5 Things You Never Knew About Back Pain

Ana Maria Pardo Author

A Somatic Movement Educator's Perspective

Have you ever asked, “Why does my back hurt?”  

If so, you’re not alone.  More than 16 million adults in the US suffer from chronic low back pain.  

With one in four American workers affected by low back pain, you can bet there’s a whole lot of (mis)information out there about how to handle it.  Read on to learn 5 things about back pain you might not find anywhere else.  

Make sure to read all the way to the end, as most people have never heard of #5!  

#1 - It’s not how you look; it’s how you feel.

Back pain can’t be seen on a picture.

Your back has been bothering you for a long time.  You’ve tried massage, maybe acupuncture, but nothing is working.  So, you make an appointment with your health provider.  Being the kind, responsible person they are, they want to rule out anything serious.  They order an x-ray, or maybe an MRI of your spine.  

Some time later you get the call: your imaging shows disc bulging or protrusion, or perhaps it’s loss of disc height.  Whatever the case may be - don’t panic! 

Most people over the age of 30 will have some kind of disc degeneration, and many of them will not have back pain.  In other words, what you see on MRI does not necessarily predict how you’ll feel.  

Don’t let an ugly spine selfie make you think you’re broken.  You're not.  Unless images of your spine reveal a true emergency (your health provider will let you know), you have time to sort it all out.  

#2 - You need to keep moving to feel better.

Immobility is the enemy.  

Once upon a time bedrest was a cure for … well, not much.  But when they didn’t know what else to do, health providers would prescribe a period of bedrest.  And the truth is that taking a rest can absolutely be beneficial - so long as it doesn’t involve long periods of sitting or lying down.  

Our bodies need to move.  In fact, if you do a Google search, you’ll be sure to find any number of studies that supports  the use of yoga, aerobics, or aquatic exercise (to name just a few) to relieve lower back pain.

If so many different types of activities can help back pain, it stands to reason that movement itself may be the key.  

#3 - The more you stretch, the tighter you get.  

Easy does it.  

While some people do benefit from stretching, it can often backfire.  When you stretch too far too soon, you trigger the stretch reflex (myotatic reflex).  Your muscles will protect themselves from straining or tearing by contracting in response to a vigorous stretch.

Because the stretch reflex is a spinal reflex, the brain is not involved.  In other words, you can’t consciously stop a muscle from contracting if it’s trying to protect itself. 

To prevent damaging your muscles, you need to move within your range of comfort, gently easing into new territory.  Despite what you might have read on a t-shirt, pain is not a sign of healing.  

#4 - Concentrate on coordination instead of core strength.  

Neuromuscular coordination promotes core stability.  

Remember how your spinal selfie can’t predict whether or not your back hurts?  Well, having a six-pack doesn’t make you immune to pain.  A lot of very athletic people suffer from chronic lower back pain.  How could that be?

Well, if a movement isn’t properly organized, pain can follow.  

In Somatic Movement Education, we think about how your brain is coordinating your movement.  It doesn’t matter how strong you are if you move in a way that gives you pain.  

Teaching people how to think about their movement can work, but it’s much more efficient to have people experience more functional movement patterns.  Every  Somatic Movement lesson gives you the opportunity to become aware of new, more efficient ways to move so you can let go of habits that may no longer be serving you.  

Even the most delicate 80 year old can learn to balance her weight over her skeleton so that moving feels light and effortless.  All without exercise!  

#5 - Let it go! 

Release the belly to experience low back pain relief.  

Did you know that a lot of people who try Somatic Movement Education for back pain are chronic tummy tighteners?  Either they’ve been told to “suck it in” to look good, or they were taught to “tighten the core” before performing any movement.  Their habit is so strong, they can’t let it go.  

But your back muscles can’t work properly if you don’t let go of your abdominal muscles.  Muscles are often paired so that when one muscle contracts, the opposing muscle relaxes (agonist and antagonist pairs).  One such pairing is that of the abdominal and low back muscles.  

In order for the muscles in the low back to work smoothly, we need to release our abdominals.  Otherwise, we’re promoting a tug of war.  And as in any war, there are always casualties - in this case, our comfort.  

Does this mean you can’t suck in your gut for your next photo shoot?  Of course not!  It just means that when you’re actively using your low back muscles (walking, anyone?), you need to release the abdominals.  (Be free, be free!) 

So now you know:

1. No matter what your MRI looks like, 
   
2. You need to stay active to feel better.  
   
3. If you stretch, make sure to stay within your range of motion and proceed really gradually to avoid a rebound effect that can increase your pain.  
   
4. Don’t worry about getting buff, worry about getting (neuromuscularly) coordinated.  
   
5. And get out of your own way: free the belly! 
   
   If you’d like to try a Somatic Movement Lesson via Zoom, sign up for my drop-in class.  I can’t wait to see you there!
   
   

Categories: : Back Pain, Natural Pain Relief