Back Pain

[JChen99]

Well, I got this back pain that I've been having for quite a while(since February if I dont remember wrong) and it's been on and off.

I went to my family doctor and asked if I needed to go see a phisiotherapist/chiropractor or not and he told me no. His diagnostics were that it's probably muscle related and suggest I do lots of "back stretching exercises" instead.

It went away completely (for about 2 weeks) I went to the gym everyday to workout during those 2 weeks but did not do any exercises witht the back, and as of 2 weeks ago when I stopped going to the gym, it came back again after an excessive baseline smashing game (I was arching my back a lot to give me the angle i needed).

The pain only occurs when i bend my back past about 45 degrees and only when I'm not playing (well, i guess i dont feel pain when I'm too into a game :D )

It's not too painful by my standards but then according to a lotta pplz I can take a LOT of pain (more than "normal" people. ie: hacksaw my finger and just saying "ou" wwhile the blood is dripping everywhere)

I'm thinking it's probably the spine (because that's where it hurts), should i go directly to a chiropractor/phisiotherapist or just listen to my family doctor and continue doing "back streching ecercises?"

Thx lots in advance!

[|R|S]

i dont think there is any of us in the forum who is a full qualified doctor...
go figure!

[adelina76]

Originally posted by JChen99
It went away completely (for about 2 weeks) I went to the gym everyday to workout during those 2 weeks but did not do any exercises witht the back, and as of 2 weeks ago when I stopped going to the gym, it came back again after an excessive baseline smashing game (I was arching my back a lot to give me the angle i needed).

The pain only occurs when i bend my back past about 45 degrees and only when I'm not playing (well, i guess i dont feel pain when I'm too into a game :D )



I definitely you should at least see a Physio! :) The quicker, the better. It is not good to leave any injuries (or potential injuries) unattended and if you are injured, it is very important to treat and "nip it in the bud" in the early stages of the injury than later.

Also, I was just wondering, how do you bend your back so much for smashes JChen? Are you sure you are executing them correctly, I know you jump up and maybe bend a little in order to build the momentum before your smash (like holding a spring back before letting it go..) but to bend it the way you do sounds like perhaps a different problem..i.e timing of the stroke/smash.

Please be careful that you are not bending backwards too much in order to smash the shuttle. The shuttle should be in front of you and above your head when you smash it. So if you find u are bending too much backwards, u need to move quicker into position so that you're smashing from behind the shuttle, and not in front (by trying to bend awkwardly backwards to hit it). Doh, hard to explain..but I hope u get my drift.

As for back exercise..only do it as a warm up and/or cool down routine, but NOT as a strenghtening, back muscle building/conditioning routine. This is because if indeed your back is injured, putting any weight or pressure on it would only make the situation worst, i.e inflame your injury further. Get your back checked out first before proceeding with any heavy back exercise :) [Btw, I teach aerobics and we did courses on body conditioning, function and fitness safety etc]

A

[Cheung]

Originally posted by JChen99

I'm thinking it's probably the spine (because that's where it hurts), should i go directly to a chiropractor/phisiotherapist or just listen to my family doctor and continue doing "back streching ecercises?"

Thx lots in advance!

If it doesn't bother you that much, I'd say do the back stretching exercises and don't bend so much when playing. Then you won't experience the pain.

If you say, then you won;t be able to reach so many shots, then the solution is to be faster with your footwork and balance.

[txyu]

Go get 2nd 3rd, etc opinions. Some doctors don't like physio and chiro's when it could be the best route for you.
If you think it's sports related, then go see a sports therapist.
They could tell you the same thing, they might not.
In the mean time, take it easy.

[badrad]

1 - go get a second opinion.
2 - rest
3 - strengthen and condition exercises
4 - fix your footwork, form and stroke

especially for #4 - your footwork is missing, so you are compensating with your body. you have a slightly longer torso, and i have seen you try to use this to your advantage to compensate for your poor footwork. when you approach the net, you are extending your upper body too low to reach the average net shot (not to say in an extreme situation). your jump smash technique is also very strenuous, and not smooth, so everytime you land you create a great deal of shock on your spine.

we will be starting back up the program in September. do 1-3 until then, the other coaches and I will work with you then.

