Hi, Mitesh here, I just thought I’d do a quick video because I'm just currently in the process of trying to figure out how to solve my low back pain which I seem to have managed to get at the moment. I know what happened….
I think I know what to do. So I thought I would create a quick video and explain my process behind what I'm doing. To put a bit of context in to this…. during the first lockdown, we're currently in the second lockdown obviously, the gyms are closed.
So, during the first lockdown. I learned a few things. At first, I was worried, obviously with the Coronavirus and COVID and everything going on at the time but also especially with my lower back because I was relying on going to the gym and doing exercises at the gym using the back extension machine, hyperextension bench and machines like that to keep my core strength and fitness while I was working.
With the first lockdown, the gyms closed so I thought how am I going to manage without the gym? I had my ankle weights so I did my plank exercise, side plank, front plank, but I soon got bored of that. My body was already used to doing those because I was already doing much more resistance training at the gym.
So I needed something else. Luckily I had a barbell with weights. What I learned during the first lockdown, to cut a long story short was throughout those three months of lockdown, I lived off the deadlift!
I simply did deadlifts at home. Probably about twice a week I was doing deadlifts and I was in great shape. It felt great! The other thing about the first lockdown was, I couldn't do my cardio at the gym. I had a mountain bike so I was out on the bikes with the kids cycling around and also going on long walks because we had the amazing weather in the UK.
So the first lockdown was fine, I didn't have any issues. I was on furloughs so I had a bit more time on my hands so I was able to put the time in for my cardio outdoors and then did the deadlifts at home.
After the first lockdown finished, I went straight back to the gym then the second lockdown hit, which is what we are currently in. This time around it has been a bit different.
At first I thought it’s fine, I can just do deadlifts at home, I'll get away with it, I won't have any problems. So with that in mind, two weeks ago lockdown hit, the gyms closed. I thought okay, what I'll do, I'll just do a few deadlifts while I'm at home and then I'll go to the gym just before it closes for the second lockdown.
I set myself up, got into position. I don't know what happened, first deadlift was a bit shaky, a bit flaky. I had the weight off the floor, lifting it was probably a bit heavy. Which to be honest I've never had a problem with this in the past.
I'm not too sure what happened but I had 40 to 42 kg weights in total as of 20 - about 20 on each side. As I was doing a deadlift off the 42 kg because I have a small plate to sort of stabilise the big plate that's on the bar. Anyway, you don't need to know that.
I’d say 42 kg is what I was lifting. First and second deadlifts I was struggling. I thought this isn't right. Okay, let me just try one more than. The third deadlift at that point I felt something pull or move out of place or whatever it was, a ligament or muscle I don't know what happened.
And at that point, I thought something's happened here. It doesn't feel right. So I had to put the barbell down.
Did a bit of a stretch extending my back backward and forwards and I thought no, something's not right here, something's happened. I was kicking myself really - quite disappointed with myself.
I didn't want an injury especially at this moment when the lockdown is coming. So I was very, very much gutted. What did I do? I took a couple of ibuprofen's to help me with any inflammation.
A few days later, I applied heat to it to help flexibility and to try and get the muscles relaxed. I felt okay but because I've got to the point where I'm quite addicted to doing deadliftsI wanted to try deadlifting again.
So last week I attempted another deadlift. Guess what happened? Yeah, the same injury on the right-hand side again, muscle went and I thought something has happened, I think this was on the second lift.
At that point, I just had to put it back down again. Again, I'm kicking myself. So second time around at the same injury, but this time was on the other side. It is on the right-hand side. The first time it was on the left-hand side, the muscle or ligament, I felt something that tensed up.
So this is the process I've taken on. I've left it for a couple of days. I took it easy, I didn't do any exercise. I will let it heal up a bit.
So I've got my hands on a foam roller which I've been massaging the sore area of my lower back. Where I feel the pain, I just put more pressure on the painful area using a foam roller.
