Your lower back likely hurts after lifting heavy objects due to a muscle strain, ligament sprain, or a disc herniation. These injuries commonly occur in the lumbar region, which is your lower back.
Common Causes of Lower Back Pain After Lifting
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Muscle Strain/Ligament Sprain: Lifting something too heavy or using improper lifting techniques can overstretch or tear the muscles or ligaments in your lower back. This is often felt as a sharp pain that develops shortly after or during the lift.
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Disc Herniation: The intervertebral discs act as cushions between the vertebrae in your spine. Lifting heavy objects improperly can put excessive pressure on these discs, causing them to bulge or rupture (herniate). A herniated disc can irritate nearby nerves, causing pain that can radiate down your leg (sciatica). This is a more serious injury than a muscle strain.
Factors That Increase Your Risk
Several factors can increase your risk of lower back pain after lifting:
- Poor Lifting Technique: Lifting with your back instead of your legs is a major risk factor.
- Lifting Objects That Are Too Heavy: Exceeding your physical capacity increases the strain on your back.
- Twisting While Lifting: Twisting your torso while lifting adds stress to the spinal structures.
- Weak Core Muscles: Weak core muscles provide less support for your spine.
- Poor Posture: Maintaining poor posture puts undue stress on your back muscles.
- Lack of Warm-up: Muscles are more susceptible to injury when they are cold.
- Repetitive Lifting: Repeatedly lifting heavy objects without proper rest can fatigue your back muscles.
What To Do If Your Lower Back Hurts
- Rest: Avoid activities that aggravate the pain.
- Ice: Apply ice packs to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day, especially in the first few days.
- Heat: After the initial inflammation subsides (usually after a few days), you can switch to heat to relax the muscles.
- Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers: Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) can help reduce pain and inflammation. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also help with pain.
- Gentle Stretching: Light stretching can help improve flexibility and reduce muscle stiffness.
- See a Doctor: If the pain is severe, doesn't improve after a few days, or is accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs, see a doctor to rule out more serious conditions like a herniated disc.
How to Prevent Lower Back Pain When Lifting
- Use Proper Lifting Techniques: Bend your knees, keep your back straight, and lift with your legs. Keep the object close to your body.
- Test the Weight: Before lifting, test the weight of the object to make sure you can handle it safely.
- Get Help: If the object is too heavy or awkward, ask for help.
- Warm Up: Do some light stretching and warm-up exercises before lifting.
- Strengthen Your Core: Regularly perform exercises to strengthen your core muscles (e.g., planks, abdominal crunches).
- Maintain Good Posture: Practice good posture while standing, sitting, and lifting.
