Lower Back Stiffness/Soreness

[Metal Dog]

Hi Everyone,

For quite some time now, I’ve been experiencing some stiffness in my lower back – predominantly when I am sitting for too long, after waking up in the morning or even standing in the same position for a while. I’ve also noticed some pain when performing some of my kicks – particularly when I land from jump kicks – or while doing other activities that are somewhat jarring (running, jumping jacks, etc.). The pain isn’t bad at all, more of a soreness and just enough to make me notice it…nothing more. It seems once my back stiffens up, it takes a while for things to “unwind” and I sometimes have to bend at the waist and let my arms hang to help stretch out.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? I would think this has something to do with the discs in my lower back, which isn’t a promising thought. Are there any stretches or exercises that anyone can recommend to help alleviate the stiffness and keep me limber? Would heating pads be the answer? Anything anyone could offer would be very greatly appreciated. The thought of stopping my training is a horrifying one to me, but I fear if I keep going how I’m going, I’ll end up with some major issues down the road.

Thank you.
-MD

[David Grantham]

Aside from any major injuries, I recommend doing the warmup exercises in Master Yang's White Crane book as well as in his Tai Chi book. They are basically the same and involve the rotation and movement of the spine. These exercises should help loosen you up and strengthen the muscles of the torso necessary for daily routines. Again make sure you have a doctor check it out for any major injuries. Dont want to make something worse
good luck,
dave

[dc]

i have a horrible back...i used to not be able to walk for even 10 minutes because it would get extremely sore...luckily, there are a number of things you can do.

1) tilt your pelvis forward consciously as much as possible throughout the day. afer even a couple of minutes you should feel the muscles in your back lengthen.

2) light weight deadlifts. build muscle AND flexibility. the added mass you put on "pushes" your spine into the correct position.

3) hard/soft white crane qigon. awesome. just awesome.

4) AVOID back training, bridges, reverse sit-ups. any exercise that doesn't include a stretching portion for the back will only make the situation worse.

[Damion78]

Hey, Thanks for the input...