It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.     

Socrates

Great place for quotes by the way: Wiseoldsayings
Master The Basics:

Many people suffering from chronic low back pain have a tendency to overuse their spine as a whole throughout their day to day movements. Get ready to learn about 4 basic movements that are required to get around day to day (also the 4 motions we get asked about the most often in our office from people suffering from chronic low back pain.)

Mastering these basics will not only help you get a jump start on feeling better but are also a good place to return to if at any point in the future you irritate your low back and feel that the pain is “flaring up”. Just a few short months ago I fell and stressed out my back, I came back to these basic movements and within a week I was able to get back to the one of my great loves; swimming!

Before we begin, if you have any of these symptoms please seek medical care immediately:
  • Difficulty passing urine or having a bowel movement, or numbness in the “saddle area”
  • Progressive weakness in the legs
  • Severe, continuous abdominal and low back pain.
  • A fever of 100.4ºF or above
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Swelling of the back
  • Constant back pain that does not ease after lying down
  • Loss of bladder control
  • Inability to pass urine
  • Loss of bowel control
  • Numbness around your genitals, buttocks or back passage
  • Pain that is worse at night
  • Recent history of violent trauma
  • Constant progressive, non mechanical pain (no relief with bed rest)
  • Past medical history of malignant tumour
  • Drug abuse, immunosuppression, HIV
  • Systematically unwell
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Widespread neurological symptoms (including cauda equine syndrome)
  • Fever
Movement #1: How do I bend over?
Bending over a short distance such as to pick something up off the coffee table can be accomplished by moving almost entirely in your hip OR entirely in your spine. While some research suggests that this motion should actually be a balance of both joints (Sahrmann) we find that many people who are suffering from chronic low back pain respond very well to shifting ALL the motion to their hips in the short term while their spine heals from chronic overuse. In fact many professional weightlifters use this technique to prevent injury to their spine when lifting heavy weights. (McGill)
Movement #2: How do I get up and down out of a chair or my car?
Many people with chronic low back pain dread getting up and down off the couch or chair but we can turn that dreaded movement into something helpful and productive! The idea for this movement is very similar to the previous video “How to I bend over” in that we want to shift all the motion from your spine to your hips.
Movement #3: How do I pick something up off the ground?
To pick something up off the ground you are going to simply combine the 2 previous motions at the same time.
Movement #4: How do I roll over?
Many people struggle with increased low back pain or sciatica when rolling over in bed in the morning. One of the primary reasons this occurs is because you move your upper and lower body separately which creates a “twist” in your lower back which can be quite painful. Let’s see how this is done.

There are many tips and tricks to this process and the more you do it the better at it you become. In future posts I will be offering up some of the tips and tricks that I use in my own practice as well as from other healthcare specialists who will share their tips and tricks as well.

Wishing you amazing joy and all the very best all health,

David

Where To Next?

Build on your understanding of your low back pain in the following post:

Pick a new topic for specific practices/opportunities to heal for your specific challenges in the Pick Your Struggle Tab:

Get personalized 1 on 1 attention by scheduling a private session:

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