Many people experience back pain after a weight-training session. Although some of these pains come from sore muscles, most of the pain comes from inflammation of the spine or hip joint from excessive stress and poor movement patterns, according to Anthony Carey, owner of Function First in San Diego. Since there are many causes of back pain, you need to seek professional help to determine the source of the pain and find a correct treatment plan.
Types
Spinal stenosis, which is the narrowing of spaces in the spine, causes excess pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Catherine Logan, who is a physical therapist of Myomo Inc., explains that this disorder occurs primarily in the lower spine because it supports the most weight in the spine. The compression causes pain and numbing in your legs and hips.
Disc herniation is where one or more discs in your spine is out of place. The disc compresses or pinches a nerve in the spinal column, which causes pain.
Sciatica is the pinching of the sciatic nerve that runs beneath your buttock muscles. According to Logan, disc herniation and spinal stenosis can cause sciatica. The constant rubbing of the piriformis muscle, which is located beneath your buttocks and runs parallel with the nerve, irritates the nerve, causing a shooting or numbing pain in your hip and leg.
Causes
Although accidents, disease and aging can cause these types of back pain, most of these problems comes from having poor exercise techniques, poor posture and not enough recovery time, explains Anthony Carey, owner of Function First Studio in San Diego. If you lift weights with poor posture, you can place excess stress upon your lower spine, which compresses upon the spaces and the discs. This also causes your lower back and hip muscles to tighten to protect your spine from further damage, limiting your range of motion in your hips and spine. Excessive weightlifting in a seated position, such as using seated exercise machines, can cause your abdominal and hip muscles to weaken. This causes your lower back muscles to compensate and overwork.
Effects
Carey explains that back pain can prevent and demotivate you from exercising. A lack of exercise causes a lower caloric expenditure and reduced muscle mass, which promotes fat gain. The excess weight causes more pressure on your lower back and other joints, which furthers decrease your ability to move. This vicious cycle continues until you either become disabled or seek professional treatment.
Prevention
Dr. Stuart McGill, author of "Low Back Disorders," recommends that you strengthen your abdominal, hip, back and legs by performing full-body exercises that train different movement patterns and multiple muscle groups. You should also work with a qualified exercise professional to teach you proper form and strategies to prevent back injuries.
Treatment
If you experience back pain after lifting weights, Carey recommends that you seek immediate help from a chiropractor, acupuncturist, corrective exercise specialist or a physical therapist. If you experience severe pain that influences your daily living, Logan suggests you see an orthopedic physician who can use a magnetic resonance image or a computed tomography scan to see the position of your spine parts and tissue health.
References
- "IDEA Fitness Journal"; Low Back Pain Exercises; Catherine Logan; September 2005
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
- "Low Back Disorders"; Stuart McGill; 2007
