If you’ve ever felt a sharp ache or lingering tightness in your low back after doing squats or Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), you’re not alone. Many people in Olathe who come into our chiropractic office share the same frustration: they want to stay strong and active, but back pain is holding them back.
Often, the culprit isn’t a “slipped disc” or weak muscles—it’s irritation of the lumbar facet joints, sometimes called lumbar facet hypertrophy. Understanding why this happens (and how chiropractic care can help) can get you back in the gym with less pain and more confidence.
What Are Lumbar Facet Joints?
Your spine isn’t just a stack of bones. Each vertebra connects to the one above and below it through small joints in the back called facet joints. These joints provide stability, guide movement, and prevent your spine from rotating or extending too far.
Over time, repetitive stress, poor lifting mechanics, or even normal aging can cause the cartilage in these joints to wear down. The body responds by thickening and enlarging the joints, leading to lumbar facet hypertrophy. When this happens, movements like lumbar extension (arching backward), rotation, and heavy loading during squats and RDLs can irritate the joints and trigger pain.
Why Squats, RDLs, and Rotation Make Facet Pain Worse
If you’ve noticed that certain exercises seem to set off your back pain, here’s why:
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Squats – When you descend into a squat, your hips and spine compress. If you extend at the top and arch your low back, the facet joints bear extra stress.
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Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) – This movement emphasizes hip hinging with the spine under load. If the lumbar spine extends too far or rotates even slightly, it can irritate the hypertrophied facets.
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Lumbar Extension – Arching backward directly compresses the facet joints, especially when hypertrophy is present.
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Lumbar Rotation – Twisting motions place shear stress on the facets, which are not built to handle rotation under load.
Patients often describe this pain as a sharp pinch in the low back, sometimes radiating into the hips or buttocks. Unlike disc pain, facet pain rarely shoots down the leg but can make standing up straight, bending back, or exercising feel miserable.
How We Diagnose Lumbar Facet Pain in Olathe
At Woodroof Chiropractic & Acupuncture here in Olathe, we start with a comprehensive consultation and exam. This includes:
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Reviewing your workout history and aggravating factors (squats, RDLs, rotation).
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Orthopedic testing to identify if pain is coming from the facet joints instead of discs or muscles.
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Digital X-rays if needed, which can reveal facet hypertrophy and rule out other causes.
Getting the diagnosis right is critical—because treating facet pain is different from treating disc injuries.
Chiropractic Treatments for Lumbar Facet Hypertrophy
Once we know the facets are the problem, the goal is to reduce irritation, restore motion, and strengthen the spine to handle stress better. Common treatments include:
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Chiropractic Adjustments – Gentle spinal adjustments restore proper motion and reduce joint stress.
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Spinal Decompression Therapy – Helps offload pressure on both the discs and facet joints.
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Hydromassage Therapy – Relaxes tight muscles around the spine that often guard when facets are inflamed.
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Exercise Guidance – Teaching proper form for squats and RDLs, along with safe alternatives until healing occurs.
At-Home Strategies and Exercises
Alongside in-office care, we often recommend targeted exercises:
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McGill Core Big 3 (planks, side planks, and McGill crunches) to stabilize the spine.
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Hip mobility drills to reduce compensation through the low back.
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Avoiding repeated extension/rotation under load until the joints calm down.
By retraining your movement and strengthening your core, you’ll be less likely to aggravate the facets in the future.
Don’t Let Back Pain Stop Your Training
Chronic low back pain doesn’t have to keep you out of the gym. If you’re in Olathe and struggling with pain during squats, RDLs, or rotation-based movements, chiropractic care can help. By addressing the real source of pain—lumbar facet hypertrophy—we can get you moving better, training smarter, and living pain-free.
Call Woodroof Chiropractic & Acupuncture at 913-735-6351 or visit us at 1463 East 151st Street, Olathe, KS 66062 to schedule your consultation today.
Dr. Ike Woodroof
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