Deadlifting and Low Back Pain

What is a Deadlift ?

The deadlift is primarily a hip hinge movement exercise with load. 

The exercise involves lifting a weight off the ground to above the knee and lowering it back to the ground while staying close to your body. 

Exercise can be performed using weights like barbell, trapbar, dumbbell, or kettlebell. Main muscle groups worked include the glutes, hamstrings, back and core.

Low Back Pain with/after Deadlifting?

Most understand that deadlifting injuries can be caused by improper form, lifting too much weight, overtraining, weak core muscles and inadequate warm-up.

However, the often missed and most common contributing factor to low back pain with deadlifting is a lack of hip mobility. Since deadlift is a weighted hip hinge movement after all. 

The low back injuries sustained from deadlifting can include the following:

• Muscles and ligaments strains
• Herniated discs
• Sacroiliac joint sprains
• Facet joints irritation

While it’s normal to experience some degree of muscle soreness after deadlifting, any sharp/severe/persistent pain is a sign that you may be injured. If you’re experiencing low back pain that persists/worsens after a few days, it’s important to consult with a medical professional to rule out any serious injuries.

How does Hip Mobility Affect the Deadlifting Movement?

Do you round your low back during deadlift especially during the lowering of weights? This is highly likely due to a lack of relative motion at the hips and pelvis. 

During the hip hinge movement like a deadlift, the sacrum needs to flex forward and the iliums extend backwards/internally rotate as the pelvis moves backward. 

The bottom position of a deadlift is thus associated with the capability of the pelvis to translate backwards and hips to internally rotate to ensure the center of gravity stay close to the stance during the movement.

If we can’t do that, the body can compensate by ‘rounding’ the lumbar spine above the pelvis in order to achieve the end position of a deadlift.

Simple Hip Mobility Exercises

Here are 2 simple hip mobility exercises to help restore your hip internal rotation and better improve your hinge.

1. Sidelying 90/90 pull-back with ball squeeze

• In sidelying position with both legs bent 90 degrees, rest the feet against the wall and a small ball between the knees. 
• Perform a slight pelvic tuck (imagine pulling your back pocket down) while maintaining the feet position & contact on the wall.
• Inhale through your nose, exhale slowly & gently through the mouth as you pull back the top knee and squeeze the ball. 
• Hold the ball squeeze & breathe for 10 times.
• Repeat exercise on the other side by sidelying on the opposite side and perform the above steps.

2. Toes-elevated forward bend with ball squeeze

• In standing position, elevated the toes and ball of both feet with small weight plates/books of ~1 to 1.5 inch thickness.
• Place a small ball between the knees and maintain relaxed knees as you bend forward to reach your toes.
• At the bottom of the forward bend position, inhale through your nose and squeeze the ball as you exhale slowly & gently through the mouth.
• Repeat 10 breath cycles in the forward bend position and gradually reach further.

Disclaimer:

Exercises described above may not be appropriate for everyone, please stop immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort during/after the exercise.

The exercise information found here serves as general information only and should not be a substitute for the professional medical advice from your doctor or physiotherapist.