[JChen99]

)
Originally posted by badrad
1 - go get a second opinion.
2 - rest
3 - strengthen and condition exercises
4 - fix your footwork, form and stroke

especially for #4 - your footwork is missing, so you are compensating with your body. you have a slightly longer torso, and i have seen you try to use this to your advantage to compensate for your poor footwork. when you approach the net, you are extending your upper body too low to reach the average net shot (not to say in an extreme situation). your jump smash technique is also very strenuous, and not smooth, so everytime you land you create a great deal of shock on your spine.

we will be starting back up the program in September. do 1-3 until then, the other coaches and I will work with you then.

Well, I have taken your suggestion and start at the basics. I have kept on the ground for my smashes mostly(except for those that are cleared WAY high, but then sometimes I still dont jump... an improvement ei?:D ) and yes, I have been working on my footwork this summer... wut a surprise huh?;) ) and I have found ways that allow me to get netshots without bending over so much (but it works only sometimes ><) you can check up on it when you come back to coaching :p

I will go get more opinions from other doctors. Thanks Lots! :)

[plaYer]

I have had recurring back pain for the last 3 years and you **really** need to see a doctor as it's one of the worst places to injure yourself. For me, it's a herniated disc and something i have to live with since i can't get surgery done right now.

You should definitely stretch before playing but also do a LOT of ab work. the stronger your abs, the more they'll be able to compensate for a weak back. Any good sports therapist will tell you good exercises to rehab your lower back as well. Start slow and build those muscles.

Do reverse pushups and spinal extensions (after consulting a doctor of course), to stretch and strengthen your spine. once your back is back in shape, you'll be surprised at how much faster and easier you'll move. Since it's part of your "core" muscle set, having a powerful back will also allow you to transfer power better from your lower body to your upper body.

good luck
plaYer

[Californian]

I fully agree that you should get a second or even third opinion, and, if possible, go to a sports clinic where they are more familiar with sports-related injuries. GPs can differ widely in how they interpret symptoms and what they prescribe. If you're not satisfied with one doctor's opinion, pursue it further.

This goes for any medical condition or problem. We all need to take an active role in finding a resolution to our medical problems. Only we know what we are feeling in our own bodies. Don't settle for an unsatisfactory answer because you think doctors know it all. People have died because they blindly trusted their doctors.

I lived with occasional back pain for years. I went to various doctors at my HMO. They took X-rays and told me this and that and prescribed motrin and sent me home. I kept trying different doctors until I saw one who told me of a class for people with back pain where they learned how to alleviate it through excercises and ergonomics. Since applying what I learned in that class, I've had hardly any problems in the years since. The class was offered by the HMO where I had been going for years, but no other doctor had told me about it. Go figure!

[JChen99]

goin to see a phisio this thursday. Hopefully it's nothing too serious.
BTW... also getting my shoulder checked... more pain ><

[badrad]

so currently you have the following problems:

recurring backpain
shoulder pain
and from another post - right toe blisters

some of this looks like it is from the training program on sunday nights over in coquitlam. you really need to take another look at all your techniques currently - footwork and strokes. the fact that you are doing more drills, if the technique is wrong, you will cause yourself more damage and pain than benefits from the extended training. please have one of those coaches take a look at how you are doing the drills, before you simply go ahead and do hundreds of them.

with proper stroking you should experience no pain at all. pain in stroking is if you are either doing something incorrect, or you have damaged the muscle prior to training, in which case you should rest the muscle before continuing to reduce chance of further damage. any time you experience pain, your body is trying to tell you something is wrong.

as for blisters on the feet, these would occur, but not often in the little toe. you might also want to check if the shoe is too snug (ie. pointed) with could also be the culprit. check your footwork in your lunge.

