Deadlifts: Injury or TMS?

Hello,

While at a gym today I was doing some deadlifts in a group class and on the second set I had a terrible back spasm in my upper middle left back that caused me to end the workout. I know the back is incredibly strong and I’m trying my best not to freak out over the incident, but it’s hard to to do so when every movement causes terrible pain. I haven’t done deadlift in years so I may have been conditioned to think I hurt myself.

I’ve had TMS flare ups in the past but nothing that was directly related to an acute event such as this. I do check many common TMS traits being a goodist and perfectionist. My sales job has been extremely stressful as of late with a big sales pitch this week. Maybe it was the perfect trigger.

Should I be concerned it is something more than TMS when I can barely move without severe pain? Thanks for reading and sharing any advice.

 

That's it!

Have you heard of tension headaches? If stress can cause a pain in your head due to the increased tension in the muscles of your neck, why do you think your back muscles cannot tense to the point of a sizeable spasm? At the peak of my TMS I had spasms all over my body. Here is story from my own experience:

For example, about four months into my recovery, I woke up one morning with a severe pain in my right upper back. Muscles in my neck, shoulder, and part of my back below the right shoulder blade were not only incredibly painful, but also locked up in a powerful contraction so strong that they felt paralyzed. I could not sit up in bed, had to roll onto my stomach, and then carefully slide down onto my knees on the floor near my bed. I could not use my right arm for at least an hour. Slowly, I was able to compose myself and started working through the muscles, stretching them one by one, until I was able to take a shower and get dressed. I was able to go to work that day, and by the end of the next day everything was nearly back to normal with my upper back. At first, I was terrified, but quickly remembered Dr. Sarno’s warning and was emotionally prepared to deal with an extinction burst.​

I still get occasional cramps during yoga sessions, something that I never had before my most serious bout with TMS.

Unless you tore your muscle, you should be able to recover. Our muscles are plastic, much like our brains. I would try to look at it through the TMS lens, and it there is no change, check it out with the doctor. Although, good chances are they will give you muscle relaxants and painkillers and tell you never to exercise again (speaking from experience).