Lower Back Pain From Lifting Weights: Causes & What to Do

Key takeaways:

• Lower back pain from lifting weights is often caused by poor technique and posture during the weightlifting process; this can affect the muscles, joints, and ligaments of the back.
• Home methods to treat the pain include ice, heat, back brace, rest, and over-the-counter medications.
• Prevention methods include using good technique, having a strong core, and warming up with some cardiovascular (cardio) exercise before weightlifting.
• If the lower back pain from lifting weights lasts from a few days to a few weeks, seek medical care.

Weightlifting is extremely popular in the United States and is practiced by people of all ages. It has many benefits, from improving balance, flexibility, and strength to reducing body fat. One problem that can develop from lifting weights, however, is lower back pain. This issue has many causes, and there are also ways to prevent it, with the most common prevention being proper lifting technique.

This article will cover the causes, treatments, and ways you can prevent lower back pain while continuing to reap the benefits of lifting weights.

Is it normal to experience lower back pain from lifting weights?

Short answer? No, it isn’t normal.

The term “lifting weights” can refer to working out any area of the body, including the back, chest, shoulders, arms, or legs. You can develop lower back pain when lifting weights to improve the strength in any of these areas – but it cannot be considered normal.

Whereas many people experience lower back pain while standing, walking, or bending over, you should not get lower back pain from lifting weights. If you do, it’s because you’re doing something wrong.

Causes of lower back pain from lifting weights

When you’re lifting weights and working to enhance one group of muscles, you are focused on those muscles. You aren’t as aware of what’s going on with your lower back. Any sudden or awkward movement during the training of these other areas can lead to lower back pain.

Any of the following factors can lead to lower back pain from lifting weights if proper technique and precautions are not used.

Muscular strain

Muscular strain occurs when the muscles of the lower back become overstretched from being stretched too far or dealing with excessive force.

Working out any other area of the body with weights can place strain on the muscles of the lower back. The lower back muscles are continuously engaged to maintain proper posture and can easily become strained. As mentioned, you may be straining to exercise other muscle groups and not be aware of your low back muscles. At this point, the lower back muscles can stretch too far and contract too hard.

Disc disease

Disc disease includes conditions like degenerative disc disease and disc herniation., among others. Any of these conditions can be aggravated when strain is placed on the lower back from lifting weights.

Arthritis

There are many varieties of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, gout, and ankylosing spondylitis. Any of these can cause tight muscles that can be aggravated by lifting weights, which leads to lower back pain.

Ligament strain

Ligaments are strong bands of connective tissue that attach bones to other bones, like the vertebrae in the spine. When lifting weights, any sudden or awkward movements can lead to a ligament strain or tear, and that can cause lower back pain.

How to get at-home relief from weightlifting-related lower back pain

If you’ve just started having lower back pain from lifting weights, the first thing to do is apply an ice pack. If it’s a chronic issue and you’ve had it for a while, you can try heat. Other ways to treat the pain at home include rest, a back brace, and over-the-counter medications.

Ice

If you’ve been lifting weights and now have lower back pain, it’s best to put some ice on your back. You can do this by either sitting or lying down, whichever is most comfortable. When lying flat on your back, try to keep your knees bent to take pressure off your lower back.

For ice, you can just fill a plastic bag with ice cubes or use a bag of frozen vegetables. It’s much more convenient, however, to use a reusable cold pack that you keep in the freezer; they come in all shapes and sizes and are reasonably priced. Also, most first aid kits have a one-time use ice pack that can be activated by squeezing and mixing the chemicals.

If you have chronic lower back pain from lifting weights, it’s a good idea to keep one or more reusable cold packs in the freezer.

Heat

After 24 hours of using ice, you can try switching to heat. An electric moist heat pad is a good option.

Rest

If your lower back is hurting from lifting weights, try to rest. Lie down on your back if possible, and your pain may resolve itself.

Compression (brace)

If you have a low back brace, you may want to use it. They are generally good for preventing injury, but can also help people who have developed low back pain.

Over-the-counter medications

You can try some Tylenol, aspirin, Aleve (naproxen), or Motrin (ibuprofen) to see if it helps with your lower back pain. Of those medicines, Tylenol is the only one that does not have any gastrointestinal side effects, nor does it need to be taken with food.

