I get it - deadlifts can be scary. All the stories of how people hurt their back while deadlifting. All the crazy videos of people lifting. All the conversations about how dangerous deadlifting can be.
But most of us deadlift every day, multiple times per day, without even realizing it! For example, we bend down to pick up our kids, we lift dog or cat food out of our car and put it on the ground, and we pick up the laundry jug from the floor. This hinging movement is part of our daily lives, and these movements are deadlifts. As well as a daily movement pattern, deadlifts are a great way to strengthen our back.
Deadlifts are extremely useful to increase strength for our activities of daily living and for help with managing back pain. That said, we’ve been conditioned for so long to be fearful of any back pain and to not do anything when our back hurts. In my career as a physical therapist, I was taught this initially as well. In school, I don’t remember ever discussing strengthening the back when someone comes in with back pain. However, whenever any other body part hurts, we were taught to adjust the load, modify movements if needed, and work to build it up stronger. And of course, this same approach is valid for back pain! Certainly, when someone presents with back pain, there are definitely things that need to be ruled out prior to loading (these are always addressed in the initial evaluation by a physical therapist).
Luckily, a stronger back makes everything easier, so now’s the time to strengthen our back, core, and legs, and deadlifts are an ideal exercise to achieve this goal and make daily movements easier. The deadlift is a hinge movement that builds strength in the whole posterior chain. Deadlifting teaches us to coordinate movement in our lower body and hips while maintaining a great braced position and being able to move mass. There are many ways to modify and progress a deadlift, including decreasing the range of motion, using kettlebells or dumbbells, and using a barbell.
At E3 Physio we are ready to teach you and work with you to achieve a stronger posterior chain, reduce pain, and increase function in daily movements. We love teaching functional movement patterns and building individualized strengthening plans. If you want/need a stronger back and/or struggle with back pain - reach out to us at E3 Physio to schedule a comprehensive evaluation to ensure you are ready for strengthening, and then we will create a program tailored just for you that includes deadlifting.
