Oh hell yeah before a back workout they are grim, but it's one of those things if you want to develop a muscle no matter how big or small do it first in your order of training imo so you have to extra energy to really push on it. It's like abs puzzles me a bit as to why calves, abs, forearms, traps get left until the end like a supplement muscle program.
I mean yeah you don't want your forearms hammered and ruin your back out, i use shiek wriststraps when im on back, especially after a forearm workout.
But contradicting myself now 
.. can always do it at the end, or even superset forearm and back exercise together.
The little strands of tendons and fibres in your forearm are like shins, got to really look after them to get most of all your upper body work.