Moving through lower back pain

Unexplained lower back pain is something that has plagued me to varying degrees throughout 30 of my nearly 40 years of life, and I must say that both the diagnostics to determine the cause, as well as the management strategies to either deal with or ideally dissolve the pain, have been severely lacking.

In previous blogs I’ve mentioned how this set me off on a path of self-diagnosis and management. What I discovered was that my body was in a constant state of low to high level inflammation with my nervous system on high alert, both leading to ongoing lower back tension.

My investigations, study, research and inquiry also landed me in serving the way I do currently, in helping people to move and breathe better, and sustainably. Fittingly for my clients,

it is usually always stress and tension which must first be reduced, to again have the body moving as an efficient, supported and COMPLETE whole.

Like often attracts like and I would go on to encounter many other lower back pain sufferers along my discovery and healing journey. The more people I met the more I learnt about the causes of this sometimes unexplained and random affliction: endometriosis, scoliosis, sciatica, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, herniated disc, prostate issues, ligament strain, spinal stenosis, joint laxity, pregnancy or postpartum complications - the list goes on.

The common aspect I have found among those with one of the above conditions, is that they either become protective around the affliction and hence stop moving, or are unsure how to safely do so. When the body is suffering we are often told to rest; to stop moving in case you do something that worsens the condition. However, a doctor’s recommendation to “take it easy” is not very helpful if it means becoming afraid to move. This type of fear can further inflame a condition and lead to even greater tension and lower back pain.

Despite the serious nature of these situations, over time working with a variety of lower back pain sufferers,

I started to see that the degree of suffering could be heavily reduced or even diminished simply by moving gently and breathing intentionally.

One thing I personally needed to learn was how to move again, after being restricted and being told to not move for such a long time.

So, what specifically did I learn and what can you do?

1. Let go of expectations that your body needs to move the way it did previously (for now) and instead focus on the ability and potential of your body now.
2. Increase your level of body awareness through movement & massage, to prevent build up of unnecessary tension
3. Centring and spacious breathing techniques which enable you to switch off “held” muscles around the injured area
4. Moving in a way that uses “as little as possible and only what is needed” (the Pilates element of disassociation)
5. Reconnect to your deep core muscles through refined and small movements
6. Limit exercises that might trigger the ‘protective’ mechanism of your lower back or abdominal muscles
7. Make sure your are still having some fun and moving dynamically with minimal effort

Applying the above will enable you to again enjoy being in your body despite years of tension and fear held around the lower back.

It was from this place that the Pelvic Performance Masterclass was born  ....

to show you how you can safely move through pregnancy, or any issue that affects the area in or around the pelvis, spine and hips. Join us at the next masterclass at the Mind Body Heart studio in Wembley, Perth.