Lower Back Seized Up

[sanaani]

I'm a 37 year old white belt with 5 months of training (76 total training hours). I was in reasonable shape when I started and now feel like my conditioning is good. Not great compared to the 22 year old MMA pros at our gym, but way better than most guys my age.

I spent my first 2 months of jiu jitsu in a constant state of muscle soreness. I thought I had put that phase behind me. But recently, my hips are so tense and tight after class that it's pulling my lower back muscles. It pinches my lower back so hard that I can't sit or stand straight.

Has anyone dealt with a similar issue? I get to class early to stretch. When I felt the tensensss coming on today, I sat out the rest of class stretching and foam rolling the stiffness away for 45 minutes. Even with stopping early and stretching my hips, back and legs, I can't get the muscles to relax. It's painful and, more irritatingly, it keeps me off the mats.

You advice is much appreciated.

[eriksd]

When I’ve run into issues, I’ve sought a physical therapist who could address muscle Imbalance issues. From the sound of it, you may have a muscle imbalance problem. This leads to using/overusing muscles to compensate. Most people do not properly engage their core muscles doing anything and then we call on our backs to compensate in sports. I highly recommend seeing a good sports PT who can give you exercises to train you to use your core properly.

The other issue we white belts face is learning to relax. BJJ is ebbs and flows of tension and release. Learn to release more and relax. Then explode with precision and release and relax again.

Stretch. Take Krill. Mediation. And relax.

Rest a few days. Watch lessons at the gym and let your body heal.

Good luck.

[mynewunit]

I agree with Erik. My back has freaked out twice. Once was a change at work. The next was a new born. Both times were paired up with stopping any consistent strength training. Both times I went to the chiropractor. He gave me the same treatment each time. The second time I asked enough to find out it was my sacriliac joint. Then I went to YouTube and found a bunch of exercises to fix sacriliac issues. A month of the exercises fixed the back issues.
The long term fix to most back issues is getting your back stronger. My recommendation is Deadlifts and Low Back Squats. I would follow the Starting Strength novice progression. Once you have a squat over 250 and a dead lift over 350, most lower back issues go away.
PT, strength, foam roll, yoga, supplements, fish or krill oil, joint warfare, glucosamine and condroiden, chiropractor. Avoid surgery.
Then check the rest of your life. Work, posture, sleep. Also, ask your instructor for some tips.
Keep it up. Reduce your number or duration of sessions during a week. Then build back up as you heal up.

[sanaani]

Dec 15, 2018 14:55:43 GMT -8 mynewunit said:

I agree with Erik. My back has freaked out twice. Once was a change at work. The next was a new born. Both times were paired up with stopping any consistent strength training. Both times I went to the chiropractor. He gave me the same treatment each time. The second time I asked enough to find out it was my sacriliac joint. Then I went to YouTube and found a bunch of exercises to fix sacriliac issues. A month of the exercises fixed the back issues.
The long term fix to most back issues is getting your back stronger. My recommendation is Deadlifts and Low Back Squats. I would follow the Starting Strength novice progression. Once you have a squat over 250 and a dead lift over 350, most lower back issues go away.
PT, strength, foam roll, yoga, supplements, fish or krill oil, joint warfare, glucosamine and condroiden, chiropractor. Avoid surgery.
Then check the rest of your life. Work, posture, sleep. Also, ask your instructor for some tips.
Keep it up. Reduce your number or duration of sessions during a week. Then build back up as you heal up.

I wound up going to a doctor later in the day. The spasms got so bad that I couldn't walk. It turns out that I sprained a ligament in my lower back.

I think you're spot on with the weight lifting. Oddly enough, I've been wanting to lift for about a month. I even had one of the coaches walk me through a deadlift last week. The only thing holding me back from adding weignt was the constant muscle problems.

I'm off the mats for at least 2 weeks, maybe longer. It's taking a lot more discipline to take time off for healing than it does to show up for class.

[bleedinblue]

I've been dealing with lower back pain for years. Threw it out for the first time last year and laid in my living room floor unable to move for almost two hours. The worst pain in my life, and absolutely impossible to fight through.

I usually just tolerate light to moderate back pain, the chiropractor or exercises only help a little.

Last month I tried Joint Warfare for the first time. It has relieved 90% of my pain with both other changes. Glucosamine or other crap my wife has given me joint done a thing. Two days with JW and the affects were obvious. I'm adding krill oil soon.

[Baba]

+1 on the Physical Therapy recommendation. A lot of exercises for getting out of back pain or counterintuitive, and even if you have a stretching routine it could be working against you if you just go by feeling. I work in a chronic pain clinic and I know spasms are no joke. I agree with the anti-inflammatory routine. An overstretched ligament can take a month or more to get back in shape so it can be an overuse injury if you don't know when to baby it and when to push through. If you can do tumeric, I have a recipe for turmeric milk on my blog. Hope it helps: chronicpainblog.net

[Grant]

Las cocinas blancas , siempre serán tendencia. Porosidad