Lower Back Pain? It Might Not Be What You Think
I thought I threw my back out this week. This is something I’ve had issues with off and on over the last 3 years since starting CrossFit. Well, that’s not been my problem at all. It is my sacroiliac joint or SI joint. Which is a joint in your pelvis.
I could never exactly pinpoint the pain. It kind of felt like someone had sucker punched me in the kidney and it made it really difficult to actually lift the leg on the same side the pain was coming from. Also, it always seemed to crop up when I was doing something that shouldn’t really be back intensive. Usually on legs oriented WODs, so it just made me think it was due to the extra weight that I carry in my stomach.
Treatment
These are the things I have found help the most for me when my symptoms return.
- Ice
- Heat, massage with lacrosse ball, heat again
- Take NSAIDS (ie. ibuprofen, Aleve, etc.)
- Rest
- Stretch (google Hip Mobility Drill)
Prevention
The pain is gone now, here are the best ways to keep it from coming back.
- Proper Form: Make sure, even when fatigued, that you are keeping your form in lifts and even just air squats. If you can’t keep the form maybe you should be scaling the weight or the movement until you can.
- Mobilize, Mobilize, Mobilize: Make sure to mobilize everything below the hips as much as possible. Google “Hip Mobility Drill” to find some great ways to do that.
A good post on the subject of SI joint pain can be found here: http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=57763
Here’s another tip. Most likely someone has had the same pain / problem as you when CrossFit’ing. Try to google “<insert pain> CrossFit” and you will probably find a post that shows you what is wrong and how to fix and or prevent it.
If you have had this issue and have any other insights please don’t hesitate to comment on this post.
