Is it normal for your lower back to ache a little after a hogtie?

[AmethystMelange]

We've been dipping into more-strenuous-than-usual bondage positions recently, and having a lot of fun with it. I find that I LOVE being hogtied! Where has it been all my life?

The problem is that later on, after everything's over, my lower back starts to ache a bit. Not very bad, just like how any muscle would hurt a few hours after an intense workout, but I'm not sure if it is normal? Or if it's a sign that the hogtie is too tight, or something else? It got better after a day or so.

I don't experience pain during the actual tie, though I do feel like some strain is being put on my lower back.

 

[Primalex]

Well, without a picture how you are tied, it is hard to tell. My first guess is that it is "normal". A lot of humans have fairly underdeveloped back muscles. My suggestion would be to train them with normal sport exercises, which would have a positive effect not only for bondage.

You might still want to experiment to find a more comfortable position. If your hands and legs are tied and then just connected, then this is a position that is only good for a very short time, definitely less than a hour. The better option is to tie a chest harness and connect the arms to the chest and the legs to the chest. I hope this explanation makes sense. You could also test some more wiggle room.

 

[MeekMe]

To add to the good info already here, how is the flexibility of your torso? If your shoulders, chest and upper back aren't open enough, the lower back over compensates for this which could be adding to the strain. If the position is forcing you to bend back, try rolling with your knees to your chest to help align your spine after.

Some of this may help with your comfort.

 

[DrDelirium]

Eventually, any bondage position leads to strain, soreness, etc. The fitter and more flexible you are, the more you can cope with. If the lower-back soreness is just some muscle soreness, it's perfectly normal. If you're getting some kind of sharp pain, that's worth investigating.

 

[Primalex]

Eventually, any bondage position leads to strain, soreness, etc.

Ahem...no.

 

[DrDelirium]

Ahem...no.

I include bedsores. Prolonged immobility has its downside.

 

[Nezhul]

I'd say it's not normal. A hogtie is a stressful position and can lead to all sorts of minor injuries, thus the ache.

However it shouldn't be so if it's done correctly and if you are healthy. The possible reasons are:
- Incorrect hogtie (too tight or on the other hand too lose and allowing struggling. Or maybe it was too long)
- Your back is pretty weak to begin with and you should do some exercises or avoid hogties.

Either way, I think that if your back aches that's NOT normal and indicates that something is amiss. I think you should treat it with care and consideration.

 

[tryn2Bgood]

I agree with a bit of what everyone has said so far. I think 'normal' soreness should last a couple of hours, not a couple of days. Think about how your muscles feel after a strenuous workout. They kind of burn, but in a good way. Maintaining a certain position for a considerable length of time might make you feel sore, but you should be able to 'work the kinks out' fairly easily. Longer lasting pain or deep discomfort is usually a sign of a more severe strain.

I would suggest shortening the amount of time you are tied up, gradually increasing to longer sessions. Also, do some warm up stretches beforehand to loosen up your muscles. A regular routine of light aerobics and/or yoga help a lot to improve muscle tone and flexibility...a positive benefit for many reasons. Eventually your body should become more accustomed to supporting that type of physical stress, but if it bothers you physically everytime, I would not continue that particular activity/position and try something new. There are a lot of alternatives that you may find just as, or even more, appealing.

 

[AmethystMelange]

Thanks, all! The length of time is unlikely to be the issue - we don't do long-term bondage (for the moment, anyway), so it was maybe about 10 minutes - very short. The hands and ankles were connected, but I couldn't see how tightly, and it wasn't painful at that time. Elbows were not bound.

Sounds like it's likely a flexibility/muscle strain issue, so will work on that. Interestingly my Dom can take or leave the position, but I requested it some time ago because I was yearning to see how it would feel, and he decided to oblige me last week. It may or may not be a good position for me in the end, but I guess working on flexibility can't hurt.

 

[Nezhul]

As others have said, some stretching/warm-up is good before you do it. Maybe even ask your partner for a massage session the day before - it's a good practice regardless of if you are doing bondage, and a lot of fun for both.

 

[SalvDali]

We have found Yoga to be very helpful with this. I found yoga to help with flexibility when I started training BJJ. She started doing it with me just for the exercise and discovered much of her stiffness/soreness from our new activities went away. I use some videos I found on YouTube, she has a wide variety of workouts so it is pretty easy to find something for specific areas and/or a workout the right length to fit into our schedules.