[slab_happy]

I fucked up my back doing deadlifts (during a warm-up set, even).

It's definitely milder than the disc thing I had in my neck a couple of years back, and doesn't seem to be squashing any nerves, but the way it gets much worse at night makes me 99% certain it's a disc rather than anything else. And it's definitely not behaving like a muscle strain.

If anyone's got advice on the best ways to rehab it and prevent it happening again, I am all ears.

[Dexter]

I sprained a disc in my back according to a physio around new years. The worst thing was trying to put socks on in the morning. General rehab exercises were glute bridges and plank moving up to some one leg bridges. Some cat camel stretches and light rotational ones.
Did these every day and it's back to being as strong as ever.

[Catcheemonkey]

Along with glute bridges the best re-hab / pre-hab I've found for my perpetually dodgy lower back is deep stretching of the hamstrings. When injured I tend to do this lying, with my legs vertically against a wall - then try to pull my lumbar spine towards the ground.

It probably goes without saying, but avoid bouldering, or at least jumping off. I tend to climb on a rope until it calms down.

[SA Chris]

Where in back?

[slab_happy]

Where in back?

Lumbar spine, little bit above the sacrum (it's not the SI joint), pain on the right side.

[SA Chris]

I have regular issues in that spot (mainly due to bouncing off a tree when skiing!). I do almost exactly what Catcheemonkey says. Seems to help.

[Wellsy]

I did exactly that about a year ago and today it's entirely cleaned up. I used regular glute bridges and was just generally careful with it while doing bar core work, and then actually did some light deadlifts to strengthen the lower back after a while.

[Dexter]

I did exactly that about a year ago and today it's entirely cleaned up. I used regular glute bridges and was just generally careful with it while doing bar core work, and then actually did some light deadlifts to strengthen the lower back after a while.

I found single leg Romanian deadlifts really good as a strengthener prior to doing actual deadlifts. Mainly because it felt less stressful on the spine but required quite a bit of muscular tension, especially to stay balanced.

Also second the not falling off bouldering, I did a lot of route climbing when mine was bad and weirdly taking big lead whips seemed to help it. I can't say I'd recommend it though.

[SA Chris]

Yeah, second the no impact. Downclimb as much as possible, esp indoors where topping out isn't an option.

[slab_happy]

At the moment, a half-hour walk is enough to aggravate it, so it's a moot point because I couldn't even make it to a crag, or from the bus stop to the bouldering wall!

But yeah, will definitely be avoiding impact until it's way better.

[SA Chris]

I was told walking, cycling and running is a bad idea, too much holding the same posture. Had swimming recommended and toproping.

[Wellsy]

I did exactly that about a year ago and today it's entirely cleaned up. I used regular glute bridges and was just generally careful with it while doing bar core work, and then actually did some light deadlifts to strengthen the lower back after a while.

I found single leg Romanian deadlifts really good as a strengthener prior to doing actual deadlifts. Mainly because it felt less stressful on the spine but required quite a bit of muscular tension, especially to stay balanced.

Also second the not falling off bouldering, I did a lot of route climbing when mine was bad and weirdly taking big lead whips seemed to help it. I can't say I'd recommend it though.

Think that doing the single leg deadlifts is probably good advice, keeps the weight lower while still strengthening thr lower back

I think having that ramrod straight neutral back is key in every case, like the OP it was deadlifting with imperfect form that caused my issues

[slab_happy]

I did exactly that about a year ago and today it's entirely cleaned up. I used regular glute bridges and was just generally careful with it while doing bar core work, and then actually did some light deadlifts to strengthen the lower back after a while.

I found single leg Romanian deadlifts really good as a strengthener prior to doing actual deadlifts. Mainly because it felt less stressful on the spine but required quite a bit of muscular tension, especially to stay balanced.

Also second the not falling off bouldering, I did a lot of route climbing when mine was bad and weirdly taking big lead whips seemed to help it. I can't say I'd recommend it though.

Think that doing the single leg deadlifts is probably good advice, keeps the weight lower while still strengthening thr lower back

I think having that ramrod straight neutral back is key in every case, like the OP it was deadlifting with imperfect form that caused my issues

Aggravatingly, it happened during a warm-up set where I was really concentrating on good form. So I'm guessing it was more a matter of being 48 (and the cumulative wear and tear of a lifetime's shitty posture).

Single leg RDLs are a really good rec; I'd just started doing some anyway, because I need the lateral stability.