Lower back recovery work?

[ChickenBrother]

This stretch really helps me and hits the SI Joint/Sciatic nerve area really well. The key is to drive the bent knee to the ground and keep your shoulders flat.

Do this when the area gets tight.

Is there any benefit to leaving the knee bent? I've been doing the same stretch with the leg straight, which allows more torque in the stretch for me. I do however bend my leg doing the scorpion stretch, lying on my stomach.

 

[hardheart]

Is there any benefit to leaving the knee bent?

Other than being able to do it in a smaller space, not sure. Perhaps more pressure/torque on the IT Band due to the shortening of it via knee bending.

the scorpion stretch

Interesting, I'll have to try this.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Other than being able to do it in a smaller space, not sure. Perhaps more pressure/torque on the IT Band due to the shortening of it via knee bending.

FWIW I tried both versions and with leg straight, it's easier to touch the ground (with my foot) because the weight of my extended leg lets gravity do some of the work. But touching my knee to the ground with leg bent requires greater ROM and I'm not close on either side. And without the "gravity assist" I'm not sure how to drive my knee lower without pulling it down with my hand (somewhat compromising the stretch). I think the best way to coax more ROM is to lie with hands and shoulder blades flat, and have someone else push your knee down to the floor.

Interesting, I'll have to try this.

Scorpion stretch is great. I usually get at least one back crack doing this on my less flexible side.

 

[hardheart]

have someone else push your knee down to the floor

I do this when I need assistance due to pain.

it's easier to touch the ground (with my foot)

Our house isn't tiny but there aren't a lot of places I can do this stretch fully due to the way shit's arranged, but this tracks for me, I guess. Makes sense.

 

[Ian Coe]

Is there any benefit to leaving the knee bent? I've been doing the same stretch with the leg straight, which allows more torque in the stretch for me. I do however bend my leg doing the scorpion stretch, lying on my stomach.

I am not sure what that does but damn it I'm going to try to do it for a few weeks.

When I remember.

 

[NoSmilez]

No, will check out. I've been doing stretches, chiro, massage gun, direct work, heat therapy, and cissus. It's making a difference.

Let me know if you are getting better. I am actually slowly getting better.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I am not sure what that does but damn it I'm going to try to do it for a few weeks.

When I remember.

It's basically the same stretch @hardheart posted above, but you start lying facedown instead of face up. It's a different angle but I get a better stretch in my lower back from this one than face up.

 

[hardheart]

Let me know if you are getting better. I am actually slowly getting better.

Right now my recovery is going along well, slowly, but definitely in the right direction and I don't think adding an additional variable to the equation will help but I've got this marked in case recovery stalls or goes backwards.

 

[yekmurat]

Wow haven't made a thread in S&C in ages, but I figured some here might have some good advice. Flirting with the "don't ask medical questions, see a doctor" rule but I believe I can keep it clean because I have seen a doctor and am just asking on some recommended exercises and stretches for lower back, since I was told to start doing them now but didn't get specifics on what to do.

Cliffs- Hurt my back bad during a deadlift about a month ago. I swear hand on the bible my form was good and it wasn't too much weight, but still had heard/felt a major pop on spine in lower back. Muscle spams and cramps completely locked me up as my body tried to splint itself. This is apparently a good thing but holy fuck does it hurt.

Went to doc, got X-ray, everything looked good there. No fractures, didn't get an MRI due to costs and doc saying if it gets better in 10 days its probably a bulged disc and all the pain is coming from beneficial severe muscle cramps, if not better in 10 days might be a ruptured disc and then they'd truly need an MRI to see how bad.

While still sore, had notable improvement around day 5. I had taken a week off work (work from home some), and babied it very well. Now a month later I can tell it still feels week and once every 2 or 3 days something will happen and I'll get a twinge in my back there but I can walk around, roughhouse with my toddler and overall doing night and day better. Was told to start doing low stress strength training now.

TLDR: what are some low stress strength (at this point even adequate stretching is probably some muscle recovery there) lower back training options?

Quit caffeine