LOWER BACK INSIGHT
Lower back pain is a scourge. It is very common, especially for those older as a culmination of poor posture, bad habits, old injuries and the spinal compression that accompanies older age. The joints of the spine are numerous and complex. Most treatment is difficult and often ineffective. Building Better Balance has had some amazing success in helping people reduce back pain and inflammation especially in the lower spine. (Much of the information in this article is applicable for the upper spine as well.)
What is the right way to use the spine?
​Keep the lower back upright.
Use the abdominals to support the spine.
Use the upper back to support the rib cage.
Shift the head back so the back of the neck lengthens.
As we get older the forces of nature and inactivity change the spine in exactly the wrong ways: Increased inactivity cripples our core, our abdominal strength diminishes and the upper back muscles weaken and overstretch as the chest collapses and breathing becomes shallow. The head protrudes forward and the back of the neck shortens and tightens. The muscles and nerves of the lower back inflame. We get shorter.
In general, as we age we spend more of our time with the spine bent while at the same time the support muscles soften from inactivity, a prescription for back trouble. Two common elder activities that result in much more bending: sitting and looking down at the ground as you walk.
In general, as we age we spend more of our time with the spine bent while at the same time the support muscles soften from inactivity, a prescription for back trouble. Two common elder activities that result in much more bending: sitting and looking down at the ground as you walk.
How we bend and straighten the spine and why it matters:
The 33 vertebrae of the spinal column bend and straighten as a unit. When the spine bends, the abdominals reflexively disconnect. This is especially true while sitting. When the spine is straight, the abdominals automatically engage.
When the spine is bent for a significant period of time, the joints and muscles of the hips and lower back merge and tighten and operate more as a single unit. This sets us up for serious complications including potential lower spinal nerve impingement that can cause conditions like sciatica, stenosis, scoliosis and herniated disks. This can be resolved if you isolate the spine from the limbs and gently working each independently. This Building Better Balance technique results in effective, quick and safe improvement.
When the spine is bent for a significant period of time, the joints and muscles of the hips and lower back merge and tighten and operate more as a single unit. This sets us up for serious complications including potential lower spinal nerve impingement that can cause conditions like sciatica, stenosis, scoliosis and herniated disks. This can be resolved if you isolate the spine from the limbs and gently working each independently. This Building Better Balance technique results in effective, quick and safe improvement.
Throughout Building Better Balance, the goal is to keep the spine straight and relaxed and to increase range of motion and ease in the movement of the hips. When the hips are released, the lower back breathes a great sigh of relief and healing is possible.
Feel how the spine works:
Feel how your spine bends: Sit toward the front of a sturdy chair, both feet flat on the floor, legs apart with your knees over your ankles. Place your elbows (or your hands) on your knees and rest with your spine tilted forward, straight, head in line with your spine. Notice that your lower back is in an upright though tilted position. Now release your head and let it drop down. Your lower back automatically collapses and the entire spinal column bends forward. To straighten the spine, push your waist forward (moving your lower back into that upright tilted position) while still leaning on your elbows. Bring your head back so that it is again in line with your spine (to lengthen the back of the neck).
Feel what happens to the abdominals: Sit forward in your chair so the back of your waist is no longer touching the chair. Place your hand on your belly. Relax and slump in your chair. What happens to your belly? It protrudes. When you slump, the brain says why work and the abdominals go on vacation. The reverse is true as well. As you bring your waist forward your belly automatically draws in as the abdominals engage.
A weak core means that stress is disproportionately placed on the spine joints, joints already tender for other reasons.
If your lower back bothers you, strengthen your abdominals.
If your lower back bothers you and you are obese, losing weight will help more than any thing else.
Why lower back pain is so difficult:
Tension, stress, fear and inactivity create an adverse environment for spine health. All of these cause us to wither inward bending the spine, exacerbating the typical poor posture that comes with aging. Fear in particular is a virulent agent that affects our spine detrimentally. And fear is unfortunately common for us as we deal with the challenges of the aging process. Fear of falling is one example. The fear itself compromises our posture and causes problems for our spine while also ironically increasing our fall associated risk.
Lower back pain has a stronger effect for those older in that it makes it more difficult to pick the feet up off the floor as you walk which in turn makes it far more likely that you will have a fall. Lower back pain also compromises our lives because walking becomes so much more difficult. That limits an older person's life significantly.
These conditions can most certainly be overcome. We can reduce fear, improve balance and strength and learn to walk more easily. All these things simply take the dedication to do them. The resources are available. Among others, the Building Better Balance DVD series addresses many of these issues and helps to resolve most of these problems.
Lower back pain has a stronger effect for those older in that it makes it more difficult to pick the feet up off the floor as you walk which in turn makes it far more likely that you will have a fall. Lower back pain also compromises our lives because walking becomes so much more difficult. That limits an older person's life significantly.
These conditions can most certainly be overcome. We can reduce fear, improve balance and strength and learn to walk more easily. All these things simply take the dedication to do them. The resources are available. Among others, the Building Better Balance DVD series addresses many of these issues and helps to resolve most of these problems.
The very best way to work with the spine is from a seated position.
