Back pain has easy solutions but requires you to re-discover yourself.

Back pain has easy solutions but requires you to re-discover yourself.

Stuart McGill is the Back Guru of Canada. He is a compassionate researcher who also works with patients, not just study them. What I admire most about him is the ability to teach people, patiently and simply, the basics of back care.
Almost everyone will experience debilitating back pain at some point in their life and really don’t have the tools to escape the patterns that got them to that place. It is heartbreaking for me to hear people say they go for walks but their back hurts because walking is ‘nature’s healing balm’ and really should make your whole body and mind feel better. If it doesn’t then it is time to reflect on what you are really doing and how you are locked up. ‘Understand your pain mechanism” is a powerful sentence and so valuable for your future.
Last night in Pilates I talked about the back portions of the pelvis and sacrum. I agree with Stuart 100% that you are not supposed to press your back to the floor in Pilates. PLEASE keep in mind as instructors we are asking you to move the heaviness from tailbone to top of bum area then be able to move between different areas and sides. The problem is most people are ‘stuck’ in one spot then ‘slam’ their back into the floor. That is NOT Pilates. If you have ever been in any of my classes, especially over the last 2 years, you know that I stress getting your over-active muscles to release and regain hip mobility back with ground and body sense.
LOVE his description of how stretching can change people’s perception of a joint and the addiction of the chemical reaction. If you only feel good because of a class, I am suspicious of your mechanoreceptors and how you perceive movement. If you need to stretch leg muscles or run every day to feel good, these are indications of too little or too much going on. My view is to evaluate how much you are wearing your body down or nourishing it with movement. Also I would suggest that you don’t get stuck in your story of diagnosis or past injuries. Yes, they influence the body immensely but there are so many pathways you can use, not just the one that is causing pain.
In regards to sex and back pain….there is a program that does provide suggestions on positions, but they don’t explain it….it is a manual in pictures (not the Kama Sutra!) so that people can put their back into positions to change how your back is activated. But most people find that when they move better, that all takes care of itself, thankfully!
No matter your age or lack of back pain, this 60 min video could influence your life or a loved one in many beneficial ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyGaKuSzD

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