Causes of Dead Lift Back Pain

The dead lift involves lifting a weight from the floor, usually a barbell, and raising it to hip height by using your legs, hips and back. Dead lifts are one of the contested exercises in power lifting competitions; they are also popular exercises with body builders and sportsmen training for strength or increased muscle size. Your lower back is strongly involved in dead lifting and you may suffer pain in your lower back for a number of reasons. Knee and Hip Rhythm The dead lift uses your hips and knee joints to lift the weight off of the floor. It is important that the load is spread between your hips and knees equally and that these joints move at roughly the same speed. If you extend your knees faster than your hips, you will place your lower back in a mechanically disadvantageous position which increases your risk of suffering back injury.

Rounding Your Lower Back

Rounding your lower back places a significant load on the passive structures of your spine --- specifically the ligaments and inter vertebral discs. To preserve these structures and reduce your chances of suffering back pain, endeavor to maintain the natural inward curve of your lower back. Terminate your set as soon as you notice that your lower back is beginning to round.

Weak Core

Holding your spine in a neutral or naturally curved position is the job of your core. Your core is the collective term used to describe the muscles of your abdominals, lower back and waist. These muscles support your spine just like a corset. Weak core muscles mean that your spine will deform when it is exposed to the large forces generated by your arms and/or legs. Strengthen your core by performing planks, side planks, stability ball crunches and back extensions.

Local Muscular Fatigue

One of the byproducts of anaerobic activity is lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced within your muscles during the incomplete breakdown of carbohydrates in an oxygen-free environment. High-repetition dead lifting will produce large amounts of lactic acid in your legs and lower back. Lactic acid causes a severe burning sensation in your muscles which only dissipates on cessation of activity, which allows the lactic acid to dissipate.

Cautions and Considerations

Because dead lifts place a significant load on your lower back and spine, you should not try to lift weights that are too heavy, as this may lead to injury. If you have any history of back pain, seek medical advice before performing this exercise. Make sure you always dead lift with good technique. If you are unsure how to dead lift properly, seek instruction from a qualified personal trainer or gym instructor.

Read more: livestrong.com