Unplug and Recharge: Loving Your Lower Back, Part I (VIDEO)

Last week we focused on giving your shoulders some TLC; and many of you voiced that your lower backs need some loving as well. Know that you are not alone, for low back pain is one of the most common structural ailments worldwide.

The reasons behind this are many: poor posture, spending many hours sitting, emotional stress, and lack of physical exercise being a few. The good news is that small chunks of appropriately targeted stretching and strengthening exercises interspersed throughout your day can vastly improve your quality of life.

To bring more ease to the lower back there are four main areas that you need to focus on. These include the positioning of the pelvis, the front hip flexors (known as the iliopsoas), the abdominals, and gently stretching and contracting the muscles of the lower back. The latter three will help to influence the position of your pelvis, moving it toward a more optimal and stable position (neither tipped too far forward, causing your belly to protrude and your low back to compress, nor "tucked" under, causing a flattening in your low back and a hardening in your groins).

This week we'll focus on the front hip flexors. These muscles become tense by sitting in chairs, walking on pavement and having poor posture. In addition, they are one of the most emotionally sensitive muscle groups in the body and react quite profoundly to stress.

Join me for a few minutes to infuse your hips (and, in turn, your low back) with more breath, circulation, and fluidity.

Comments

[jones]

Yikes... Growing old is not for wimps.

[topkatnc]

Thirty years of back problems..­.try anything..­for me last surgery was a spinal fusion....­it helped some, but I was hoping it would help more...I would not do it again...fo­r me it is exercise, positive out-look , hot and cold packs...te­ns unit and pain clinic every three months...

[duze]

Yoga is great for everything. I didn't begin taking yoga for back problems. My problems centered around circulation. Because of a surgery I experienced, I was bed ridden for months. However, 3 days per week, my yoga instructor visited my home and taught me very gentle stretches. By the time I could really participate, I felt better than ever. I didn't have an fatigue and my breathing was better. Yoga is good for everything!

[Sara Avant Stover - Huffpost Blogger]

hello all,

thank you for sharing your comments and personal experiences. we'll meet again here next week with part 2 of the series--st­rengthenin­g the core to support the lower back!

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks Sara- Appreciate your Yoga wisdom - Yoga should be taught in the school system as it helps deal with the challenges of everyday life

It is fortunate that you are a living yoga blogger- Loving your lower back is essential - sometimes people ignore it cause they don't see it-

Namaste,

Ed

[krayonc]

Sara!!!!! I soooooooo needed this. Thank you!

[kapalabhati]

I started w/back pain early in my adulthood, despite leading an active and healthy lifestyle. I tried chiropractic, which did help, but yoga is the way to go, no doubt about it. I have way more good days than bad, which says a lot, considering the pain I had.

[barriosbabe]

I have been through so many back problems, it is ridiculous­.I thought I would share what I have learned over the decades:

1. Look to yourself for the answer; The minute I gave up having somebody or something "fix me" or "relieve the pain", I got better; 2. Keep trying different stuff to move - I cannot emphasize this enough - sometimes you have to mildly aggravate or reinjure before you find the combination of movements that heals. For me it was a mix of swimming, Pa Gua, dance, hypnosis to let go, and healthy eating. I did terrible with N@zi Pilates and with all types of physical therapy - mostly because they just nagged me a lot about boring exercises. 3. It's the old DeBono Logic: you may not find the right door unless you walked down a lot of bad hallways. As long as I worried, complained, tried a million practitioners, stayed in bed, sitting, on pills, whatever, expecting somebody else to fix it, I stayed in pain. 4. I would have to be on all four crawling for six months before I let anybody do surgery. And I have blown discs, fractures, more. I had sciatica so bad I literally could not sit down for 18 months. It gave me a whole new appreciation for so-called disabled challenges.

[escribacat]

Agree completely. I've been there too, with many episodes of being crippled for months and months. The minute I stopped listening to the "surgery doctor" I started feeling better. I've had good results with cortizone injections, Egoscue, and trigger point massage.

[brandnewstuff]

I have been doing all I can - but learned from an Injury caused by a male and violence that due to my leg being short- It destroyed my Spine- my only comfort is wanting this man to die in a Fed Prison.

[barriosbabe]

You should read the letters at the Alice Miller website. Very helpful. She says that forgiving our past tormentors is a big mistake and leads to holding on to pain.

[Pema]

I love hearing lower back pain getting attention. I have disc problems, majors disc problems. I do yoga now, but i can not do all the poses, i went for an eval by the yoga instructor and it was the perfect thing to do. If your having low back pain you must see a doctor before engading in excersice, i heard this, but never really paid attention to it until now. had i not I would have caused some harm to myself, Now I can do the poses and see results from pain and stiffness. Its hard, its not easy but it does work. I never thought i could do yoga, never. so dont give up! See your doctor to ensure its not a small fracture of disc problem and then adjust your workout to it. a yoga instructor who has experience with bad backs is a wonderous gift.
thanks for the artical I look forward to seeing more!