I injured my back over a year ago now, doing judo, and I haven't really trained since. I was told by the doctors that it was a pulled muscle, and I can still feel some pain in it sometimes, so I'd like to know, can anyone recommend any good exercises I can do in preparation to start training properly again?
Get professional advice. But also I found these to be extremely helpful. I do them every day (ish) and my bulging disc hasn't bulged since.
See a specialist. Back problems never go away unless they receive proper treatment. If the muscle is the one I think it is (Teres Major) then it will definitely get worse without seeing a specialist. Also, you could have damaged the Latissimus Dorsi (Lats), in which case, it's the same problem. Go see a specialist now!
In addition to the good advice that many people have posted as in... Go See A Specialist... I would also recommend that you get a better knowledge of anatomy. Why? So that you can better pinpoint where your pain is coming from and then set on a course of strengthening and healing the area that is affected. Alot of people who spend a long time in martial arts or even in the gym and weightlifting often have very little knowledge of how the muscles actualy work in tandem or even what muscles are there. Similar to your back problem are shoulder problems. All it takes is one and you can be out of training for a very long time. :cry: The more you know about the differing muscle groups and the way they interact and work to balance each other out the more effectively you can go about training your body to avoid injuries. Often times this is given no consideration until it's too late and you're injured. Take advantage of this time to understand what specific muscle is injured and what you can do to go about rehabilitating it. Back problems are most often cummulative and if they are not rehabbed then you can be looking at a lifetime of pain and inconvenience. Don't let it happen... get on top of it now. The best first start is to head down to the library and look up books on anatomy (preferabley sports anatomy) and functional strength. They'll usually have a good selection. Don't discount books on bodybuilding... not for the exercises but for the illustrations of the muscles groups. Anyhow - hope that's of some help. Knowledge about your body and how it works is worth it's weight in gold.