10 Myths About Lower Back Pain (LBP)

Mr J

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... I can do all the exercises prescribed, except the bird dog/superman which are still painful
...
I had to google what those exercises are, I gave the superman planking exercise a go out of interest. It seems to have a similar effect to one of the things I do with the silly ball - puts some rotational force on the torso - the core is not just the abs. It also requires the body to balance - I am told that core reflexes help protect - not just strength.

One of the massage therapists who has treated me insisted that some of the body builders with ripped abs did not have a good solid core.
 

One-Off

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I had to google what those exercises are, I gave the superman planking exercise a go out of interest. It seems to have a similar effect to one of the things I do with the silly ball - puts some rotational force on the torso - the core is not just the abs. It also requires the body to balance - I am told that core reflexes help protect - not just strength.

One of the massage therapists who has treated me insisted that some of the body builders with ripped abs did not have a good solid core.
Actually started doing them. It hurt at first, but I'm taking VM's advice and I told myself these are just false signals. Started unweighted squats...and realized how weak my legs are. Not much squatting when running marathons. Still sore every evening but I'm staying active. Next week I'll venture back into the lineup....
 
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gbg

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Twas a twist of irony last night when my back spazzed out while I literally rolled out my yoga mat for a yoga class.

I hurt my back in September. Ive been letting it heal up, hit it with anti-inflams to get the swelling down. I was able to start moving a bit freer. Body weight exercises, stretches to increase ROM after everything feeling locked up, yoga, some short 3 mile runs. I wanted to get in the gym with some weights, but lagged. I was about to surf for the first time since September and booiing. Felt my back flinch in a familiar way, stayed in the class, and I'm hobbling today.
Yoga is not always best for back issues. Yoga is mostly back arching exercises and can do more harm than good. My kinesiologist recommended more forward leaning stretches and movements.

The sit cross lean is a great stretch for a low back in spasms. Sit indian style and lean forward and put your hands on floor out in front of you. Hold that stretch one minute. Goal is to put your forearms on floor in front of you, then eventually touch your forehead on floor. If your hips are tight it may take a few days before your lower back muscles feel the stretch.
 

CutnSnip

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Yoga is not always best for back issues. Yoga is mostly back arching exercises and can do more harm than good. My kinesiologist recommended more forward leaning stretches and movements.

The sit cross lean is a great stretch for a low back in spasms. Sit indian style and lean forward and put your hands on floor out in front of you. Hold that stretch one minute. Goal is to put your forearms on floor in front of you, then eventually touch your forehead on floor. If your hips are tight it may take a few days before your lower back muscles feel the stretch.

touch your head on the floor? that is a really hard pose to do even for seasoned yogi's let alone someone just starting out with back issues.
 

gbg

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touch your head on the floor? that is a really hard pose to do even for seasoned yogi's let alone someone just starting out with back issues.
Yup. Takes time. Hands first. Then forearms then weeks later your head will be close.
 

One-Off

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Yoga is not always best for back issues. Yoga is mostly back arching exercises and can do more harm than good. My kinesiologist recommended more forward leaning stretches and movements.

The sit cross lean is a great stretch for a low back in spasms. Sit indian style and lean forward and put your hands on floor out in front of you. Hold that stretch one minute. Goal is to put your forearms on floor in front of you, then eventually touch your forehead on floor. If your hips are tight it may take a few days before your lower back muscles feel the stretch.
The lean forward is still the most painful stretch for me. Tying my shoes is the only daily chore that I still have to modify to do (I have to sit down). I will be working on that this week. I tried it over a week ago and the pain was still too much. I also discovered that I can't really sit Indian style. I assume you're talking full or half lotus?
 
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One-Off

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It helps if we stop looking at back pain as an injury. Lower back pain is as common as a cold......but we don't get multi-page threads about colds.
Except I never had to go to the ER, totally hobbled, by a cold.

Although I had a coughing cold leading up to my back spasm, and it's only now, after 3 weeks, that coughing and sneezing does not hurt tremendously. I would make the weirdest noises and gestures trying to avoid coughing. My family would laugh a me. So maybe it was, in a sense, the cold that put me in the ER.
 

