This pain which brings forth thousands of days off work; pain that prohibits professional or sporting careers and adds to the disadvantages of a sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, the pain that is responsible for so much suffering! What explanations do I propose?
The first osteopaths explained back pain as: “The original sin in man is the force of gravity. Man is the only animal that carries the weight of his body on the spine, and to help the patient, the osteopath must constantly fight against the effects of this force.”
In addition, I describe back pain as a result of exaggerated overuse or even over repeated movements. Sometimes inappropriate equipment may be the problem, such as shoes that do not fit properly can result in back pain. Also, if our core muscles, such as abdominal and back muscles, are not strong enough to support our upper body. The failure of the back muscles including the multifidus muscle is the leading cause of back pain.
My role as an osteopath
- A preventive role; it is not age that explains the wear, but rather the age of the original lesion and the efforts made since. I provide stretching to treat back pain. See explanation of some stretching exercises at the end of the text.
- A curative role of crises; allows to shorten the duration of a crisis by removing the critical spasm (reducing pain).
- A curative role of chronic conditions; it allows to restore the mobility of the joints, remove constraints and ease chronic pain.
Examples of stretching to treat back pain:
1 – Stretching of the rear muscle chain, lying down with legs extended up
- keep feet flexed, toes towards your face
- rear end against the wall
- arms are extended along the body
- flatten your pelvis and your neck against the ground
2 – Cat stretch
- First, drop the spine, without forcing, relax the belly while inhaling. This is a relaxation and extension movement with no load on the spine.
- Second, tuck in your belly exhaling and rounding the spine and neck. This is a flexing movement with no load on the spine.
To learn more or to book an appointment, call 514-684-9073.
- Continue reading with: Easy tips for Low Back Pain.