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Back pain after lifting What you may have hurt, what to do in the first days, and how to lift safely again
Back pain after lifting is most often a strain of the muscles and ligaments of the lower back, which usually feels like a tight, aching or sharp pain across the back and improves within one to two weeks, and almost always within six. Pain that shoots down a leg, with numbness or tingling, points more to an irritated disc or nerve. In the first days, keep moving gently, use heat or cold, and avoid heavy lifting and bed rest. See a doctor for leg weakness, numbness in the groin, bladder or bowel changes, fever, or pain that is not improving after a week or two.
It usually happens in a moment: lifting a box, a child, a suitcase or a heavy set at the gym, and the lower back seizes. The pain can be dramatic, but most back pain after lifting is a muscle or ligament strain that heals well with the right first steps. This post explains what you may have hurt, what to do now, and how to lift without it happening again. In the first video, Nick Ursini, DPT shows the kind of movement work that gets a sore back moving again.
What you may have hurt
- Muscle or ligament strain: the most common cause; aching, tightness or spasm across the lower back, worse with bending, no pain below the knee
- Disc injury: a bulging or herniated disc can cause back pain plus pain, numbness or tingling down one leg (sciatica); see muscle vs disc back pain
- Facet joint irritation: sharp pain to one side, worse leaning back or twisting, see facet joint pain
- Fracture: rare after lifting, but more likely with osteoporosis, long-term steroid use or older age
What to do for back pain after lifting in the first 72 hours
- Keep moving gently: short walks every hour or two; bed rest slows recovery
- Heat or cold: a wrapped cold pack or a heating pad for 15 to 20 minutes, whichever feels better
- Pain relief: over-the-counter medicine taken as the label directs, if it is safe for you
- Comfortable positions: lying on your back with pillows under the knees, or on your side with a pillow between them
- Avoid: heavy lifting, deep bending and stretching hard into the pain for the first few days
More options are in our guide to back pain relief without medication.
How long recovery takes
Most strains improve a lot within one to two weeks and are gone within six. A disc injury with leg pain often takes longer, from six weeks to a few months. If pain is not clearly better after one to two weeks, or keeps returning every time you lift, lower back pain treatment with physical therapy for back pain speeds recovery with hands-on care and exercises like those in the videos, then rebuilds strength so the back can handle load again.
Warning signs: when to see a doctor
Get emergency care for numbness in the groin or inner thighs, new bladder or bowel problems, or rapidly worsening leg weakness. See a doctor soon for pain down the leg with numbness or weakness, fever, pain after a fall, pain that is severe at night, or a history of cancer or osteoporosis. A back pain doctor can examine the nerves, order imaging if needed, and, for a disc that keeps irritating a nerve, discuss options such as an epidural steroid injection. If you were hurt lifting at work, see our workers’ compensation page.
How to lift safely again
- Hinge at the hips: push the hips back, keep the chest up and the back long, and bend the knees
- Keep it close: hold the load against your body, between your hips and chest
- Brace, then lift: tighten your stomach muscles as if bracing for a light punch, then breathe out as you stand
- Turn with your feet: pivot instead of twisting at the waist
- Build back gradually: start light and add weight over weeks; our lower back pain exercises are a good base
More videos on recovering from back pain
More clips from our YouTube channel @precisioncaremedical showing hands-on care and exercises after a back injury.
Related care at Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance
Back pain treatment near you
For back pain treatment in Brooklyn, Ashley Marcus, MD sees patients at our Brooklyn pain management office on Shell Rd, and physical therapists Zoya Reznik, DPT, OCS and Maggie (Yi) Zhang, DPT, with physical therapist assistants Dennis Furman, PTA and Leila Nahmoud, PTA provide physical therapy at the same address, close to Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Gravesend.
Looking for a back pain doctor on Staten Island? Jake Stephen, DO sees patients at Staten Island pain management on Richmond Rd, and physical therapists Victoria Lynn Kain, DPT and Nicholas “Nick” Ursini, DPT work at our Staten Island physical therapy office, a short drive from Midland Beach, Great Kills and New Dorp. In Manhattan, Yuri Gordin, MD is the back pain doctor in Midtown East at the Precision Care Spine & Pain Center in Midtown Manhattan, convenient to the Upper East Side, Spanish Harlem and Washington Heights; physical therapy is not offered at the Manhattan office. Request an appointment or call the office closest to you.
150 E 55th St, Suite 401, New York, NY 10022
(212) 840-0135
Questions patients ask
How long does back pain last after lifting?
Most strains improve a lot within one to two weeks and settle within six. Pain from a disc injury with leg symptoms often takes six weeks to a few months.
How do I know if I pulled a muscle or hurt a disc?
A muscle strain usually stays in the back as aching, tightness or spasm. Pain that shoots below the knee with numbness, tingling or weakness points more to an irritated disc or nerve, which should be checked by a doctor.
Should I use heat or ice after hurting my back lifting?
Either can help. Use a wrapped cold pack or a heating pad for 15 to 20 minutes, whichever feels better, and keep moving gently between sessions.
Should I rest in bed after a back injury?
No. Short walks and gentle movement help the back heal faster than bed rest. Avoid heavy lifting and deep bending for the first few days.
When should I see a doctor for back pain after lifting?
Right away for groin numbness, bladder or bowel changes or worsening leg weakness. Soon for leg pain with numbness, fever, pain after a fall, severe night pain, or pain not improving after one to two weeks.
Where can I find a back pain doctor near me?
Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance has back pain doctors at all three offices:
- Brooklyn2781 Shell Rd, Suite 101, Brooklyn, NY 11223(718) 648-1234 · Get directions
- Staten Island1630 Richmond Rd, Suite 101, Staten Island, NY 10304(718) 339-7100 · Get directions
- Midtown Manhattan150 E 55th St, Suite 401, New York, NY 10022(212) 840-0135 · Get directions
Physical therapy is offered in Brooklyn and on Staten Island, not at the Midtown Manhattan office.
Educational only, not medical advice. These videos and this article explain common problems and treatments in general terms. They are not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. Results vary from person to person. See a qualified clinician about your own symptoms, and call 911 or go to an emergency room for an emergency.
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