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Health & Fitness

Have you ever experienced low back pain?

If you are like the growing population of Americans then the answer is yes for many when it comes to low back pain.

If you are like the growing population of Americans then the answer is yes for many when it comes to low back pain. Whether you experience it now on a daily or weekly basis or have had episodes in the past it is evident that it is a major and growing problem.

The problems I am directly speaking of are non-impact injuries. Meaning, these are injuries that have not been brought on by a external force like a car crash or something or someone impacting them in the low back. I am specifically speaking of when people bend down to pick something up or tie a shoe, swing a golf club, drive a car, etc. These are everyday actions that lead to pain or discomfort.

To really explain the issues at hand we have to begin to understand the anatomy of what is actually happening. Your lumbar spine (low back) is the second lowest set of vertebrae along your spine. The lowest of the vertebra are L4 and L5. Keeping the anatomy lingo simple this is where the hips and pelvis attach to the spinal column. If you have low back problems my guess is that you experience them in L4 and/or L5.

So why does someone's back begin to hurt after tying their shoes or picking up a box or getting out of a car? How could something so normal and everyday cause the pain?

The answer is that it has nothing to do with the back itself. What? But my back hurts. Yes, I know your back hurts and that is where the pain is but that is not the source of the pain, that is simply the site. To better explain it, picture me standing in front of you with a rope around the back of your neck pulling you forward. The more I pull the more you feel pain behind your neck where the rope is. You could find a blanket or pillows to put under the rope but if I am still pulling it is still causing some sort of pressure on your neck. The picture tells us that if we do not get rid of the source of the pain (i.e. The person pulling the rope) the site of the pain will never go away.

90% of all cases that I have seen with low back pain are a direct lack of hip mobility. When you clear up the hips the back pain dissipates. Now, for some of you that have had low back pain for a long period of time the recovery process may be slower or unfortunately there may be too much damage to correct with mobility work. In these cases, medical professionals may have to step in. Now, I love doctor’s, but sometimes they are too good at treating symptoms and not good enough at treating the root cause. They give shots and pills and never cut the pain off at the source.

Next Saturday the 20th of October at 930am BeWell Fitness is conducting the second workshop in the end of the year workshop series on how to get rid of low back pain. If you or someone you know has low back pain and would like to attend please forward this email to them.

SIGN UP NOW!

Saturday October 20th
930am
BeWell Fitness

Members: $10 BUT, if you bring a non-member friend you are both FREE
Non-Members: $20 BUT, if you bring another non-member friend you both get 50% OFF.

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