How to prevent lower back pain when lifting weights

When you lift weights, you can take steps to reduce your risk of injury and prevent lower back pain. These include using proper lifting techniques, using a weightlifting belt, having a strong core, and warming up before lifting.

Proper weightlifting technique

Practicing proper weightlifting techniques is the best way to prevent lower back pain. It’s important to be aware of the muscles being trained and the posture of your lower back. Try not to over arch your back when straining and working the other muscles.

Weightlifting belt

Although there is no conclusive evidence that a weightlifting belt will prevent lower back pain while lifting weights, the presence of the belt could remind you to keep proper posture while you lift. The pressure felt by the belt can help you remember to use good form on exercises that, in the past, have been linked to lower back issues.

Maintain strong core muscles

“Core” refers to the central part of the body; specifically, the muscles that keep your spine and pelvis stable. Having strong core muscles, which mostly include abdominals, will take pressure off your lower back. A strong core will support your lower back during weightlifting and movement.

Warmup and stretch

The importance of warming up before weightlifting (or any exercise) can’t be overemphasized – so don’t skip this part of your routine. Try to get in some cardiovascular (aerobic) activity to warm up your muscles. When doing cardio, blood vessels in the muscles dilate, which allows more blood flow. This, in turn, causes the muscles to loosen up and decreases the likelihood of muscle strain.

When to see a doctor about lower back pain from lifting weights

Even if you do everything possible to avoid injury while lifting weights, accidents can happen. There are several reasons to visit your doctor if you get lower back pain from weightlifting.

You should see a doctor if:

• You feel an immediate sharp or severe pain;
• Your pain lasts for several days to a few weeks;
• You feel severe stiffness or decreased range of motion;
• There is numbness or tingling in your lower extremities (thighs, foot, lower leg, etc.)
• You have severe pain from sitting or standing in certain positions.

You should go to the emergency room if:

• You experience weakness in your lower extremities;
• There is shooting pain down the back of one or both of your legs;
• You’re having trouble with bowel or bladder control.

Questions to ask your doctor about lower back pain from weightlifting

You probably have many questions for your doctor, so we’ve narrowed it down to four important ones to get you started.

• Is there something wrong with my back that causes lower back pain when Iift weights?
• Am I doing something when I lift weights that’s causing the pain?
• Is it safe for me to lift weights?
• Do I need X-rays before I go back to lifting weights?

Frequently asked questions: lower back pain from lifting weights

Here are some of the most common questions asked by people who have lower back pain from lifting weights.

How long does it take for weightlifting-related lower back pain to heal?

If you develop lower back pain from lifting weights, it should resolve within a few days to a few weeks. If it still isn’t better after a few weeks, you should seek your doctor’s advice.

What exercises should I avoid when I have lower back pain from weightlifting?

If you’ve developed lower back pain from lifting weights, be sure to avoid any exercises that place pressure on your lower back. If you are lifting weights and you feel your back arching, stop lifting immediately. The same is true if lifting causes pain or makes your pain worse; in either of those cases, stop lifting until you find out what’s causing th pain.

Should I rest or take a break from weightlifting if I have lower back pain?

If you have lower back pain from lifting weights, it’s a good idea to take a break from lifting until the pain has resolved. If you go back to lifting weights and the pain returns, stop again. You don’t want to lift weights on a regular basis until you no longer have any lower back pain.

Listen to your body

Lower back pain is common among people who lift weights, but it should not be considered normal. This is especially true if the pain lasts for several days to a few weeks. There are ways to prevent the injuries that cause lower back pain, and methods of treating it if it happens. The most important thing to remember is to use good posture and technique when lifting weights – and pay attention if your body signals that something is wrong.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Adam Carewe, MD.

Sources

Donnally, Chester J. et al., “Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease,” StatPearls, August 4, 2023. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448134

Dydyk,Alexander M. et al., “Disc Herniation,” StatPearls, January 16, 2023. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441822

Ross, Ruby, et al. “Chronic Lower Back Pain in Weight Lifters: Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Management.” JBJS Reviews, vol. 11, no. 6, June 2023. PubMed. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.RVW.22.00228.