I’ve had lower back issues for close to 20 years. No accident or any trauma, just in my 20’s the lower back started to tighten up if I stood for any length of time. Early on I was sent to Chiropractors and had xrays taken and I was told I had a twisted pelvis and a curved spine. I’m pretty sure that is not what is causing any of my issues. Chiropractors never helped and usually made things a bit more painful. None of my Doctors have had an answer and simply prescribed rehab and muscle relaxers.
I basically have learned to live with it. I can run and walking is usually fine but If I stand for any length of time my lower back starts to tighten up and increases in pain as time goes on. Lifting has helped me extend this time before things start to tighten. From time to time my lower back will hurt constantly but lifting actually seems to loosen things up and make it relax. My back rarely if ever actually hurts when I lift. What doesn’t make sense to me is I can dead lift a decent amount of weight (450) and I’m fine but if I stand for 20 minutes my lower back is screaming. Could this just be my brain freaking out over nothing? If it is my brain playing tricks how do I get it to stop?
i don’t have any solution, other than to say I have the opposite issue - lumbar discomfort when I sit for any significant amount of time. Solution for me was a standing desk and to reduce my sitting time. Long car commutes/plane rides are the challenging, but I use that time to mediate and train my mind to not attach or identify with the discomfort.
Hey @DougC sorry about the low back symptoms. The good news, it sounds like you are able to be active and accomplish daily life tasks. What context do you notice back symptoms? Example: you are at work and standing for 20 minutes.
Sorry for the late response. I never noticed a reply to my post.
So yeah, basically standing for any length of time will cause it to tighten up and hurt. If I push it and stand too long the next day or two my back will be screaming.
Sitting with poor posture or in a soft, no real back support chair, will also cause it to tighten up and hurt.
I’ve also lately experienced if I sit up out of bed too quickly out of bed, a sharp pain in lower back. That freaked me out a bit and the back was tight for half a day then relaxed. Same area of the lower back where the standing pain occurs.
I must have a setting turned off or something. I don’t get a notice about a response, again sorry for the delay in replying.
I think it’s all muscle related. For some reason the muscles just tighten up to a point where they almost cramp then just won’t release. The getting of bed in the morning issue I have no idea other than poor posture or sleep position?
Almost every morning now my lower back is crazy tight and sore. Once I start moving around a bit or on the weekends go ahead and lift weights it loosens up and i’m fine. It will still tighten up if I stand for too long though even with lifting.
Sorry for the late response. I never noticed a reply to my post.
So yeah, basically standing for any length of time will cause it to tighten up and hurt. If I push it and stand too long the next day or two my back will be screaming.
Sitting with poor posture or in a soft, no real back support chair, will also cause it to tighten up and hurt.
I’ve also lately experienced if I sit up out of bed too quickly out of bed, a sharp pain in lower back. That freaked me out a bit and the back was tight for half a day then relaxed. Same area of the lower back where the standing pain occurs.
@DougC - no worries about the delayed response. You mentioned having low back symptoms for quite some time now. It is unlikely there is a particular tissue issue ongoing with your symptom presentation. I imagine there is some period of time you are able to stand without symptoms? Typically we need to find a threshold of tolerance to movement/position/posture and then change position and slowly increase your tolerance to a movement/position/posture over time. Remember, there aren’t inherently bad or good positions/movements/etc - they just are and sometimes we can become symptomatic but that doesn’t mean we should avoid or there’s something wrong with us. I understand how symptoms can increase worry about their meaning and if something is “wrong” with your back, we want to try and minimize those thoughts when possible. Pain is driven by attentional focus and if we feed into that mechanism by focusing on symptoms then we can intensify and perpetuate persistence of symptoms unnecessarily. Does that make sense?