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So
Your Lower Back Hurts?
by
Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN
Low back pain is one of the most
common ailments people suffer from and approximately 8 out of 10 people
will deal with back pain at some point in their life. That’s a lot of
people… are you one of them?
Out of all of the various forms of back pain, lower back pain is by far
the most common and there’s a good explanation for this. Any idea why?
It’s not car
accidents, it’s not work-related injuries, and it’s not a lack of
prescription medications either. Lack of movement and use is the number
one cause of back pain!
I bet your orthopedic
specialist or chiropractor didn’t tell you that, did they?
It’s the lack of
movement in various muscles over years that leads to muscle imbalances
and uneven wear and tear on your body, especially the spine.
For example, how many times a day are you bending, leaning, or
twisting.
Here’s what the
typical person’s day is like:
- Wake up
- Eat breakfast
(hopefully)
- Drive or ride to
work
- Sit at desk
- Eat lunch
- Sit at desk some
more
- Drive or ride home
- Eat dinner
- Sit on couch and
watch tv
- Go to bed
Notice the trend
here? That’s an awful lot of sitting and not moving. Well, this is
what leads to serious muscle imbalances and so what do we do, we go to
the gym and perform exercises that only make the imbalances worse!
The key to
eliminating back pain (nearly any ache, pain, or injury for that matter)
is to identify the muscle imbalances that are pulling the spine, bones,
and joints out of place and then stretch the tight muscles while
strengthening the weak muscles.
How do I know this?
Well, as certified personal fitness trainer and post-rehabilitation
specialist, I have worked with hundreds of individuals with back pain
and the conditions that ranged from sciatic pain, to bulging discs, to
spinal fusion, and others. In working with these individuals I
discovered some startling facts.
1. Many people who
seek professional help are often mis-diagnosed and end up following a
treatment plan that fails to eliminate the cause of their back pain.
2. Nearly all of the
individuals I worked with were able to eliminate their back pain, or
significantly improve their condition even though all of the traditional
treatments failed them (physically therapy, chiropractic care, cortisone
injections, anti-inflammatory medications, surgery, etc).
Even more amazing is
the fact that most of these individuals were able to eliminate their
back pain in a matter or days or weeks simply by performing a handful of
exercises and stretches! These weren’t your basic exercises or the
standard back stretches and stomach exercises most “experts”
recommend – these were specific exercises and stretches prescribed
based on the individual.
Many of these people
had suffered for years and years with aches, pains, and stiffness and
lived inactive lives because of their back pain.
3. Most treatment
plans offered only address the symptoms and don’t address the cause,
which usually delivers just temporary relief for the individual.
In addition to
helping hundreds of others eliminate back pain, I also have had personal
experiences with back pain and other various conditions such as
tendonitis, muscle strains and sprains, and more. In every single
situation the traditional treatments did nothing but treat the symptoms
(often times not successfully) and the only approach that gave lasting
improvements and relief was targeted stretches and exercises.
Have you tried
traditional treatments and found little relief for your back pain? I am not saying these
treatments are not effective at temporarily reducing the pain or
inflammation, but I am saying nearly all fail to get rid of the
underlying cause of the problem.
So how do you
identify these muscle imbalances? Well, it isn’t easy but with a basic
understanding of how your body works you can at least start looking at
your situation and find out which muscles are over worked and too strong
and/or tight and which ones are too weak and stretched out.
It also helps if you
can find a qualified health professional who specializes in identifying
muscle imbalances. Unfortunately, there are still few professionals who
use what I call the “common sense approach.” However, your best bet
is to look for a personal fitness trainer that is trained and certified
in post-rehabilitation, a manual physical therapist, or an osteopath.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions... you need to take charge of
your health care and be sure to quiz them to find out what type of an
approach they take in treating back pain.
I also recommend
to you
my video, "Lose the Back Pain" here:
http://www.losethebackpain.com
. It's shows you step-by-step, how to identify the true
cause of your
back pain and what specific exercises and stretches you need to do to
correct it.
I wish you the best
and remember the key to a healthy back is movement!
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