Back Pain

Suffering from recurring back pain?

A recent research study demonstrated people with chronic low back pain really do move differently from people without preexisting back pain issues, and also cannot balance as well.

When compared to pain-free individuals, and even in the absence of pain, low back pain patients used their lumbar spine muscles less, impairing their ability to control their posture and balance. The researchers hypothesized that “motion of the lumbar spine is altered in people with chronic LBP, and this would be associated with compromised control of postural stability in response to unexpected perturbation”.

Researchers found that patients with back pain were less efficient at maintaining balance and controlling their posture when they moved their arms, supporting the StrongPosture^® concept that postural disuse atrophy of deep stabilizing spinal muscles like the multifidus weakens balance, leading to falls as well as weak posture. The investigators concluded that “the quality of balance control is compromised in low back pain patients and that this is associated with poor use of spinal motion as a component of the postural strategy.”

This research study provides a clear example of the 5^th Posture Principle:

Changes in Posture and Changes in Motion cause the Body to Change

Pain causes the body to compensate and move differently to avoid pain. Overtime, muscles and ligaments become trained to move differently. Some muscles become overly strong, while others become weaker. The resulting unbalanced motion leads to postural changes, uneven wear, and aggravates injuries… and the pain cycle begins again.

The 7 Steps to StrongPosture® exercise program is designed to break the pain cycle by restoring balanced fluid motion.  This begins a virtuous motion cycle helping the body to restore aligned posture and move with balanced motion, so the body can exercise effectively, training core muscles and leading to stronger posture… and helping to protect against recurring injury.