I've been working out at home for a couple of years now and have done many deadlifts during this time, but last wednesday was a rude awakening for me.

The Scoop:

I got to the point where I could not hold onto the bar after 3-4 reps of deads..
So I decided to buy wrist straps and used them for the very first time.

Low an behold I can do 2 more reps now with these things.

Problem is that I was doing 4 sets of 5 reps and on my very last rep I gave it a good run and I guess I might have had poor form because I knew that it wasn't a good rep, but I wasn't out of commision by any means.
So I continue to finish my back workout... Aknowledging that that one last deadlift sucked.

Later that eve, before going to bed, I knew I had done some damage because I was really out of energy and my lower back felt strange and very discomforting.

Upon awakening the next morning, I could not get out of bed. The pain was right on my spine at the lower/mid back area.

Basically was completely out of commision for 3 days.
5 days later, I am now able to do things like before, but no way that I can excersize anything that involves bending my back.

I blame it on the wrist straps. As stupid as it sounds, they can be dangerous since you are able to physically lift more, substantially more.
Even though you can hold the bar longer, doesn't mean your back can take the extra load all in one workout. It should be phased in, IE 1 extra rep for every set for a couple of weeks, then increase etc.

Anyone else F*$% up their back this way? Hope I fully recover from this.

Cheers

Go to the doctor. It might just be sprained. He can do a quick X-ray and tell you if he sees anything serious. Something similar happened to me a few years back (though, not from exercising), and I recovered fully. I could not even walk for the first day or two, and the rest of the week, I was a feeble shuffling old man.

a whole lot. It a good way to rule out fracture- which very rarely happens doing what you were doing. (Except in the rare case of spondylolistheses- which would show- and you would want to know!!!) The xray won't show soft tissue damage at all, which is more likely what happened. An MRI or CT scan would be needed for that. You doctor probably won't order that until you try some other things first.

Reda this article (http://www.backsafegolf.com/articles.html)I wrote on acute low back pain. I know it says it's for golfers, but it would apply to you. Try the icing and the things at says for acute low back pain...

The good news is, you didn't mention pain down your leg, or numbness or tingling. That means you probably didnt blow a disc. The bad new is, you can damage the disc and muscles down there without resulting in pressure on the nerve.

I have done this to myself (and should know better) and treated it 100+ times. The ice thing is the key. Stay away from heat and the gym for a while.

Yes- see your doctor. But- pain med are not the solution. You need to rehab this... movement, ice, stretching, then later heat stretch ice, then way later, strengthtening...

Good luck.:gl: