Low Back Pain Relief Day-1

I, The Shirtless Dude, have experienced my very own 10mm herniation in my lower back (among other things). It was a curse, but also a blessing! Before we dive deep into why this is happening to you, and why it can be seen as a good thing, let’s just get you some relief in these first two emails.

This first massage (video above) is meant to loosen up the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscle in the sides of the lower back. Doing so will help to “decompress” the spine and surrounding structure (ribs/pelvis). Spend 1 to 10 minutes massaging each side of your lower back. Use a tennis ball, lacrosse ball (very hard), other massage balls, a big avocado pit, a small rock wrapped in a sock, etc. Get creative if you don’t have the first three. Make sure to breathe slowly into the belly through your nose.

How to Position Yourself for the Wall Massage

In this video, you'll learn the correct body position for performing the wall massage technique. Watch how to place the massage ball, align your body against the wall, and apply steady pressure to the muscles along the side of your lower back. Using the proper technique will help you target the right areas, maximize relief, and avoid unnecessary discomfort.

Structures of the low back!

Be on the lookout for tomorrow's email, you will be focusing on some gentle movement of the lower back to introduce blood flow to the area, improve the awareness of your lower back, and promote healing.

Low Back Pain Relief Day-2

Tilting the pelvis  forward and backward (anterior and posterior) activates the muscles on the front side (abdominals and hip flexors) and backside (glutes,  hamstrings, QL’s, and your back straps). The lateral tilts (side to side) turns on those QL muscles that you massaged yesterday, abdominals,  and obliques on the sides of the body. Why would you want to turn on the QL’s if they felt so tight yesterday?! Well, a muscle that feels “tight”  is also usually WEAK!Massaging and stretching is only part of the equation. You also need to strengthen the muscles in their full “range of  motion” - we will get to that another time. Make small movements with your pelvis. If something hurts, don’t force the movement. Smaller and slower movements are better than fast and big movements right now.

Do 1-3 sets of 10 forward and backward pelvic tilts SLOWLY (anterior/posterior) and 1-3 sets of 10 side-to-side pelvic tilts (lateral). Feel free to  massage the QL muscles on the sides of the lower back before and/or after doing the tilts. You may find that massaging them before the tilts  will give you more movement to work with temporarily. Make sure to breathe slowly into the belly through your nose.Tomorrow we'll be discussing why your back hurts, from a full-body perspective. See you then.

Low Back Pain Relief- Day 3

Your back could be hurting for a myriad of reasons. Your lifestyle (sitting all day vs. moving all day), your workout routine (or lack of workout routine), stressors in life (work, spouse, kids, finances, death), diet (processed and inflammatory foods), and trauma (falls, car accidents, etc.) can all play a role in why your back hurts.

Sometimes it can be one of these things, but most times it is a combination of them that contribute to pain.At Whealth, we aim to improve all of these areas rather than only focusing on improving movements. The way you move may be just one piece of the puzzle. Hopefully, you have already seen some improvement with the QL massage and Pelvic Tilts that we gave you in the first two emails -  many people do. Is your back pain chronic (persistent) or acute (new)? Acute pains are often resolved within a few weeks with a little movement, stretching, and massaging. Chronic pains have lasted for months/years and are often amplified by our expectations of that pain.We plan our days around it,  we constantly ruminate over it, and we often know that we will hurt when we do x, y, and z in our day.

Movement and diet changes can profoundly impact our experience of chronic pain, and it also helps to understand that pain has a mental component to it. The first step to overcoming acute and chronic pain is to understand that it isn’t life-threatening! Unless you were just hit by a car, fell off of a  3-story building, or were attacked by a bear, the musculoskeletal pain that we experience in our lives is rarely a threat to our life… and yet, everyone treats pain as if it were going to kill them.It is natural to be fearful of pain, but the back pain that we experience is rarely a cause for fear. Is your fear associated with not being able to do that thing that you love again? You will get there.

In our instant gratification society, we often expect our troubles to be solved quickly, but it takes time for the body to heal.At Whealth, we guide people to improving their movement patterns, shifting away from an inflammatory diet, and creating a positive relationship with their pain. This doesn’t happen quickly. Patience, consistency, and daily effort will allow you to overcome this troubling situation that you are in now. In the subsequent two emails, we will be providing you with a fantastic stretch and re-patterning a movement that you do on an hourly basis.

Low Back Pain Relief- Day 4

MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT THEIR HIP FLEXORS FEEL "TIGHT"

Stretching them can offer some immediate relief, not only for the hips but also for the lower back.

Why? The hip flexors flex your thigh to your chest, OR they tilt your pelvis anterior (arching the lower back). A couple of the hip flexors (psoas major and minor) actually connect to the front of your spine. If your QL muscles in the back and hip flexors on the front are “tight,” they can compress the spine.

Releasing the hip flexors and the QL muscle will offer some quick relief and improved range of motion of the pelvis.

Hold this stretch for 1-4 minutes on each side. Play with different angles of your pelvis. Make sure to focus on breathing slowly into the belly through your nose the entire time. Tomorrow we will be helping you with a very common movement that, when practiced, can make all the difference for your lower back pain.

Low Back Pain Relief- Day 5

There actually aren’t any “wrong” ways to do a hip hinge/deadlift, but there are more efficient ways to do it. If your lower back hurts, chances are that you have some fear associated with doing this movement, and that is okay! The way that we teach the hip hinge is SAFE for your lower back. 

If the first video is a no-go for you, then try the modified variations in the video below. Remember that, even if you have a crazy herniation in the lower back, you are just hinging with just your own bodyweight - you aren’t trying to pick up a 100lb(45kg) weight. There is nothing to be afraid of here. 

With the hip hinge, it is helpful to sit back (searching for a little stretch in the hamstrings). If you hinge over and shift your weight forward into your toes, this forces the lower back to do more work. If you sit back, your hip muscles will do more of the work. Rounding the lower back also puts more load on the spine.

Keeping the spine “neutral” (subtle arch in the lower back) creates stability in the spine. Utilize this movement throughout your day and in your workouts. Do 1-3 sets of 5-10 hip hinges. Hinge over as far as you are comfortable and sit back as you do it. Keep your weight spread throughout both of your feet. Feel free to do the QL massage, hip flexor stretch, and pelvic tilts BEFORE doing the hip hinge. You may find this to significantly improve your range of motion and control.

Are you satisfied with your results so far?
We dive much deeper into these movements, dozens of others, and so much more in our courses, Limitless and Hypermobility. In both programs, we use a 360-degree approach utilizing movement, nutrition, and mindset to empower you to overcome your pain. If you've found this content valuable so far, then you will find this is the tip of the iceberg for all the benefits that await you in this comprehensive pain program.

Which program is right for you?

Book a free 15 minute consultation and let’s find out!