Lower back/upper hip pain question

Try some Feldenkrais lessons to relax your back. Some lessons are available for free on iTunes, and also on openatm.org. It's worked wonders for me.

This sounds exactly what I had in August of 2010. I went to the doctor to see what was up and he told me he thought i did something to my back. I went to get an MRI and it turned out I had an Annular Bulge at L4 L5 and L5 S1. Didn't run for about 12 weeks and still have nagging back pain.

Have you been moving furniture or doing heavy lifting?

I was running ~65 miles a week when i got hurt but since the injury I haven't cracked 40. The physical therapist said this was a career changing injury.

Best of Luck.

ATM: Thank you for the site, is the lesson you were referring to Lengthening the Back (sitting variations)? And would 'Getting to know the hip joints' be helpful as well?

wicked: I've had this pain for a day or so and had it go away before in the past. Usually after going on a run through the woods where I end up twisting and jumping and doing a lot more sudden and contorting movements than usual.

With regards to heavy lifting, no moving furniture or anything like that but I haven been carrying loads of firewood in. Maybe 50 lbs at the most. The lifting didn't bring about the onset of the pain, but its not helping.

If it helps I am 19, 6'1" and about 150 lbs. Have been comfortably improving my speed and fitness and forefoot striking since June 2010.

The lessons are free - try a few of them, and see which ones work for you. It you find they relieve your tightness and pain, as they have for me, then perhaps you will explore other Feldenkrais lessons - they're available all over the place, on iTunes, eBay, etc.

Frank Wildman is one teacher I like. Also Dan Clurman. Then there's the recorded version of Jack Heggie's _Running With The Whole Body_. All very good stuff.

Also read _Somatics_ by Hanna, and Michael Gelb's _Body Learning_.

You're still young. Learn to use your body properly, and it will serve you well. (Injury indicates misuse of your body. Don't use up your back and joints and end up 30 years old and in chronic pain, like so many of my friends.)

Good luck.