 [ Symptoms ] felt ripping or tearing in lower back when picking up something heavy what should i do [ Disease ] glad you asked treatment for this type of problem depends on symptoms it is possible to feel a lot of cracking and popping in the joints including the back when performing physical activities but that does not mean you actually injured anything if you are experiencing localized soreness you can probably safely apply ice to the area the usual protocol is 20 minutes on then 20 minutes off and never allow ice to directly contact your skin put a towel between you and the ice pack if you are experiencing severe pain specific to the spinal area or if you have numbness or tingling in one or both legs then you would be wise to seek medical attention many conditions could cause these symptoms from a ruptured vertebral disc to a simple pinched nerve but you would certainly want to rule out anything serious if the pain does not get better over the course of a few days a trip to the doctor is in order you will need a physical examination and possibly an x ray to determine what is going on hope this helps and you feel better soon