[JChen99]

Originally posted by badrad
so currently you have the following problems:

recurring backpain
shoulder pain
and from another post - right toe blisters



actually... there's more to that... but most of it isn't badminton related i think

and the shoulder pain, it usually dont occur when during play, only after i stop doing a long drill. O well, I guess I'll wait til thrusday when i go see the phisioptherapist to find out

[badrad]

after a long drill, you may experience fatique or if a rather hard anaerobic session, a burning in the muscles. pain may be sharp or dull, but you should be able to distinquish the difference between a pain the is from tiredness versus something damaged. hope it is just tiredness. :D

[JChen99]

my physiotherapist told me that the muscle on the right of my spine (third one up) is not powerful enough to support my spine and so when i arch back it sags in and that's why i feel the pain. She taught me a series of exercises (4 i think) that increase the power of my lower back and abdominal muscles

However, I am still not clear on how this could be. Dont the muscles that support the spine run verticle???

[jwu]

rather than starting a new thread, figure I just join myself onto the end of this thread. Last thursday, I heard something pop as I landed from a jump. Not wanting to stop playing, I continue through the rest of the night without feeling much discomfort. However, the next day I woke up and now I find myself unable to bend my waist forward. Also having some trouble walking. Been doing some stretching and rubbing on the hurt area. Pretty sure it's muscle problem so I am probably just gonna rest it. Reading this thread definitely helps. Anyway, I am temporarily out of the playing fields until my back recovers. :(

[Xuser]

I see most people concentrate on the injured area. You might want to check somewhere else which might have caused your back to hurt.

Here's what happened to me last night which might help some of you. It was a back pain but not exactly in the middle of the back but more at the lower back and a bit to the right. What happened was I had to lay down on my back, pull my right thigh towards my torso slowly and stretched. I can feel my back when I did that. It certainly felt better and I was able to play better withbout anymore pain. My 2cents.

[JChen99]

OK... i Kinda got rid of the back pain now... here's how I did it

First of all, I dont arc so much back when I'm executing my jumpsmashes ne more, I tend to rely more on the waist and arm/shoulder once again

Second... WORK OUT!! I've been to the gym for the past month, and I've seen improvements on all aspects of my play, faster steeper smashes(they were SLOW as hell before) easier lifts/clears, ABILITY TO PLAY WITH A 2U RACKET for 4 hrs straight!( I didn't use to be able to do this beleive it or not!), bigger shoulders, forearms the size of my arms, increased bust size!! (hehe... the good way... I dont do roids) and! most important of all! NO MORE BACK PAIN!!! :D

[txyu]

A little off topic but JChen, you wouldn't happen to be going to the Kelowna Open would ya???

[bigredlemon]

Originally posted by JChen99
my physiotherapist told me that the muscle on the right of my spine (third one up) is not powerful enough to support my spine and so when i arch back it sags in and that's why i feel the pain. She taught me a series of exercises (4 i think) that increase the power of my lower back and abdominal muscles

However, I am still not clear on how this could be. Dont the muscles that support the spine run verticle???

After you said that the pain went away after you started doing exercise but came back when you stopped even though u didn't work your back, that was my first though. That's why cross training with different sports is important to most athletes. It's very easy to develop frequently-used muscles to the point where the rest of your body can no longer fully support its strength.

If you are very serious about badminton, I think playing basketball could be more beneifical than simply running around the gym every day. Playing 2-on-2 basketball would use similar muscle groups but not the exact same ones in the same amounts, so you can better avoid injury as well as becoming more fit.

[JChen99]

Originally posted by txyu
A little off topic but JChen, you wouldn't happen to be going to the Kelowna Open would ya???
no i will not be... skill's not up there yet! ^^"

[Cheung]

Originally posted by JChen99
OK... i Kinda got rid of the back pain now... here's how I did it

First of all, I dont arc so much back when I'm executing my jumpsmashes ne more, I tend to rely more on the waist and arm/shoulder once again



Ahem, look at the 4th post of this thread;)

[JChen99]

Originally posted by Cheung
Ahem, look at the 4th post of this thread;)
haha... well yah... i usually play doubles, and in the back, if I'm thinking and placing my shots acurately enough, I can actually walk from one side of the court to the next before executing my next shot :D however, this is for opponents that lift higher, but in general, I dont have that much a trouble getting from one side of the court to the other anymore :D

[Yodums]

Although I have back pain, I can't really do weight as I'm at the age where my growth is still going (15) and I'm rather short (5'9") so I want to keep on growing. Is there any alternatives other than playing a lil less extreme etc.

