by Johnny Pirruccello, Egoscue® Walnut Creek
Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash
Four out of five of us will get back pain. Naturally, I’m an overachiever and I already have had 4 episodes, three of them were trauma from sport “accidents” and the 4th occurred while sitting. Anyone who has experienced back pain like me, can relate that you will do just about anything to feel better. Meaning, bring on the rest, ice, NSAIDs, core exercises, massage, and even consider surgery, which is where your mind will go. But after all of my back recoveries, I have developed a brief back pain guide that has worked for me and several others. So read on and maybe you will find some helpful ideas
Healthy Mind = Healthy Back
Focus on solution orientated thoughts and questions about your back like ‘why your back is painful’ instead of ‘what is wrong with your back’. We all initially think the latter, but focusing on why your back hurts helps you find results. For example why would my back hurt after prolonged sitting? Are my hips too tight? And if so, why does that make my back hurt? This thought process helps you understand how to approach your back pain solutions.
Common Culprits: Shoulders and Hips
Lack of motion--and variety of motion-- creates muscle imbalances that cause back compression and spinal muscle overactivation or atrophy. Sometimes these muscle imbalances are in the spine itself, which means a typical core exercise routine from google is the remedy, but if your back pain persists, then try exploring potential muscle imbalances of your shoulders and hips. You can quickly assess these regions by doing two tests. Reach arms overhead, was it easy or was it tight? Balance on one leg, was it comfortable or shaky? If your shoulders are tight and it’s hard to balance one leg, either of those regions are where you should start your rehab.
Test-Retest
Once you know where your muscle imbalance is, it’s time to learn the Test-Retest principle. It’s very simple. Self assess your back pain and do an exercise you think will help why your back hurts and then self assess again. If it feels better, it’s a keeper and it’s an exercise you will add to your repertoire. Keep doing the Test-Retest until you’ve discovered at least 3 exercises that help your back feel better.
Daily practice
Do your Test-Retest routine every morning. Feel free to evolve this routine with different exercises; it keeps you engaged especially if your back doesn’t hurt anymore. Also do a 20 minute walk as part of your daily practice. Longer walks restore proper hip alignment, which helps sore and tight backs.
Join Johnny for Egoscue Posture Conditioning classes at Nest:
Tuesdays & Thursdays; 4:30pm - 5:30pm.