Started with severe muscle spasms when I bent over to pick up an Allen wrench. I can barely move. Pain is extremely intense.
37yo, no history of back issues.
Should I tough it out through the weekend then go see a specialist on Monday if it’s not better? Or go to ER now for muscle relaxers and MRI/X-ray?
What city do you live in?
Houston
.
send me your email and ill communicate with you that way if that’s OK.
PM sent. Thanks so much
I’d like to know what he tells you, I suffer from this also every once in awhile. It’s stopped me from running. I’d go right to the ER and get a heavy duty anti inflammatory or steroid. That’s the only way the pain lessens for me.
Like never running again? 
I’m doing my PH.D. in back pain right now so I basically am doing a lot of research but am a prehab/post-rehab clinician in Austin. Maybe I should start a thread addressing this sort of thing? you can PM me if you want some help. I would be happy to give you some things that may help.
Tim
Every time I start running again, it seems my back goes out too. I’m guessing it’s the pounding on the bulging disc into a nerve. If I do run, it’s on trails with Hoka’s, but it doesn’t seem to help.
I think a thread would be great, but I’ll PM you my email if you want to forward anything on to me.
Starting a thread on this topic is a great idea.
Same thing happened to me when I was 29. For the next 12 years it would happen twice a year, often from doing something like bending over, never from doing sports. Extreme pain from back spasms that would last for about 1-2 weeks. When it stopped I was back to normal, which is typical of back spasms that are not related to nerve issues. Ice and walking helped, sitting was the worst. I read every back book I could find. I thought I would have it for the rest of my life but when I was 42 I had the last episode and nothing for the last 17 years. I still remember the last time. I have read that decreased flexibility could be why it happens less to some people as they age. Flexing a certain why causes the spasms so when you can no longer flex no more spasms - at least possibly in my case.
I had the same thing about 2.5 months out from my first IM. No history of back pain, but now I can really sympathize with people who live with that.
I haven’t had anything since, but I incorporated flexibility and core strength into my workouts just in case. But maybe it’s because I’m getting older, too!
Started with severe muscle spasms when I bent over to pick up an Allen wrench. I can barely move. Pain is extremely intense.
37yo, no history of back issues.
Should I tough it out through the weekend then go see a specialist on Monday if it’s not better? Or go to ER now for muscle relaxers and MRI/X-ray?
I threw my back out the Sunday before Ironman AZ pulling up a wet wetsuit at the pool. I couldn’t really walk till Wednesday. I did go to see a Chiro and get X-rays, it helps he was a triathlete himself, he advised not doing the race and showed possible pinched nerve. I attempted to do the Ironman and made it to mile of 9 of run. Ironically it gave me no problems on the bike. I had another minor spasm loading my bike box into the car the night before Ironman Cartenga 70.3 two weeks later and I decided just not to get on the plane. I had a third relapse in December, although not as bad. After the 3rd one I started to get serious about correcting whatever was wrong and fixed it but it took a couple of months. Did a lot of flossing exercised, started doing serious strength work and mobility work. Minor core work but nothing crazy.
Regardless oretty much standard protocol for the typical back spasm is to stay active. Sitting still is about the worst thing you can do. As a triathlete that is pretty easy with swimming. You have to be really careful with MRI/X-ray because chances are something will show up but that is not necessarily the root cause. I know it is easy to get irrational with such a thing that comes with bending over picking up an Allen wrench. I had a long discussion with Michelle Jones and Jimmy R at Ironman Arizona. Talked a lot about how back issues can be related to stress or other. Stay positive my friend!!!
I think a thread would be amazing. I have suffered from back pain for a decade and have a good understanding of my body but more information is always better.
For me when it goes out it pulls my right hip down and forward and my left hip up and back. You can actually see my alignment out quite bad. it looks like you took my hip and moved it a couple of inches over. VERY PAINFUL.
For me it is stretching like crazy, walking seems OK but running goes out the door and the tri bike goes out the door. I can manage a light ride on the trainer.
A thread on back pain and management would be a great sticky. I think people would be surprised by how many people actually have back issues.
My back was tweaked yesterday when I did a jump on the MTB and landed wrong and went down. Now it is a 30 minute stretching session to manage the pain.
Shoot man, hope it gets straightened out and you’re not out for too long.
I threw my back out in 2014 the night before a time trial doing a silly thing like changing to race wheels. I feel your pain. GWS
Happened to me two years ago the day before my Fall A race, a local 70.3. The day before I was washing my bike and reached over to get the spray nozzle and boom instant pain. Couldn’t bend over. Did the race the next day. Race director had to help me get in my running shoes in T2 because I couldn’t bend over. Only affected my bike when I would hit bumps. Actually held my highest power in a 70.3 that race. Running was manageable but if I turned the wrong way I would get shooting pain. Ran a 1:25:xx. Got 4th overall. Would have been 3rd but found out later that 3rd cut the run course, but that’s a story for another day. Deepest I ever had to go into the well.
I’ve scoliosis, a minor leg length difference and one prolapsed disc which i did skiing.
I can swim, run and bike
Bending from the waist is a problem. More to one side than the other
I have low level pain / discomfort daily and have done for a decade but the only thing i have really quit completely was golf which it would take me days to recover from a round
Running is actually fine for me. Even skiing and i am pretty good. I just have very limited range of motion between pelvis and upper body making it hard to seperate my legs from my core
I’d be interested in general terms what works.
Welcome to getting old. IMO no reason to go to the ER. Rest for now. About once a year my back really flares up where I can’t walk correctly. Chest puffed out, shoulders back. Wife calls me George Jefferson.