Weird stinging/burning pain on lower back

Connor Mulligan

Hi guys,

 I hope someone can help but I'm starting to panic now.

I'm starting a selection course in 4 weeks and I've got this weird stinging pain in my lower back.

• Burning/stinging pain just above crack of my behind about 1-2 inches to the left of center
• Pain is worse in morning and eases throughout day with light stretching but never completely goes
• I can touch my toes/knuckles on floor but as soon as I tuck chin to chest it immediately intensifies and hurts at point mentioned above
• Nowhere else on back feels sore
• I train 2-3 times per day 4-5 days per week and once a day other days except a rest day Sunday
• I use MobilityWod EVERY day including up to 1 hour of my own stretching, distraction and other flexibility/mobility exercises per day
• It gradually onset, there was no particular point or traumatic moment that made me aware of it
• I was at the gym last week doing power cleans with NO problems until an old friend stopped to talk to me for nearly 2 damn hours and I didn't cool down after (which is not like) me but I was in a rush so I'm throwing a guess that it's something to do with that.

So I'm just wondering has anyone had this type of injury. I've been to a PT but not much help. Does anyone think it could be a small tear on a tendon of my erector spinae.

Sorry for the essay but I'm worrying now because I've got that course soon.

I'm icing the area that the pain is in and using heat on the rest of my back and smashing it with rolling and trigger point (not hitting the sore area)

thanks for any help guys

Kaitlin

First, I'd stop icing as that shuts down everything your body naturally does to heal/ clear the area.
People, We’ve Got to Stop Icing Injuries. We Were Wrong, Sooo Wrong | Community Video
(A year later) Peoples, We’ve Got to Stop Icing. A Year Later…. | Community Video
Are you over extended when you stand?
Torsion and trunk stability
Do you sleep on your back?
Could be sleep in a less than optimal position which can be a contributing factor.
Are you seeing any improvements with what you are working on?

Connor Mulligan

Hi Kaitlin,

Not over extended when I stand

I sleep in a few different positions (some not so good I suppose)

Have seen great improvement with rest and gentle stretching. No exercise/activity since it happened. Gentle stretching, anti-inflams and general TLC seems to have done the trick. Must have tweaked it doing those power cleans.

Thanks for the help

Connor Mulligan

Okay I just watched the icing video and realised I did everything that he said not to do haha! Mind BLOWN

Alex Magaro

The location you're describing sounds like SI. If you are getting stinging (or more accurately burning) then you may have some nerve involvement there or lower lumbar. If you use a chiropractor, I've found they can be helpful with that kind of tweak. If you don't try a static back position (lie on back w knees and hips at 90 deg calves resting on whatever is the right height to keep those angles). Arms 45 deg out to side, palms up. 5-10'. Get that area calmed down.

With little movement get to either bed edge or massage table edge. Lie with the hip up on the Same side you have pain (left si, the left hip up). Slowly move your left leg over the edge into free space, this will start to open left si and twist lumbar spine. At the same time left shoulder works to get flatter on the table (more twist). Try to focus on releasing that si/lumbar. You may hear some pops. Do what feels comfortable and play w the position of left leg (ie how much angle to create between left and right leg it will stretch different segments as you do). 1-2 mins in the twist. Don't try to find pops. Do the other side too for balance. Hope it helps.

iron_tiger

Hey Connor,

Sounds like a nerve problem to me. That diagnosis would be consistent with the burning quality of the pain, the location, and the fact that tucking your chin intensifies the pain (doing so applies more tension to the nervous system).

What did your physiotherapist have you doing? You said that it wasn't much help?

If I'm correct and it is a nerve issue, chances are you'll want to get a pro's help, and probably a physio specifically. It could be a whole whack of things causing the nerve irritation, and without a proper diagnosis you're just going to be shooting in the dark.

iron_tiger

Also, any radiating pain away from the main site? Any positions that make it worse or better? History of disc bulge or herniation?

Connor Mulligan

Hi guys,

 Sorry for delay in reply. For some reason I can't reply using iPad which is a pain in the ass (pun definitely intended) 

No history of disc bulge/herniation

No radiating pain anywhere else (I only got the pain when tucking chin into chest doing a toe touch stretch)

As I said before guys, I'm all over the mobility and stretching everyday like a tramp on chips except its murphys law that the one time you dont do it something happens.........I'm nearly 30 and I'm starting to see that I'm not as supple as I use to be ( :

Thank you all for the reply and help. To let you all know......my best friend is a Physiotherapist and was home recently and I got him to take a look and he said it was aggrivated tissue and after resting from too much physical activity and doing what he said it's all healed up now. 

I was told that it was most likely the lack of warm-up/cool down that did it. I've been in the gym since and have been training alot again and it's cleared up nicely. I was lucky in the fact that it was only painful at an extreme ROM for me. 

I could run, cycle, swim, ruck and do metcons and lift without any pain and as stated above the ONLY time it was painful was at full stretch to toes, knuckles on floor and ONLY when I tucked my chin in to my chest and even then after 5-10 seconds it seemed to stretch it out and easy off.

Thanks again for all the help!!