| So Your Lower Back Hurts??? |  |
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? 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 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!
Article by Jesse Cannone
of http://www.losethebackpain.com. Jesse is a certified personal fitness trainer and post-rehab specialist and he has helped hundreds of individuals to eliminate their back pain. Visit his site now and be sure to sign up for his free email course on eliminating back pain.
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