I'm scared. Did I get my back injured or have I hyperextended my back?!
Question: I thought I hurt myself at the gym when somebody pushed me forward when trying to reach for the handle bar on a rowing machine. I did feel two crackles in the left of my lower back, but didn't really feel pain that day, the day after or the day after that. The next day thought to do some stretches to see if my back would hurt in particular ranges of motion. I streched by back backward (hyperextended) but didn't feel pain at the time I did it, then I swayed myself from side to side running my hands down my legs. The next two days up until now I've really felt pains and sensations, sometimes radiating down my leg, and it is now sitting right in the center of my lower back. It is possible to create a pain that lasts just by stretching/hyperextending a bit? You don't think I made that gym incident worse do you? I've heard that if you damage the nerves at the bottom it can affect your sex drive/erections and weaken your bladder/anus, and I'm paranoid that could be happening, please help. :(
Answers: I thought I hurt myself at the gym when somebody pushed me forward when trying to reach for the handle bar on a rowing machine. I did feel two crackles in the left of my lower back, but didn't really feel pain that day, the day after or the day after that. The next day thought to do some stretches to see if my back would hurt in particular ranges of motion. I streched by back backward (hyperextended) but didn't feel pain at the time I did it, then I swayed myself from side to side running my hands down my legs. The next two days up until now I've really felt pains and sensations, sometimes radiating down my leg, and it is now sitting right in the center of my lower back. It is possible to create a pain that lasts just by stretching/hyperextending a bit? You don't think I made that gym incident worse do you? I've heard that if you damage the nerves at the bottom it can affect your sex drive/erections and weaken your bladder/anus, and I'm paranoid that could be happening, please help. :(
Wow! You've gone from back pain to impotence and incontinence!
OK, first things first. Yes, you can injure your back by stretching it in ways it shouldn't be stretched. In fact, you can injure your back without even knowing when or how it happened. Generally speaking, low back pain that radiates down the leg is most often associated with sciatica. The sciatic nerve runs from the low back (just above the butt crack), down the outer back portion of the buttock, and down into the lower leg. The sciatic nerve doesn't cause incontinence, or impotence and NO low back nerve damage reduces sex drive. That's controlled by the brain. Yes, certain back injuries can cause inability to achieve/maintain erections, and loss of control of the bladder and/or bowel. Thery're just not usually the kind of injury you get at a gym.
My suggestion is that you lay off the extreme stretches, and gym visits for a couple of weeks. Hot soaks with epsom salts, massage, and gentle stretching could also very well help. If you're still experiencing pain after sitting it out for a while, make an appointment to see your doctor.
I doubt your injury is serious enough to worry about nerve damage that will inhibit your sexual activity, but I would be worried about the shooting sensations down your legs. It sounds like this could be a number of different injuries, so I would definitely go see an orthopedist or a physical therapist about it for an evaluation. (The therapist is a cheaper option, but won't be able to provide you with pain medication.)
So, if you are having tingling or numbness down your leg, it sounds like you may have a "slipped disc." The discs in your back are like big jelly cushions between your vertebrae. They are like big shock absorbers for the forces that move through your back. By leaning forward on the rowing machine, your vertebrae pinch the disc on one side (anterior side) and it starts to ooze out towards the other (posterior) side. This then causes nerve impingement and the tingling or numbness. This type of injury would come from the trunk flexion movements of doing the rowing machine, not the hyperextension.
A consultation with a doctor about your specific case is the best plan to avoid reinjuring or further injuring yourself. As always, once the pain is under control and you return to exercise it would be wise to reevaluate your form to make sure you are doing the rows correctly. Trunk flexion leads to some of the most common orthopedic chronic injuries associated with back pain. You have tons of little postural muscles running the length of your spine and any abnormal movement or overuse could strain any number of these muscles. I highly recommend a professional evaluation for your individual case.
Good luck and I hope you heal quickly!