Not entirely sure. I got over the sciatica I had last year. Starting ~4-5 months ago, I started having a dull pain in the lower right side (opposite of the sciatica side) that intensifies when I do any exercise involving the lower back - so naturally squats & deadlifts. When I'm not lifting, I get the pain when I'm sitting, but rarely when I'm standing. It comes and goes...some weeks I feel nothing, some weeks its pretty bad.
Its improving. The day-to-day pain is pretty much gone. I haven't been going heavy on squats/deadlifts (as my log here shows), there's occasional tightness where, but the last two squat workouts have been pain free. Getting there...maybe
Would you consider PT? Ultrasound or massage therapy might help.
In my experience, few acute injuries - especially those to the back - get better from just rest. You have to actively rehab them or nothing will change. As Kelly Starret discusses in his Acute Injuries discussion, doing nothing often just causes the tissues to "rot". I find that doing very high rep back extensions, supermans and good mornings accelerates the healing process enormously. Working on flexibility - especially of the hamstrings, glutes and hip capsule - allows for better technique and makes it easier to keep the spine safe. If you want good results, you need to do this stuff multiple times per day. Good luck.
I second a vote for PT, but definitely not massage or ultrasound. Typically, PTs can utilize tools to increase your proprioception and reduce weightbearing on bulging or ruptured discs. The problem isn't gonna go away by itself so it's a good ideal for longevity's sake to go try to fix it.
The thing is, I've been doing rehab stuff. Maybe not the right things, maybe not enough, but I've been stretching multiple times a day in multiple ways, using a foam roller/lacrosse ball, good mornings, back extensions, etc. Its just not helping. Maybe my plan to do these things while doing moderate deadlifts/front squats wasn't a good combination.
The thing is, I've been doing rehab stuff. Maybe not the right things, maybe not enough, but I've been stretching multiple times a day in multiple ways, using a foam roller/lacrosse ball, good mornings, back extensions, etc. Its just not helping. Maybe my plan to do these things while doing moderate deadlifts/front squats wasn't a good combination.
My chiropractor's office does ART, and they have a PT on staff as well. I really should go more often than I do.
You can't necessarily stretch/foam roll your way out of an impinged spinal root. Typically, there are some special ways of increasing proprioception through hip location drills, etc that can alleviate pressure on the affected side. It's not a muscular problem at this point, especially since you have shooting pain (if I remember correctly). It's time to go see a healthcare professional of some sort. Wish you felt better, man.
What exactly are you doing? What exercises, how long or how many reps, how many times per day?
You may have already mentioned it, but what have you been doing to try to rehab your back? I'd take a good look at your hip and thoracic spine mobility. Lack of mobility in those areas usually result in your lumbar spine taking the load instead. Work on foam rolling and stretching your thoracic extensors, hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings. Even ankle mobility could be an issue. If you lack mobility (specifically dorsiflexion) you'll tend to round your lower back. Core stability plays a very important roll as well - perhaps incorporating ab wheel rollouts, pallof presses, etc. into your routine.
I do various back/glute stretches 2-3x a day.
Stuart McGill (THE spine biomechanics guy) has often said most people with back problems don't have back problems due to a lack of strength in their lower back. In fact, it's usually the opposite - guys with back problems usually have stronger backs than those without. What they do lack is endurance and usually mobility/flexibility around the hips. Usually getting the right muscles (mainly the glutes) working is a challenge for people as well.
All of this is just to give you an idea of what to go off of, because there's no way for any of us to know for sure what you're exact problem is, but since you did mention you lack flexibility, that'd be where I'd start. Some glute activation and glute strengthening work would be a good idea (clams, glute bridges, hip thrusts, bird dogs). You may not need it, but stronger glutes definitely won't hurt anything and may help. I know I mentioned it before too, but what are you doing for abs? Just like the glutes, stronger abs will do even more to spare your low back, and both will likely help your lifts as well.
Foam rolling, stretching, activation work, stability exercises - it's all boring as hell and I hate doing them, but sometimes they're a necessity if you want to continue lifting heavy and injury free. If you're back is really messed up, sometimes it's even best to just stop loaded lower body movements for a good 4 weeks and just concentrate on the mobility stuff.
Out of curiosity, which ones, for how long, with what technique, etc? When I had back issues, I found some stretches helped a lot (e.g. the prone glute stretch done with the leg on a table, PNF style) while others were totally useless (e.g. standing hamstring stretch with rounded back).
I do the standing hamstring stretch, but I actively keep my back as arches as I can while I do it. Two birds with one stone I guess. That one I do fairly static, holding for about 30 seconds or so, 3x. I do a standing hurdlers stretch, more dynamically, only holding for a few seconds before releasing and going again. When I'm at home, a lying PNF hamstring stretch. My chiropractor recommended what he called the "golf stretch" for the glutes, where you lay on your back and twist back and forth, with the leg and arms going opposite directions...hard to explain. Anyway, those are the main ones, I do other various things occasionally as well.