[JChen99]

Originally posted by Yodums
Although I have back pain, I can't really do weight as I'm at the age where my growth is still going (15) and I'm rather short (5'9") so I want to keep on growing. Is there any alternatives other than playing a lil less extreme etc.
u r rather short? I find that offensive!! :mad::p

[Yodums]

Originally posted by JChen99
u r rather short? I find that offensive!! :mad::p

Ya, mostly every boy in my classes are taller than me! It's pretty intimidating walking on a court or something when the other people are huge.

[JChen99]

Originally posted by Yodums
Ya, mostly every boy in my classes are taller than me! It's pretty intimidating walking on a court or something when the other people are huge.
I'm 177cm my self(around 5'10" i think) and ur saying 5'9" is short? >< awe man now ur making me wanna grow another inch ><

[Grufey]

Hehe, i'm 181 cm....muahahahaha!! and i'm just average in my grade...still taller than ppl i play with, and dat's sorta good enough for me...lol

[Yodums]

LOL Sorry to make you feel so bad JChen but you're 20 and you can start pumping the weights to the max and then smash like crazy - Height isn't always everything but it is good to have.


Originally posted by Grufey
Hehe, i'm 181 cm....muahahahaha!! and i'm just average in my grade...still taller than ppl i play with, and dat's sorta good enough for me...lol

Not bad... That's 5'9" and 177cm is 5'7".

[JChen99]

Originally posted by Yodums
LOL Sorry to make you feel so bad JChen but you're 20 and you can start pumping the weights to the max and then smash like crazy - Height isn't always everything but it is good to have.

Not bad... That's 5'9" and 177cm is 5'7".
I'm actually only 18 :D
btw... I doubt 177 is 5'7" I know for a fact it's either 5'9" or 5'10" 5'7" would be something lik... iuno... 16Xcm?
damn it... where's a ruler when u need one? @@"

[Pete LSD]

5'7" IS 170 CM

5'10" IS 178 CM

1' = 12"

1" = 2.54 CM

[JChen99]

thx Pete! :D

[Grufey]

181/2.54=71.26"
71.26"/12=5.94'
.94*12=11.28"
so i'm 5'11" though i highly doubt it

[bigredlemon]

Originally posted by Yodums
Although I have back pain, I can't really do weight as I'm at the age where my growth is still going (15) and I'm rather short (5'9") so I want to keep on growing. Is there any alternatives other than playing a lil less extreme etc.

I started doing weights when i was 15... my growth may have slowed a bit after that but my strength went through the roof. Got over a 50% increase in strength and that strength stayed with me even when I stop working out. If you wait too long then you might be a little bit taller but you'll have to work harder at keeping those muscles on you. This is just my personal experience though... not sure if there's any science to explain it.

[bigredlemon]

Originally posted by Grufey
181/2.54=71.26"
71.26"/12=5.94'
.94*12=11.28"
so i'm 5'11" though i highly doubt it 181 should be around 5'11.5. I know because that's how tall i am :)

[Grufey]

I'm 16, turning 17 this year...mebbe i should start doing weights too then...i'm weak right now...really weak...
Does it actually help ur game that much??

[txyu]

Weight training helps a lot but due to our sport, you need to incorporate a lot stretching into your workout
Everyone has read or posted some exercises to do on this forum...just do a search.

If you stop training for awhile, you do lose some strength, and some muscle but it's easier to get it back then someone who's never trained before due to muscle memory.

It's harder to lose fat since your metabolism slows as you get older.

[JChen99]

Originally posted by txyu
It's harder to lose fat since your metabolism slows as you get older.
not realli... I'm constantly trying to gain weight ><

[txyu]

my point exactly...you are young...metabolism is high...so you don' t store fat easily..you are at the pt where you can eat what you want and not gain a pound....therefore, hard to gain weight

definitely can't eat what you want when you want when you are much older unless you are gifted with a high metabolism or are extremely active.

You want to add mass...I'm assuming muscle mass....work out, lots of protein for muscle, carbs for energy....