Seated exercise is wonderful for the spine. It makes it simple to isolate the hips from the lower back. We can therefore learn to properly use the spine in a simpler more controlled environment. There is no other way in my opinion to develop this essential knowledge. Standing exercise is far more complex regarding the use of the spine and isolation becomes that much more difficult.
Turned-out Seated Stance: When working with the lower back, the seated stance is important. Sit toward the front of the chair. Separate your legs 2-3 feet apart and make sure that your ankles are under your knees. The tendency is to have the feet farther apart than the knees are. Correct that by sitting in front of a mirror to check yourself. You will recognize when you get this position right by how comfortable it is to keep your lower back upright with the legs apart. This is a great stance to learn and use whenever you feel stress in your lower back.
Turned-out Seated Stance: When working with the lower back, the seated stance is important. Sit toward the front of the chair. Separate your legs 2-3 feet apart and make sure that your ankles are under your knees. The tendency is to have the feet farther apart than the knees are. Correct that by sitting in front of a mirror to check yourself. You will recognize when you get this position right by how comfortable it is to keep your lower back upright with the legs apart. This is a great stance to learn and use whenever you feel stress in your lower back.
The Essential Exercises:
1) Isolate the hip, release hip tension, reduce spine stress.
2) Stretch the muscles and the joints of the lower back.
3) Use gentle circling to relieve back stress.
A summary of the exercises is provided by clicking here:
Exercises to Release Lower Back Pain
Exercises to Release Lower Back Pain
First we release the hip joints:
- Sit toward the front of a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor. Open the legs and sit in the Turned-out Steated Stance.
- With your lower back upright, tilt your torso from side to side making an imaginary line across the seat of your chair as your weight shifts. Then tilt your torso forward and back making a second line that crosses the first. Where the 2 lines intersect is the center of your pelvic floor. In your imagination, attach yourself to the chair on that spot.
- With your hands on your knees, tilt your torso forward and back using the least amount of effort possible. This is the essential hip motion that frees stress in the lower back. Keep your spine straight throughout. Imagine a pole that runs through your head, neck and spine. Think of your body gliding. Keep your eyes focused on an inanimate object across the room from you.
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In the photo, I am looking at the camera. Instead look 3 feet in front of you on the floor.
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- Sitting upright again, reattach yourself to your chair using the center point of your pelvic floor. Think of your torso including the head and neck as a plank. Circle the torso around the center point of attachment. Circle large, circle small, increase or decrease the circumference each time. Aim for smoothness of motion and small effort.
Then we stretch the lower back:
- Sitting with the legs separated, knees over ankles and elbows (or hands) on your knees: Bring one shoulder forward to gently twist the (straight) spine. Switch sides.
- Again bring one shoulder forward, extend that arm to wrap it around your opposite lower leg. Relax into the position keeping your spine straight. Don't drop your head down. Change sides.
- Bring one shoulder forward, take the same arm and reach beyond your leg to stretch your back in any way that feels good. Switch sides.
- Bring your torso over to one leg and push the other leg away. Experiment with placing the hand pushing on the opposite knee or closer up the inner thigh. Change sides.
- Reach your arm up toward the ceiling while keeping the other elbow on your leg.
- Sitting upright, carefully bring both knees together, keeping the feet apart, to feel the outside of the thighs stretch.
Regular readers of BALANCE NEWS will recognize much of this material. Some movements are so powerful that they become foundational to physical well being. Hip release exercise is that important. Knee circling is as well.
Two Bonus Exercises:
I first learned both of these from a Tai Chi master in the 1970s in San Francisco during his outdoor Panhandle park classes in a physical form called Shau Lin. They are warmups for the knees and hips which all his students performed in cold mornings in preparation for training. The benefits extend beyond the obvious.
- Standing knee circles are a wonderful way to warm up your knee joints but also the joints of the lower back, the elusive sacroiliac and sacral joints. The exercise is designed to warm up the knee joints themselves. What is fascinating is that it has a wonderful effect on the hips and lower back as well. Stand with both feet planted on the ground, knees bent, one hand on one knee, the other hand on a sturdy object. Circle your knees 8 times in each direction. Make the circles small. The closer your feet are the harder the exercise.
- Standing hip circles is that old standby that you often see folks doing standing in line when they are tired. It is a great way to keep your lower back from tightening up. Place your hands on your hips, feet somewhat apart and circle your hips 4 times in each direction.
Some homework for you: Start to notice how you hold your spine at different times of the day. When you find yourself slumping:
Straighten the spine while standing by bringing the head back and drawing the abdominals in. Soften the knees and allow the lower back to relax in a vertical upright position.
Straighten the spine while sitting by bringing the lower back into that upright position and allowing the head to float backward.
All of the DVDs in the Building Better Balance series contain these exercises and much more for lower back health. Life is made more difficult if the spine has problems. Spine health is central and can be developed through gentle seated movement. Building Better Balance shows you how.
Other Resources For The Spine:
Guidelines for a Healthy Spine
Simple Standard for Physical Well Being
Exercises to Release Lower Back Pain
Anatomy of the Spine
Guidelines for a Healthy Spine
Simple Standard for Physical Well Being
Exercises to Release Lower Back Pain
Anatomy of the Spine
Published May 22, 2020