CategoriesBack Pain Swimming

Is Swimming Good For Getting Rid Of Back Pain?

Many people report that their back feels much better when they swim, and it is often prescribed as a treatment plan by many health professionals. However, this is not always the case and like most things to do with health the answer is not that simple for not all types of back pain are the same. What might help one type of back pain may hurt the next so you need to be certain as to what type of injury you are dealing with. Secondly, and more importantly even if swimming helps to manage your pain it does not address the reason for it or change the faulty movement you are continually using when you are standing up. Swimming may help some people to counter the damage of their dysfunctional movement but it will not be able to change it and this is where you efforts must be placed if you want a successful long term treatment.

CategoriesBack Pain Back Pain Prevention Bulging Disc Dr Stuart McGill

Big Lessons I Learned About Back Pain From Dr Stuart McGill

When it comes to talking about back pain, and more specifically what causes it and what are the best exercise strategies to treat it there is nobody better than Dr Stuart McGill. His books and endless research into this chronic condition are referred to by experts in all fields from all over the world and rated as best practice for helping people find long term solutions to their pain. I first read his books “Low Back Disorders” and “Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance” back in 2007 and was blown away by his approach and this changed the way I trained clients and my entire training philosophy. In 2016 I read his latest book “Back Pain Mechanic” and lastly in 2018 I read “Gift Of Injury” and also completed a two day training course on how to implement this with clients. Even though I was using most of his methods and philosophies in our back pain rehabilitation programs, it is not until you spend time hands on with this that you “really learn” some of the finer things and gain a greater understanding of the reason behind his methods. This article I am going to share with you what I found to be some of the best lessons I learned from him.

CategoriesLower Back Pain Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Exercise Strategies to Correct Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction & Lower Back Pain

If there is one thing I have learned in my 16 years as a trainer it is to never assume people are the same and always use assessments and tests to guide you when designing an exercise program. When it comes to back pain this is very important to remember, for it is very easy to fall into the trap of assuming all these injuries are the same and using exercises that actually exacerbate their injury instead of correcting it. Most of the lower back pain cases I see are what we classify as “flexion related” that usually end up as bulging disc injuries or sciatica type injuries. The lesser known and not as common lower back injuries are the “extension related” cases and this is where we come across the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) problems. What we must understand is that the exercises that may work perfectly with the bulging disc injury may make things worse for the person with SIJ problems. In this article, I am going to share with you some of the key things to understand about working with this type of problem and how you can correct it with specific exercise strategies.