“My friend got back pain from doing this exercise. His back also hurts if he does that exercise and he doesn't do squats because they hurt his back”
This is a paraphrased version of a real conversation earlier today.
Now, let me ask you a question
Do you think the back pain is the problem or a symptom of a problem elsewhere?
I know I haven't specified the exercises, but they're all hip dominant movements.
Is the back the problem?
I don't think so.
Very often pain will present in an area that is being over stressed.
And it's over stressed because that work should be spread out over a wider area, but something somewhere isn't pulling its weight.
Kind of like having a team but only one or two members are grafting, the rest are cruising and one or two just didn't turn up!
We've all been there….
This is why I spend so much time looking closely at how people stand and move when they come into me with pain.
It's also why I ask so many questions about your history
What sports and training you have done.
What your Job entails, including stress levels
And a run down of old injuries as far back as you can remember
The more information I have, the better we can price together the action problem and come up with a plan rather than simply treating symptoms or avoiding them all together.
So many people have come to me with issues that have seemingly crept up on them out of nowhere.
Back pain being the most common.
But on investigation we find old head injuries, sprained ankles, a broken collar bone from 10 years ago, a family history of pain in the same area.
All of which suggests the pain isn't the problem
The back [or region of pain] is actually a victim.
Yea, of course sometimes the problem is actually the problem.
Especially if there is an acute injury there.
But many times we find putting movement through that old collar bone break, or that old ankle takes pressure away from the current pain site and the pain starts to lessen.
Then we teach you to put movement through the body in ways that keep the pain away.
It's simple, not easy.
But it can be done.
So often a breathing drill to manage acute stress, a reach to open the shoulder, a knee bend to challenge the ankle is all it takes
And other times it takes a training plan and a period of gradually building the body back to strength and fluid movement.
But what never changes is that it is your body, and the only person who can make a real difference is you.
All I can do is guide you
Regards
Dave Hedges
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