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.
Submitted by:
- Name: Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN
- Date: 01/12/04 at 09:55
- Email: jesse@achieve-fitness.com
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