Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › Back › Low back and spreading to leg spasms

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    • 06/18/2015 at 11:12 am #71389
      AvatarPatrick Kippes
      Participant

      Hi guys. I’m having a recurring problem with a really tight low left back whenever I do high rep workouts that involve deadlifts, front squats or thrusters. Starts off as a tightness and then very quickly starts spamming. Has also started making my left leg spasm a little as well. Putting a lacrosse ball on it and rolling does help alleviate the pain after a while, but I can feel these really painful, for lack of a better word, ridges that the ball rolls acrossed. Any advice?

    • 06/18/2015 at 3:43 pm #76047
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      if i were to take a guess at only what you describe, i would say that your left glute has some dysfunction. the evidence would be the tightness/spasms in the low back and leg. with your glute out of the kinetic chain, your low back and your hamstrings compensate for the lack of glute involvement and take up the load. without the glute, they will overload and produce symptoms like yours.

      if it is this, it may mean rebuilding with lesser loads where you can firmly squeeze the left glute on each rep.  other things that will help are single leg glute bridges and single leg deadlifts.
      other thing to try is to make sure you squeeze the glutes for all their worth on every rep as you hinge back to standing.  if you are distracted and/or not squeezing the glutes and/or find that one or both is not contracted when they are supposed to be, then this is likely your problem.
      keep the ball work on the affected areas. i would also gut smash the front near left iliacus and up to the ribcage. couch stretch would also be good while squeezing the glute as you come upright. anterior work will help reduce/remove any inhibition of the glute through too much tightness in the hip flexors.
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