Article Rundown

• Mistakes I Made When Back Injured
• Training After Injections
• Not Getting an Assessments
• Relying on the Reverse Hyper

Learn From MY Mistakes…

In this video, I will discuss three of the most detrimental approaches I initially took to address my back pain, as detailed in “Gift of Injury.” I first encountered back pain at the age of 15, but didn’t have another significant encounter until 2003, then a serious one in 2009, where I fell. Most people think that simply lifting thousands of pounds was the initial cause of my injury; this is not the case with most back-pained persons, nor was it for me. Keep an eye out where I discuss in detail my first encounter with severe and life-altering back pain.

1. Training After Injections

The first significant error I made before consulting Dr. McGill involved receiving a series of injections from a doctor: an epidural, followed by a facet injection, and then a nerve root block. None of these injections provided lasting relief. While injections can be beneficial in some cases, my mistake was resuming heavy lifting immediately after receiving the injections. I had the injection, felt numb, went home to eat, and then proceeded to deadlift or squat heavily on the same day. This is strongly discouraged. If you receive such an injection, it is crucial to rest and allow your body to recover. Numbing the area of pain and then pushing through it as I did can lead to more severe injuries. It was foolish and ignorant of me.

2. No Assessment and Not Treating the Cause

The second major mistake I made was not addressing the underlying cause of my pain or undergoing a proper assessment. This oversight resulted in a cycle of recurring flare-ups. Even though flexion and compression aggravated my pain before receiving one of these injections, the temporary relief from the shot did not mean I could return to those activities. It was essential to respect my limits and work towards eliminating the cause of pain, even when I was not experiencing a flare-up. Failure to address the root cause can lead to multiple unsuccessful surgeries, reliance on numerous medications, and substantial expenditure on various procedures. Rest and proper management of the underlying issue could have prevented these complications. A notable example is Ronnie Coleman, who continued to push himself in the gym after surgery, ultimately leading to long-term consequences. As a lifter, allowing yourself adequate time off for injury recovery is crucial to avoid extensive medical interventions.

3. Relying on the Reverse Hyper

The third major mistake I made was believing that the reverse hyperextension exercise was a magic cure for my back pain. As Louie Simmons said, I thought performing more reverse hypers—swinging my legs, engaging in flexion and compression, and moving my spine back and forth—would alleviate my pain. In reality, this exercise only aggravated my pain mechanism repeatedly while under load. Similarly, performing repetitive stretches with the expectation of magically resolving my pain was also ineffective. While the reverse hyperextension or specific stretches may benefit some individuals, this is true for only a small subset of the back pain population. For me, these methods were counterproductive. My spine was compressed with multiple issues, and the reverse hyperextension or stretching offered only temporary relief by lengthening the stabilizer muscles and stretch receptors of the spine. This temporary relief was deceptive, as it eventually led to increased instability and worsened pain.

These major mistakes have in common that they all failed to address the underlying cause of my pain. My focus was on seeking temporary relief to return to the gym with less discomfort, which ultimately exacerbated my injury. As described in “Gift of Injury,” only when I met Dr. McGill did I take the necessary time to rest, heal, and gradually rebuild my capacity over several months of rehabilitation. This approach has led me to be 100% pain-free today.

BRIAN DOES ONLINE AND IN-PERSON COACHING!

Back Injured Average Mary or Joe who wants their life back

Back Injured Athlete Wanting to Return to Sport

Lift and exercise coaching & cueing to troubleshoot form

Program adherence & accountability coaching