Low back pain after squatting
I’m sure if you’re reading this then its likely that you have found this blog because you yourself have had low back pain after a heavy (or light) squat day. The good news is that you’re not alone. Back pain after squatting is extremely common for a multitude of different reasons which I am going to explain below. We are also going to answer some of the most common questions about low back pain after squatting and break from of the myths that surround this topic as well.
First off, we want to start by saying that just because your low back pain is increased with squatting that squatting is some how bad for you….IT’S NOT. If you’re experiencing low back pain during squatting there is a reason for it and that reason can be fixed. Seeing a physical therapist who is an expert in squat mechanics can help get you back on track to heavy lifting as fast as possible. The last thing we want to do is make you stop squatting. The treatment style of our staff is to modify exercises while we build resiliency, we almost never suggest completely stopping any activity, but rather we just have to manipulate that intervention to reduce inflammation as much as possible.
Read below to learn everything you need to know about why your back is hurting while you squat.
The most common questions we hear:
Why does my lower back hurt after squatting?
We wish it was that simple. The reason your lower back hurts is probably due to more than just one thing. It could be related to muscle imbalances, poor technique, too much weight (aka too much load/volume), a weak core, poor hip mobility, poor ankle mobility, so on and so forth. It could also be a culmination of a few different problems at once.
Is it normal to have back pain after squats?
Absolutely not normal. Lets be clear though, pain and muscle soreness are a different thing. We expect you to be sore, but we don’t wan true low back pain associated with your squats. Sure, we can argue that every now and then we will tweak a muscle or something will feel weird, but it should not be a recurring thing that is only brought on by squatting.
What to do if you hurt your lower back squatting?
Determine the extent of the lower back injury, because we need to be certain there is no severe damage. If you’re just having generalized low back pain with any pain, numbness/tingling or weakness in the leg you’re probably just sore or have a mechanical issue that needs to be address (technique, core weakness, mobility deficits, etc.). Monitor your back pain for a few days. If it improves, attempt squatting again. If your back has the same reaction, then it is likely something going on with your squat technique or some of the aforementioned prerequisites listed above.
If you determine that it is in fact squatting that is the problem, then it is time to take a look at your squat form (aka form check), your lower body strength (looking for muscle imbalances), core strength, and mobility. Have this done by a licensed health care provider, because an accurate diagnosis is going to be very important to make sure you are on the right track to fixing the problem as fast as possible.
Should I Squat if my back hurts?
Yes, but with modifications. If the act of squatting hurts your lower back worse, then we need to manipulate it so that it doesn’t. We can do this by a few different avenues. The most obvious, suck up your ego and reduce the weight on the bar, lifting heavy all the time is not sustainable. A second option to continue to be able to squat with back pain is by reducing the depth of your squat. This can be done by doing box squats can help reduce the amount you are allowed to move. Lastly, you can also reduce some pressure on the lumbar spine by utilizing a front squat or a goblet squat position, where the weight is placed on the from of the body as compared to a traditional back squat.
Does low back pain ever go away?
Yes, if the complications that are creating low back pain are fixed then your low back pain will improve. The tricky part is figuring out what the issues are that are causing your problem. I wish I could tell you the magic recipe for fixing back pain, but to be honest, every person is so different and the treatment plans for lower back pain can vary greatly from person to person. What I can tell you is that you NEED to seek out help from a healthcare specialist if you’re dealing with issues such as low back pain after squatting or low back pain after deadlifting because this is some that CAN be fixed.
What are the potential diagnoses when dealing with low back pain?
Lumbar radiculopathy (commonly known as Sciatica):
This is an extremely common issue that we see in individuals who are between the ages of 35-55 years old, although we have seen as young as 20-25 years old before. Low back radiculopathy is characterized by shooting pains, numbness/tingling, weakness that all extends from your back and down one of your legs. It should be noted that you may not have all of these symptoms at once, but it is possible. On another note It is highly unlikely that you will experience this condition in both legs, but if for instance you do, PLEASE seek out medical attention.
Lumbar Muscle strain
This is by far the most common condition we see, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely painful or debilitating for a period of time. A lumbar muscle strain is characterized by pain that is located directly to the back (can be on one side or the other or both). There will be no symptoms of pain into the buttock or into the legs. It is worth mentioning that you may not feel pain when you poke your back muscles. There are multiple tiny muscles at every level of the spine that can also be strained and create pain so discerning between them is nearly impossible if they are not the surface levels low back muscles.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
This is also known as the “SI joint,” which is the connection where the hip bone and pelvis intersect with the tailbone (sacrum) of the spine. This can sometimes get misaligned with repetitive squatting or deadlifting, especially with unbalanced forces through the pelvis when using incorrect or poor form and bad technique.
Now that we’ve covered some of the most relevant information related to back pain how do you know where to go if you need help?
Find a local provider that specializes in lumbar spine disorders, particularly on with an athletic back ground that understands movement patterns such as squatting and deadlifting.
DO NOT SETTLE for care that you feel is not the best you can possibly get. A lot of physical therapy companies are around for one thing, to make money. Don’t get sucked into going there because its the first thing you see on google. Keep looking. There are good providers out there.