Is Back Pain Destroying Your Life?

Back Pain Ruining Your Life?

Feel like one wrong move and you’re not getting out of bed?

Does your back hurt just looking at that photo?

Do you think your back pain with NEVER go away?

Just because you’ve hurt your back, doesn’t mean you?ll always have a bad back.

There are options because you DON’T have to live with chronic back pain!

I had chronic low back pain from the age of 11 until I was 33 and discovered the source of my pain. With relaxing certain areas of my body, strengthening others and doing lots of soul searching as to WHY my back pain began at age 11, I was finally rid of the pain after 22 years.

From a physical perspective, the main muscles that need some TLC with massage and self care are the glute/butt muscles and the quadriceps/thigh muscles, and the hip flexors (muscles at the front of the hips).

Nice bum, where ya from??

When each individual glute muscle (there are a lot in there-all doing different activities) is activated properly ? unilaterally as well as bilaterally, and are tension free and firing freely, the hips are able to move well and fully functionally, in succession with the low back. If the glutes are tight and angry with stress and tension, the low back begins to develop trigger points that radiate into the low back, creating pain, immobility, and a loss of functionality.

Broken down, key glute players in whether or not the hips and pelvis are aligned properly for optimal, painfree function are:

gluteus medius
piriformis

Gluteus Medius??

Glute med is a significant muscle associated with the hips and low back. When tight, it can cause trigger point referrals to many areas of the low back, hip and even all the way down the leg.

Because the hip bones move unilaterally/independently, as well as dependently/together, it’s important for each to be relaxed and firing properly.
If one glute med is tight, then the whole pelvis is thrown off visually noted with a raised hip or shortened leg on the opposite side).

A trendelenburg gait will be noted which is a hip drop with walking.
This muscle is great to massage and roll with a tennis ball or lacrosse ball while lying on the ground.

Let’s talk Sciatic nerves and hip pain!! ?

Piriformis

The piriformis muscle is a small but mighty muscle that packs a big punch. ??It works by internally rotating the hip (when the knee and hip are flexed up to the tummy) AND externally rotating the hip (when the leg is extended or straight).

This muscle sits just over top of the sciatic nerve which travels from the lumbar spine, innervating all the way down to the toes.
When the piriformis is tight (piriformis syndrome), it can cause a trigger point – pain, numbness, irritation down the back of the leg to the knee.

TRUE SCIATICA is numbness or pain/burning along the nerve all the way down to the foot and toes (photo #1). Chiropractic care, laser therapy are both excellent with treating sciatica and SI/Sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

What to do?

Assess:

your sleeping and sitting positions
any pronation (or weakness) in the feet
pes planus (flat feet)
pregnancy
turning of the hips

Any or all of these can cause symptoms associated with a tight piriformis, low back and sciatic pain.

Want to move like this?

STRETCH IT OUT!

Massage
yoga
lots of self work with:
- foam rollers,
- balls and
- stretching

These are all excellent in increasing flexibility and functionality in the hips and ultimately help to relieve low back pain.

Drink lots of water, eat lots of veggies and fiber.

Stay healthy.

And remember that there is always a mind-body connection so remember to calm your stress levels with deep breathing and meditation.

*Stay Tuned for the next blog post on hip flexors and how they also can create back pain!

*Let me know what you enjoyed about this post and what you’d like to see next.

Lots of love,

Your Life Coach
??Lisa McClelland RN BScN RMT CLT CCP

For more information on this or other health related concerns contact me at?lisa@lisamcclelland.com?or if you’re ready to take control of your health now contact me for a 45 minute complimentary strategy session to get you started on your way to better health now.

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