see if the pharmacy I pass on the way home has it. Thanks!

While I'm sure a hot soak would feel great, right now I can't imagine finding a way to sit comfortably inside a tub. May be worth paying for a visit to the rec center just to sit in their hot tub...

[rydra_wong]

I hadn't heard of comfrey but a quick internet search looks promising - I'll see if the pharmacy I pass on the way home has it.

Just make sure it's in a topical form (oil, cream, ointment, etc.) -- some places still sell it as tea, which is thought to be potentially toxic.

[abyssinia]

They only had a salve of "organic infused comfrey root and olive oil (solar and lunar infused), pure beeswax, vitamin E oil, love and prayer" which is, I think, the most hilarious ingredient list I've ever read. But I got it.

It also claims to be good on abrasions, but should not be used on broken skin.

Thanks for the topical tip. The pharmacist actually very carefully made sure I had no plans to eat it, which I found incredibly amusing.

I'm definitely looser today - and the foam rolling and stretching is very helpful. Hopefully this won't be too bad.

[rydra_wong]

Ha. An infusion in an olive oil base should be decent, though.

I'm fairly sure the solar and lunar stuff is a ridiculously-prettified way of saying they did a slow infusion by leaving it on a sunny windowsill for a long time, the beeswax makes it a solid ointment, the vitamin E acts as a preservative, and the love and prayer tells you it's made by giant hippies.

By way of counter-balance: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18193693

[abyssinia]

I figured. And the brief google search I did yesterday convinced me it was worth trying - though that med article is pretty cool. It was just a highly amusing ingredient list.

To be fair, I live in one of the most hippie-filled cities in the US and went to a local granola-crunchy pharmacy. I wouldn't expect anything less than a label like I found.

And, hey, whether it was the comfrey, the rolling, or that it wasn't too bad initially, it's a lot better today (still far from 100%, but I can move with just an ache rather than ouch) so I'll take it!

[supermouse]

I was going to pass on advice I'd been given about walking, but you're already doing that.

Laying flat on your front, arms down by your side, feet loosely together, for five minutes or so several times a day can help too, IME.

I've got a semi-permanent back injury gained during care work, which flares up from time to time if I, say, bend down to write something on a desk. If I know it's going to be a bad few weeks, I go to the docs and ask for Naproxen, which is stronger than ibuprofen and helps me with the walking-it-off part.

[abyssinia]

Yeah. Walking feels SO MUCH BETTER than not walking. Although if I've stiffened up, it takes a little work to get going. And luckily I have a standing desk setup.

Thanks for the tips - we can get naproxen sodium over the counter here. I think I'll stick with ibuprofen at least another day, for the anti-inflamatory help, but the muscle relaxation of naproxen could help in another day or two.

[lyorn]

Ouch.

My favorite muscle to pull is the front of the upper thigh. I use careful movement (walking), warmth to keep if from stiffening (infrared lamp or warm cherry stone cushion) after moving, and ibuprofen cream.

Get well soon!

[abyssinia]

Aside from the cream, that's pretty much what I'm trying. Thanks for the tips!

It got gradually better throughout yesterday and is very ache-y but much less sharp today, so I have hope that whatever I did isn't too bad. *crosses fingers*