Sciatica (Back/Nerve Pain)

Magdelayna

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I lift 36 kg steel bars at work,so i dont think thats ideal hehe. The weird thing is my back 'goes' at home after not doing much...it might down to bad posture..but how can you remember to sit properly all the time...when u chill out at home,you naturally slouch.
 

Archon

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Have you fellas tried training to strengthen your back (heavy squats, deadlifts)? It's controversial, I know...
 
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Julian Del Agranda

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Of course. If you sit too much and too long, everything will get 'stuck' in your body.

Moving is essential in preventing new periods of huge pain.

Every now and then you will slowly move less, sit too much, and before you know it, your body will give you signs of "that pain".

I believe it's going to be like this for the rest of our lives. Gotta keep moving. Walking is already very good for your body and back.
 
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Julian Del Agranda

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Have you fellas tried training to strengthen your back (heavy squats, deadlifts)? It's controversial, I know...

Obviously don't do this when in the recovery-period. But when you are in a pain-free period, yeah, training your core is a very good idea... Don't focus too much on the weights though. Build it up slowly. It's about using the muscles, so they get used to being 'used' again. More important than "muscle growth".

And not just the back, also your abs are very imporant in supporting your back muscles.
 
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Archon

Gagi
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I'm not talking about hypertrophy, but strength. Have you seen how strongmen lift those stones? With a completely rounded back.

As far as I've seen, stretching does not do much of anything, moreover it can increase the probability of injury during the activity.

Probably best not to take my word for it though, refer to Barbell Medicine. Two doctors of medicine with a scientific (I know, it's become a misused word) and practical approach. Lots of articles on pain, injury and training. Don't have to buy their products.
 

dmgtz96

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Yeah its the shit. i'm getting manueel therapie weekly now that I have to nighly lift a 12 kilogram ape every night for half an hour wilst my muscles are still in semi-REM modus.

daily-planking also seems to help
Squatting would probably help here. Not sure if you're lifting with your back or if you squat already. Planks are a good!

The first time it did not appear instantly, but over a few days. Im pretty sure what was the trigger though.
I was climbing on a wall (with those colored grips, good English Jan lol). And my foot slipped, and with trying to hold on, I think I forced something in my back. A nerve slightly out of position or whatever.

took my 6-8 weeks before it really was gone completely. Also couldn’t put on my socks in the beginning.

second time, like a year later, was more instant. Lifting a heavy machine. Instantly knew that injury was back. Couldn’t even lay down. Good nights of sleep.
My first time with back pain (not with sciatica) happened after a summer of lifting with poor form. I did overhead presses on Tuesday, then squatted on Thursday. As I re-un-racked the weights without bracing properly for my squat, I immediately felt a pinch in my back. Could barely walk without pain, and even stepping up felt bad.
When you feel the pain come in immediately, though, that's just next-level. As far as I know, back injuries aren't immediate like that. Good to know your recovery this time didn't take long.

Obviously don't do this when in the recovery-period. But when you are in a pain-free period, yeah, training your core is a very good idea... Don't focus too much on the weights though. Build it up slowly. It's about using the muscles, so they get used to being 'used' again. More important than "muscle growth".

And not just the back, also your abs are very imporant in supporting your back muscles.
I agree with both of those things. Gotta learn the proper muscle patterns, brace your abs hard, and activate your glutes and hamstrings. That's how you can help avoid injury, whether that is lifting heavy at the gym or picking something up in daily life. If you want to strengthen your abs, just make sure you're actually using them. With ab exercises it's too easy to compensate with the lower back and hips, which will only exacerbate the problem.
(Speaking as someone who never felt ab crunches 'right' until I started bracing hard and limiting my range of motion.)
 
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Magdelayna

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Of course. If you sit too much and too long, everything will get 'stuck' in your body.

Moving is essential in preventing new periods of huge pain.

Every now and then you will slowly move less, sit too much, and before you know it, your body will give you signs of "that pain".

I believe it's going to be like this for the rest of our lives. Gotta keep moving. Walking is already very good for your body and back.

So what shall i do after say a 2 hour film? Stretch first?
 
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dmgtz96

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So what shall i do after say a 2 hour film? Stretch first?
This is the kind of question best answered by a physical therapist or some other certified fitness professional. Do you feel like your muscles are too stiff after your shift?

With stretching, people jump into it without fully knowing what areas they need to stretch (and why, when). Some areas benefit from stretching. Others benefit more from strengthening. Then there's dynamic stretching and static stretching. On the Internet you'll likely find that you should dynamic stretch before working out, and static stretch after working out, but you shouldn't static stretch before working out.
 

Julian Del Agranda

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Well, there's also a difference between some light stretching, moving for a bit... like gently moving your hands towards the floor for example...

... and actually forcing a muscle to stretch for 30 seconds etc.

I mean the light version. The light version is always good. We aren't built for long periods of time not moving. Which is what we all do with our dayjobs.
 
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