Lower back pain

[kevhen]

What do I do about lower back pain? I was doing sprints and leglifts the other day and now I can barely walk from the pain in my back. This happened last year too when doing sprints to gain back some footspeed going into the summer season.

I have read that wearing inserts in your shoes may help if one leg is shorter than the other which often causes back problems and I think that might be part of my problem. I also am 6'4, 33 years, and 210 pounds so the hard pounding, weight, and length of my back might just be taking their toll as I age.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. I have tried leglifts, crunches, etc. but all the sprinting in tennis and in other sports seems to force me to take a day off in between competitions for my back to recover.

[netman]

Age is definitely going against you. The thing that gets you as you get older is recovery time. Your body needs more time to recover between strenuous exercise bouts and/or injuries. Its a very gradual decline, so its hard to notice. From your message its sounds like you are working yourself very hard on an almost daily basis. At 22, no problem. At 33 it can leave you vulnerable to injury. Not allowing enough rest means your muscles and connective tiisue haven't had time to recover from their last use so they are not a 100%. These make then more prone to injury.

Try taking 36-48 hours off between strenuous bouts of execise, longer if you know you have an intense period coming up. If I know I have 2-3 days of back-to-back tennis coming up, I typically don't do anything for 4-5 days prior other than some light aerobics and stretching. That way all my body's resources are recovered and ready for the stress. This has really helped me as I've gotten older.

Drop me and email if you want to discuss more.

Good luck
Ken

[borisboris]

Yeah I suffered in the lower-lumbar. The best stregnth exercise = the superman pose. Lay face down - spread your arms + legs out and raise opposite arm/opposite leg & isolate the muscles. right arm + left leg. Also start w/ sit-ups, even though your back gives out because typically your abs are stronger than the back, you should stregnthen your core if not already. Always stretch your hamstrings. good luck

[Hal]

If you're having serious lower back problems, you should probably see a doctor. Doing stretches or workouts without know the problem can make life worse. Also, be forceful and ask for an MRI. IMO, it's the only real way they see what's going on.

A few years ago, I hurt my back playing tennis. I had a doctor send me to PT without an MRI. The night after the PT was the worst night of my life. After a catscan (sp?) and then finally an MRI, a completely different course of action (or inaction) was prescribed. Luckily, I'm able to play tennis today.

Basically, you need to see if it's a nerve problem or a muscular problem. If pain/numbness goes down to your butt, into your legs and feet you may have a nerve problem.

In any case, see your doctor!

[david aames]

Originally Posted by kevhen

I have read that wearing inserts in your shoes may help if one leg is shorter than the other which often causes back problems and I think that might be part of my problem. I also am 6'4, 33 years, and 210 pounds so the hard pounding, weight, and length of my back might just be taking their toll as I age.

It sounds like you developed a mild scoliosis. It's very typical when one leg is shorter than the other. If it's the case it won't go away and you have to see a doctor to see how you can keep it under control. Swimming, biking, everything low impact is good. Strenghen your back muscles. The Superman exercise is indeed the best thing you can do in this case.

James Blake has a serious scoliosis problem and was wearing something to support his back for a very long time FYI... Check out his website, he talks about it...

How are your legs after playing tennis? One leg hurting more than the other?