Back pain…there really is nothing else like it. It’s debilitating in the least and life altering at its worst. I’ve had my fair share of back pain and issues in the past and whilst I am no expert by any stretch ofof the imagination, I’ve been able to put much of my back pain behind me 😏
Now it goes without saying that everyone’s issues with their back is different and you should always speak to a professional about it. The following are just a few tips and insights I’ve found work for me and hopefully work for you too.
Chiro vs Osteo vs Physio
Typically I’ve defaulted to physiotherapists in the past whenever I have a flare up or lower back pain. Overall I’ve had success in getting my clamped up muscles worked out and the pain goes within a few days.
That being said, osteopaths have become my go to now because they’ve been able to address the root cause of the pain as opposed to the area in pain itself.
For those wanting to know the difference, osteopaths are well versed in the application of spinal and joint manipulation in comparison to physiotherapists. Osteopaths will look to treat the body as a whole whilst physiotherapists are generally area specific and target the tissues involved.
Try an osteopath out the next time you have issues and see how you find it, but in my experience having an osteopath who can do skeletal and muscular treatment will beat a straight chiropractor any day of the week.
The Psoas Muscle
The most blamed muscle in the body and in my opinion, TO BLOODY RIGHT!
…my psoas has caused me some issues as you might have guessed. Typically the muscle shortens as a result of excessive sitting or lack of stretching and results in a lot of issues with the hips, lower back, upper back, the list goes on.
Here is a picture of this devious turd of a muscle
All the advice I can give you with this one is stretch your hips, daily and actively. At the very least it’ll help your hips if not your back.
Any hip or psoas stretches you know of? Please let me know in the comments!
To squat or not to squat, that is the question
Look I’m not that good at squats or deadlifts if I’m perfectly honest. I’ve spent a lot of time on technique and low weight variations, I just haven’t been able to nail them.
Having multiple injuries over the years from these exercises has turned me off them, and a friend of mine recently slipped a disk by going up in weight too quickly on a deadlift and boom, cooked back.
Now I’m not saying don’t do them. They are great exercises if you can do them right but please for your own sake be careful. Get a form coach to help you with it and take your time increasing weight. No more than a 5% increase on weight each week or two.
In place of these exercises I’ll go for Romanian dead lifts (RDLs) or weighted lunges. Give these a try if you’re not that keen for squats or deadlifts.
What’s an exercise you’ve found has worked well for your back to strengthen and recover?
That’s it for this week folks, I hope your weeks are free of any back issues and next week we talk business. Specifically, business attire and some dapper brands.
Best way for me to recover (I've had 2 serious car crashes + injuries) and stay healthy: I do this hip flexer routine every day and have for years: https://app.fitonapp.com/browse/workout/717. It may have been made for women, as the coach is a woman as is her guest on the video, but the exercises are worth a look. The other thing that worked wonders for me: regular deep massage from someone who worked on injured athletes (the one I had worked with injured ballerinas from the NYC and Boston ballet companies. Those folks know how to stretch!) I've given up squats altogether because they do not like my back or my knees; that could just be my age (66) talking. Great post, btw. I learned so much about back pain/issues/ healing options. Here's to the best of health! Keep moving, keep stretching!
I have a super osteopath - she's always my first port of call! Great post - thanks, Ben.