Lower back pain can occur in many different ways. It can be “acute” as the result of a trauma or injury or “chronic” with some degree of pain or discomfort being present all the time.
Whilst, which it is and how the lower back pain started is important, how to get rid of it is the most relevant information you need to know.
There are definite steps you need to take to recover from an acute lower back injury and seeking professional help from either a doctor or allied health professional would be the first step to learn the nature and severity of the injury.
Regardless, the development of a strong “core” is the path out of any lower back pain.
The term core strength has been around for a long time now, unfortunately many people believe that core strength equals abdominal muscle strength which is not true.
Core strength involves all the muscles of the trunk and torso and includes the shoulder, hip, spine, abdominal, pelvic floor…and breathing muscles.
The original pilates method is designed to develop postural integrity with the deep stabilising muscles that support the spine and in fact all the joints in the body.
If you looked in the mirror, you wouldn’t be able to see these stabilising muscles as they are very deep inside body.
The major breathing muscle, the diaphragm is one of those muscles that you can not see but let’s face it, is probably one of the most important muscles you have!
It’s attached to the inside of the ribs and also…the inside of the lower back.
Nothing in the body works on isolation, and there are many other muscles that attach to the lower back, but this direct relationship of the diaphragm to this part of the spine has a direct impact on the health of not only the lower back, but the entire spine.
When there is pain in the lower back, this can impact how you breathe. And how you breathe can then impact lower back pain.
The diaphragm can become tense, stressed and weak with the ability to take a deep breath inhibited.
If this goes on for an extended period of time, this dysfunctional breath pattern can become habitual and prevent the development of deep, functional core strength.
Retraining or learning to breathe in a different way is not easy!
The first step is awareness of how you are breathing and the possible implications this has been having on your spine.
Then it’s all about learning the basic principles of the original pilates method which has breath as the foundation of movement.
And never underestimate the impact functional breathing has on developing core strength and reducing or getting rid of lower back pain.
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