Hi,
I was wondering if anybody could help me out with the lower back pain I’ve been experiencing for at least the past 2 years. I’ve been lifting for around 3 years now, but for the past couple of years I’ve been dealing with a constant lower back ache/tightness, which is present almost all the time - but is definitely exacerbated by squats, deadlifts and anything that requires my spinal erectors to act isometrically, like in a bent over row for example.
For reference, and whilst I know that MRIs and disc bulges often don’t adequately explain the cause of pain or how best to fix it, but I have had an MRI done and I have 4 disc protrusions and “disc degeneration” of L4 and L5.
I’ve seen a physio, who noticed I had reduced ankle ROM which causes “butt wink” when I squat - although this is noticeably more pronounced when I squat without weight and/or heels, and is minimal when I barbell squat with my squat shoes on, though it still does occur slightly. However, I haven’t squatted for around 2 months now, or deadlifted in any form for around 4 months - but the pain still lingers. I don’t often have the days where it’s really bad, as I would after a squat or deadlift session (primarily deadlifts were the main cause, especially conventional deadlifts - sumo was slightly better but still caused me pain), but it’s definitely still present most days.
The only other thing I can think of to mention is that my back often feels a lot worse after I’ve been standing for a while and is relieved when I’m sitting.
I’ve tried a few different approaches, including McKenzie push-ups (recommended to me by my last physio), the McGill big 3 and other core exercises, as well as having taken many days off squats and deadlifts in the past, to no avail.
Do you have any ideas how I could possibly rehab this or any resources to get me started in the right direction? It’s been troubling me for so long, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be pain-free. Let me know if you need any more information and I’ll gladly supply it.