By doing this. Hopefully, I'm trying to sort of work the area, get the oxygen in, getting the blood flowing into the area let's say, to try and help with the injury. I've noticed when I've stopped doing the foam rolling, my back's felt better.
As I felt the tension, the tightness eased off a bit. I've gained a bit more movement back. Okay, foam rolling seems to work. So I'm going to keep doing the foam rolling. So I've been doing foam rolling every day.
Another thing I've been doing is I've applied heat. So I've got a hot water bottle in the evening if I'm sitting and I'll put heat on my back for say 20 minutes, 30 minutes to just get that healing sped up, to speed up the healing so I can recover from it.
I am getting there. Another thing I've been doing, I've got one of these, which I sit on at the moment. So the reason for this, you may have already seen this in a previous blog post but while I'm sitting and I'm working, I've been slouching back in my chair.
So what I've noticed is that does not help my back because my back become like this and I've already got an injury in my lower back. So that is just making it worse and I'm moving two steps forward with say the foam rolling and the heat and then I'm moving three steps back because I'm sitting down and I'm exasperating the area again because of my poor posture.
By using the cushion what I'm doing instead is I'm able to sit upright, like this. My back is more or less straight. So I'm S curve. I can't do an S shape with my hand obviously, otherwise it would look quite strange.
I'm more or less curve while I'm sitting on the chair, and I'm working and that's getting rid of any niggles that I'm feeling from time to time previously from what I’ve found not using the cushion.
So I use the cushion maybe a few hours - a few times throughout the day for half an hour to an hour taking it off-putting it back on so that I get used to using it. So that's helping.
This is where I am at right now, at this moment in time this is where I'm at. So just to rewind a bit.… I injured my back doing a deadlift. It wasn't as serious as it could have been because I know some people have injured, really injured their lower backs doing deadlifts which is why I do not recommend you guys doing a deadlift.
If you've got a problem with your back always seek professional advice. So,
Long story short, I did a deadlift I have now injured my back, something happened. My road to recovery now is in foam rolling after a few days of recovering. Foam roller, heat, and a cushion to help me maintain a decent enough posture while working at the desk.
Now, why did this happen on the second lockdown? because on the first lockdown, I didn't have any problems doing deadlifts. I was absolutely fine. This has been confusing me for a few days now and it just occurred to me.
What the reason is for my injury during the second lockdown. You see the first lockdown, we had amazing weather, I was out on the bike, I was going on long walks, I was doing my cardio, and movement, I wasn't seated because I was on furlough so there was no point in me sitting at the desk constantly working.
So I was out and about and I was doing my deadlifts. I didn't have any issues. The second lockdown it's a bit grim outside, it is dull, It's been raining. I haven't been out on walks because I'm now working.
So because I'm working, I'm sitting at a desk, and I'm not getting my movement in. When I was going to the gym, I was doing more strengthening, I wasn't doing much cardio, I kind of got addicted to the whole strength training, and I was simply doing the weight training. and with little cardio, not much.
I wasn't doing much stretching either. So what's probably happened is during the second lockdown as the gyms have closed, I have gone to do a deadlift - but while I'm going to do that deadlift, all my muscles are probably tight, they're probably really tight.
There's no flexibility there. So whenever I attempted, the deadlift has pulled the muscle. Something's happened and I've basically got an injury and that's because I'm lacking the movement and the flexibility isn't there in my lower back anymore because of my lack of movement, because I'm sitting and working hunched over and that's all I've been doing.
And that's basically been the process in the last two weeks, even when I've had the injury I've just been working, I'm not having the movement. So at that point, that's the process I'm taking so far.
So post-injury i’m foam rolling to ease the tension in the area, heat, using a wobble cushion to help with my posture while I'm sitting working, and trying to get more cardio. I'm trying to get up more often, go for a walk, and ride the bike where I can.
I thought I'd just share the issues that I'm having with my lower back and share the process I'm going through in the hope that you may be able to get some ideas off the back of it in case you're struggling. That’s all for now. Thank you.
