How Did My Back End Up Like This?

It makes a lot of sense to avoid things that caused your back pain. It’s probably the first strategy you should take.

But, sometimes the strategy you use to protect your back is the very reason why your back still hurts. There is a series of video tutorials at the bottom of this page and I know you want scroll down, but don’t do it! Understanding the problem is necessary for the solution to work.

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Here is a common scenario. You hurt your back lifting a couch. Your back seized up and every time you bend over, you feel pain. You go to the doctor, and he tells you to stop bending over and not to lift anything heavy. You follow this advice and eventually, you feel better. 🥳

Two weeks go by, and you lift some groceries, and you hurt your back again. 😡

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In your frustrated state, you vowed to never let that happen again! You remember the doctor’s advice, and you commit yourself to stop rounding over and avoid picking up anything heavy for months, maybe even years. You haven’t experienced another episode of back pain since. That must mean it’s working!

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But down the line, you started to get stiff while sitting, and you found your back vulnerable whenever you try to round it or twist it. You started to skip vacations because you can’t stand those long plane rides, and doing any exercise other than walking is out of the question. At this point, the problem is no longer the same back issue that occurred when you lifted that couch.

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Your act of avoiding certain movements and loading to your spine had wired your nervous system to become extra sensitive to these things, which fundamentally changed the way your body moves subconsciously. So…what’s the cure?

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This is the ironic part. The cure is doing the exact same thing that caused you pain in the first place. It is reintroducing slouching, rounding, twisting, and lifting heavy things. But every time you attempt it, it hurts! What now?

When you have been avoiding certain fundamental movements for a long time, your body needs to re-learn how to do those things correctly again. Yes, it’s a “use it or lose it” type of thing.

Luckily, you can slowly convince your nervous system that it is safe to do those movements again and rewire it back to its old “default.”

VideoTutorial One:

Reprogram Your Nervous System to Sit and Slouch Better Using Your Breath

How do I start this reprogramming? It all starts with using your diaphragm to move your ribcage with your breath!

When you think “breath”, you’re probably thinking about spirituality, stress etc, but we are NOT talking about those things.

We are talking about the physical movement of bones and muscles that occur when you breathe, something you can feel viscerally in your body!

​Start with this 3 minute tutorial where you will learn how your breath will physically change the tightness you feel in your muscles around your back. Watch the entire video before moving on to part 2! ​

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Video Tutorial Two:

Stretch Your Diaphragm to Slouch More Comfortably

​Now that you understand the principle, let’s put it into practice! If you’re here and you haven’t watched video tutorial one, STOP and go back up. You wouldn’t jump to calculus class before you learn algebra, would you?

Video Tutorial Three:

Breathe Into Upper Back Through Your Butthole To Release Tension In Your Pelvis

Two common obstacles that could make it more difficult slouch is upper back tightness and/or pelvic floor tightness. No worries, this video will troubleshoot both of these things! But before we start, let’s address the elephant in the title…🐘

Did you say “breathe through your butthole?” 🤨

YES! Stop here for a moment and check in with your pelvis.

Does it feel “loose” or does it feel “clenched?”

For many of us, we unconsciously clench our pelvis or butt cheeks due to stress and/or anxiety. When you keep up with this practice, you may develop an overly tight pelvic floor, which can hinder your progress.

Curious about working with us at our Needham location or remotely to solve your specific problem? Schedule a FREE consultation and talk to us directly to find out if we can help!