Avoiding Low Back Pain

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The secret to avoiding low back can be as simple as learning  how to move.  The majority of my patients seeking treatment for low back pain have not suffered an injury or accident.  They are suffering from repetitive movement trauma.  Simply put: a repetitive motion or movement done many times over the years, usually improperly.

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In the case of low back pain, the movement is bending forward at the waist (hinging at the waist) with legs straight.  Add some rotation (twisting) in there too and it's the perfect recipe for causing low back pain and disc injury.

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The way to avoid it is to learn how to bending at the hips or what is  called a hip hinge.  A hip hinge is movement (flexion and extension) through the hip joint, keeping a neutral spine and the knees slightly flexed.

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It sounds simple, but it can be complicated for some to master at first.  You need to "re-learn" how to bend thus creating new muscle firing  patterns and movement and will probably have a few tight muscles to stretch out.  Typically, the glutes, hamstrings and calves.

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