Take Charge Of Your Lower Back Pain From Weightlifting

by Senior Physiotherapist Bernard Sim 

It is important to take note of the lower back ache you are experiencing and distinguish between post-exercise muscle soreness and pain that might signal an injury. 

As certain weightlifting exercises (e.g. deadlifts and back-squats) do subject the lumbar spine and the legs to significant stress, it can be quite normal for your lower back and even leg muscles (e.g. quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes) to feel some degree of soreness post exercising.

This generalized post-exercise muscle soreness, also known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), is a temporary phenomenon due to normal inflammatory response in the muscles that were worked hard. Usually, such muscle soreness is expected to subside within a few days. 

However, if your lower back pain/discomfort persists or worsens after a few days, it’s likely that an injury has taken place and thus highly advisable to consult your doctor and physiotherapist. 

Some red flags that warrant seeking immediate medical attention: 

● sharp pain coming from a specific spot/area 

● pain comes on suddenly and does not improve after 72 hours 

● pain affects the way you walk or your balance 

● pain wakes you up at night 

● pain/discomfort radiates to your leg(s) or causes weakness, numbness or tingling. 

Common risk factors for lower back pain from weightlifting 

● Lack of adequate warmup 

● Lifting weights that are too heavy thus compromising form 

● Improper weightlifting posture 

● Lack of sufficient hip mobility 

How can Physiotherapy help? 

Upon scheduling your first physiotherapy session, our experienced and skilled physiotherapist will have a one-on-one consultation to understand your pain condition, training history and lifestyle followed by movement assessment to identify any postural imbalance/bias and mobility issues. 

A personalized treatment plan will be designed according to your state of condition, movement findings, specific needs and goals to help you manage the lower back pain effectively and return to weightlifting safely without pain.

Physiotherapy treatment approach often involves: 

● Manual therapy 

○ Various hands-on techniques such as soft tissue/joint mobilization, muscle energy, breath facilitation and myofascial release to reduce muscle tension, improve mobility, and alleviate pain. 

● Therapeutic exercises 

○ Specific movements and self-management strategies (based on individualized needs) to manage pain and improve both strength and mobility. 

● Functional training 

○ Working on improving functional mobility and physical resilience to adapt to the varying demands of daily activities with progressive training towards weightlifting activities. 

● Postural education 

○ Learning proper posture during daily activities and weightlifting to prevent repeat/further injuries. 

Contact us today at 91115623 (WhatsApp) or 6533 0968 (phone) to book a physiotherapy appointment with us to kickstart your recovery process.