gbg

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If it hurts to do it and you cannot even sit cross legged or indian style, you need to do it. When I started on this program I could not sit like this picture. That's how tight my hips were. Every muscle in my body was tight. I could barely move. The tighter you are, the more pain and discomfort you have and the greater your risk of injury is. And most importantly tight muscles means diminished performance. I was lucky to see this kinesiologist for free. Former olympic trainer. Long list of current professional athlete clients. Contract with USSOCOM. I was in his studio 3 days a week, 2 hours a day. Listening. Learning. Stretching. Life changing for me. Watching this guy help people who could not be helped by physical therapists and trainers. Now if you want to listen to VomMeister who will tell you stretching is of no benefit, just run back to your doctor for more pills, MRIs, surgeries. Or you can take the expert advice and focus on stretching. Every surfer needs to stretch. His secret to stretching is holding the stretch 2 minutes but never exceed 7/10 on the pain scale. If you are holding your stretch 20 seconds, you are doing nothing. I am happy to help anyone with these stretches. I have helped a few people by walkibgvthem through the program. Life changing for them too. A few others didn't have "time" to stretch 45 minutes a day. And they barely surf any more. 09d36bbb14af7fab9b4c11d4e7025d31.jpg
 

VonMeister

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Please cite one study that shows stretching, or whatever the self suck guy in the photo is trying to do, offers any medical benefit for anything ........except apparently blue balls.
 

One-Off

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If it hurts to do it and you cannot even sit cross legged or indian style, you need to do it. When I started on this program I could not sit like this picture. That's how tight my hips were. Every muscle in my body was tight. I could barely move. The tighter you are, the more pain and discomfort you have and the greater your risk of injury is. And most importantly tight muscles means diminished performance. I was lucky to see this kinesiologist for free. Former olympic trainer. Long list of current professional athlete clients. Contract with USSOCOM. I was in his studio 3 days a week, 2 hours a day. Listening. Learning. Stretching. Life changing for me. Watching this guy help people who could not be helped by physical therapists and trainers. Now if you want to listen to VomMeister who will tell you stretching is of no benefit, just run back to your doctor for more pills, MRIs, surgeries. Or you can take the expert advice and focus on stretching. Every surfer needs to stretch. His secret to stretching is holding the stretch 2 minutes but never exceed 7/10 on the pain scale. If you are holding your stretch 20 seconds, you are doing nothing. I am happy to help anyone with these stretches. I have helped a few people by walkibgvthem through the program. Life changing for them too. A few others didn't have "time" to stretch 45 minutes a day. And they barely surf any more. View attachment 85306

Does your kinesiologist have a website? Or any online info?

I was so tight when I tried it that I will make it a personal challenge to do it. It couldn't hurt. I will listen to VM about building up strength, though.

I'll try anything. I just want to surf.:cursing:

ps I can sit crosslegged (uncomfortably). When you said "Indian style" I thought you meant lotus or half lotus.
 
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gbg

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Does your kinesiologist have a website? Or any online info?

I was so tight when I tried it that I will make it a personal challenge to do it. It couldn't hurt. I will listen to VM about building up strength, though.

I'll try anything. I just want to surf.:cursing:

ps I can sit crosslegged (uncomfortably). When you said "Indian style" I thought you meant lotus or half lotus.

You won't find much on his site that will help you but it will help you understand his philosophy. You can order his videos but its not cheap. Professional athletes pay $500 an hour to work with this guy.

Or I will help you free based on the months I spent working with him. Where do you live? If by chance you are in SD area, I'm willing to help a fellow surfer out.

It's important you do not exercise/weight train right now. This is what Joe told me when I started treatment. I heard him say this to every new person who came in seeking treatment. I know you want to surf but it is the worst thing for you. Ask me how I know.

You need to make it convenient and comfortable to stretch. Get a soft exercise mat, tennis balls, lacrosse balls, and a yoga block.

You can stretch first thing in the morning. I get coffee and go right to my calf board then the floor. It's so routine now. As long as you don't exceed that 7/10 on the pain scale, stretching cold is fine.
 

VonMeister

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Joe is an asshole.

Read Joe's paradigms on his website. Every single one of them has been proven to be medically and factually incorrect. It's the same regurgitated snake oil sh!t that's been around since forever.

You're not broken.... your back hurts. It's time to get the fuck over it.

Or you can buy Joe Hippensteels Ultimate Performance Package for the low low price of $69.99. You heard me right. $69.99. A huge discount off the regular price of $599.99....limited time only, act now.

 
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One-Off

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Joe is an asshole.

Read Joe's paradigms on his website. Every single one of them has been proven to be medically and factually incorrect. It's the same regurgitated snake oil sh!t that's been around since forever.

You're not broken.... your back hurts. It's time to get the fook over it.

Or you can buy Joe Hippensteels Ultimate Performance Package for the low low price of $69.99. You heard me right. $69.99. A huge discount off the regular price of $599.99....limited time only, act now.

I am inquiring about Barbell Medicine's "Training Templates." Any familiarity with them? Are they just training program videos?
 
