Muscles grab on some sets?

Pain & Rehab Forum [Moderated]
1

My lower left back has been sore, so I’m doing standard rehab work - graded exposure with exercises and weights that don’t make it worse. The issue is that sometimes the back muscles will grab (contract painfully) for a few moments while exercising (at which point I stop the set). Soreness goes back to baseline shortly after I stop a set. I haven’t been able to find a useful entry point so this doesn’t happen. It’s even happened occasionally with sit to stand from a chair.

Does this phenomenon suggest some course of rehab other than just enduring a few moments of pain on some sets and proceeding so long as I don’t feel worse later?

2

Howdy,

Based on what you said here, I don’t think you necessarily need a different rehab approach, provided you feel like it’s improving, e.g. symptoms decreasing, gradually progressing on exercises. I don’t think a “spasm” is super concerning, depending on frequency, intensity, and your trajectory.

If it’s happening a lot, e.g. every workout, then yes, I’d change things up further, likely changing the exercise and loading requirements.

-Jordan

2 Likes