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VonMeister

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I am inquiring about Barbell Medicine's "Training Templates." Any familiarity with them? Are they just training program videos?
The beginner template has an instructional booklet, but they are program spreadsheets that are geared towards someone who has access to a gym or gym equipment and an understanding of how to perform the prescribed lifts.

Do you have a gym membership?
 

One-Off

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You won't find much on his site that will help you but it will help you understand his philosophy. You can order his videos but its not cheap. Professional athletes pay $500 an hour to work with this guy.

Or I will help you free based on the months I spent working with him. Where do you live? If by chance you are in SD area, I'm willing to help a fellow surfer out.

It's important you do not exercise/weight train right now. This is what Joe told me when I started treatment. I heard him say this to every new person who came in seeking treatment. I know you want to surf but it is the worst thing for you. Ask me how I know.

You need to make it convenient and comfortable to stretch. Get a soft exercise mat, tennis balls, lacrosse balls, and a yoga block.

You can stretch first thing in the morning. I get coffee and go right to my calf board then the floor. It's so routine now. As long as you don't exceed that 7/10 on the pain scale, stretching cold is fine.
If it works for you , great, but a quick google-
 

encladd

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If it works for you , great, but a quick google-
I read the article but didn't follow the part about how stretching didn't make him more flexible? Seriously? Stretching has greatly improved my flexibility and range of motion and to suggest that it's a coincidence is fucking crazier than the surfing super model.

They also don't mention stretching the fascia, just about how stretching relates to muscles and performance. Benefits of hydrating and stretching your fascia doesn't have a ton of research but the anecdotal evidence is certainly promising. I even found this in the article:

Researchers measured the thickness of lumbar connective tissues with ultrasound in 60 chronic low back pain patients and 47 health people. The fascia was about 25% thicker in people with back pain, which is quite a bit, and a surprising finding with potentially major — but unknown — clinical significance. The authors suggest that it could be related to “genetic factors, abnormal movement patterns and chronic inflammation.”

Again, not enough research but nothing to scoff at (the abnormal movement part is interesting, given the myth that bad posture and movements can cause harm to the discs.)

So anyways, last night I was watching the Clippers play the Mavs, and a player went down with a blown achilles. No one was even near him, he just went down on a simple cut he's done 1000's of times. Now, why does this happen to some players and not others? I say it has to do with movement, specifically restriction of movement in the connective chain (the body is really simple from a structural standpoint). Is it possible his hips, glutes, or hamstrings (possibly all three) were abnormally tight for years putting undue strain on this achilles due to a less than optimal movement pattern? Or was this just a complete genetic fluke and there was no way to prevent this? We know he's an elite athlete on a significant strength training program, so what gives? There are those out there that believe that non-contact internal injuries can be lessened to the extent that they're much less common by eating a healhty diet, being properly hydrated, and having the body able to perform stress inducing athletics with a full range of motion.

Sorry for the ramble.
 

VonMeister

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I read the article but didn't follow the part about how stretching didn't make him more flexible? Seriously? Stretching has greatly improved my flexibility and range of motion and to suggest that it's a coincidence is fucking crazier than the surfing super model.

They also don't mention stretching the fascia, just about how stretching relates to muscles and performance. Benefits of hydrating and stretching your fascia doesn't have a ton of research but the anecdotal evidence is certainly promising. I even found this in the article:

Researchers measured the thickness of lumbar connective tissues with ultrasound in 60 chronic low back pain patients and 47 health people. The fascia was about 25% thicker in people with back pain, which is quite a bit, and a surprising finding with potentially major — but unknown — clinical significance. The authors suggest that it could be related to “genetic factors, abnormal movement patterns and chronic inflammation.”

Again, not enough research but nothing to scoff at (the abnormal movement part is interesting, given the myth that bad posture and movements can cause harm to the discs.)

So anyways, last night I was watching the Clippers play the Mavs, and a player went down with a blown achilles. No one was even near him, he just went down on a simple cut he's done 1000's of times. Now, why does this happen to some players and not others? I say it has to do with movement, specifically restriction of movement in the connective chain (the body is really simple from a structural standpoint). Is it possible his hips, glutes, or hamstrings (possibly all three) were abnormally tight for years putting undue strain on this achilles due to a less than optimal movement pattern? Or was this just a complete genetic fluke and there was no way to prevent this? We know he's an elite athlete on a significant strength training program, so what gives? There are those out there that believe that non-contact internal injuries can be lessened to the extent that they're much less common by eating a healhty diet, being properly hydrated, and having the body able to perform stress inducing athletics with a full range of motion.

Sorry for the ramble.
All bullshit