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Your Everyday Activities are Contributing to Your Back Pain Pilates Can Help

Hunching, bending, and slouching are just a couple of the bad habits that we have all acquired over the years. They usually begin during childhood and follow us into adulthood, where the problems tend to arise. Unfortunately, many of us are unconscious of these bad habits, which makes most of us likely candidates for back pain. You do not have to have an existing health condition to have chronic back pain. You do not even have to be older in age. Back pain can strike at anytime, and at any age. 

People who work behind a desk for a living may not realize it, but they are doing a lot of damage to their backs by slouching. As stated above, people tend to do this unconsciously. Over time, an accumulation of stress and strain is applied, and the damage is done. Other instances in which everyday activities harm the back are when we stand. Slouching when standing without holding the shoulders down and back in a relaxed fashion can put a lot of stress on the back and neck. Another activity in which damage to the back is possible is when we sleep. A bad mattress can damage the spine’s natural alignment, which can result in back pain. You might also feel the pain in your neck and shoulders when sleeping on a bad mattress.

When the back has been damaged, we may not feel it in the beginning, so we continue to practice the same activities as we always have, without correction. Pilates and stretching exercises were meant to correct the spine’s alignment. This type of exercise consists of a series of small, effective, and powerful movements that will strengthen those muscles that have come undone during the ebb and flow of everyday activities. You will be able to tighten and tone the buttocks, abdominal muscles, and back muscles, increasing your body’s overall strength.

At some time in the majority of all people’s lives, they will experience some type of back discomfort. It is inevitable. We get used to slouching and poor postural habits, and they catch up with us. In the most serious cases, disks become herniated and sometimes, arthritis can develop. The alignment becomes crooked, and all functions of the body are put off. Talk about pain! Stiffness, numbing, tingling, and burning are just a few of the very real sensations that people live with who suffer from back pain. Frequent doctor’s visits are an all too common reality for a lot of folks as well. Getting rushed to the emergency room also is something that is very common in the horrible world of back pain. 

Pilates and stretching techniques can help to correct even the worst of back problems. Once the strength and alignment is restored, everything else follows. Ultimately, you will become more conscious and aware of your posture, and more in the know on how to relieve an onset of back pain. Thanks to Pilates, there will be no more medications, doctor’s visits, or pesky bouts of pain. Just a stress-free back in healthy, natural alignment.

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Poor Posture Leads Lower Back Pain, But Pilates Helps

The most common causes of poor posture are poor postural habits, poor ergonomics, joint stiffness, muscle imbalance/weakness, excessive weight in certain areas of the body, and prior injury. Poor posture may increase pain, discomfort, stiffness, reduced motion, and improper biomechanics.

Poor posture is a major factor in back problems. It strains muscles, puts too much stress on the spine, and over time can change the anatomical structure of the spine leading to degeneration to the bone, joint and discs; spinal nerves may also be affected. All these factors have the potential to contribute a lower back pain, which is why establishing correct posture is so important.

Many researches have shown that people can alleviate their lower back pain by taking effort to improve their posture. The foundation for good back care starts with posture.

Muscles support the spine. A weakness in any of the muscles that support the spine makes it difficult to maintain a proper posture. Strong muscles help keep the spine in proper alignment and prevent back pain. An appropriate posture lends stability and strength to the spine. You can improve all these aspects with Pilates.

Why Pilates?

Pilates can

improve your overall muscle strength, stability, flexibility and joint mobility.  improve your movement patterns as more ergonomic, increase muscle control and overall biomechanics on your spine. increase body awareness of neutral spine and proper posture alignment strengthen the deep muscles of the back and abdomen which support your spine and proper posture alignment 

Twice a week Pilates is a good frequency but not enough to improve your posture, if you keep slumping behind your desk. The truth is that your daily body posture habits directly relate to your overall health and ability to move your body without pain or risk of injury. Pilates teaches you to move and use your body equally and efficiently without any extra stress to your muscles, joints and tendons. You learn body awareness which is very important in helping you change your poor postural habits to good ones in your daily life. Improving you posture and postural habits helps you also manage your back pain better and in the future living without back pain. Proper Posture equals Healthy Back.

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Golfers Back Pain ? Pilates Relieves And Prevents

Did you know that trunk rotation of the golf swing puts enormous pressure on your lower back? That’s why the back problems are the most common type of golf-related injuries.

Weekend golfers who have poor swing mechanics, lack of flexibility and core strength are more likely to get lower back pain. Golfers with poor swing mechanics tend to swing harder, causing larger spinal loads and increased muscle activity, resulting in more stress to the lumbar spine. Pro golfers who are physically fit and have good swing techniques are not immune to lower back problems either. Pro golfers tend to develop lower back pain from overuse due to repetitive one-sided movement.

Golfers who have degenerative disc disease or arthritis in the lumbar spine are more susceptible to overloading their spines. The discs lose their shock-absorbing capabilities, and loads are transferred to other structures within the spine that are unable to withstand these forces. A poor golf swing causes more shearing, compression and rotational forces on the low back. Can you believe that your body weight is forced through your spine eight times as you make contact with the ball? So, if poor mechanics are combined with a weak back, you are more likely to cause yourself a significant injury.

Poor posture is the most significant contributor to golfers’ lower back pain. Poor posture is caused often by muscle imbalances or visa versa. Poor posture and any amount of muscle imbalances cause biomechanical fault to your swing thus increasing risk of lower back injury. Golf swing requires that all elements of the posture have to be properly maintained throughout the swing. Golfers with a good posture swing better – and without back pain! Believe it or not, a proper posture has a positive influence on power production to your swing, too!

Many players with lower back pain are looking for an easy fix to treat their back pain. Some players are taking extra amount of painkillers before game while others try to get quick-fix with chiropractors. It’s true that these “treatment” might help reduce pain temporarily, but they rarely solve the underlying problem(s). If you lack flexibility on your shoulders, spine and hips, weak core muscles, poor posture and muscle imbalances, your back pain is not going anyway. Pain will persist until you decide to concentrate more in caring the cause of the pain, not only symptoms.

Pilates is a good exercise program for people with lower back pain, especially for golfers. Several studies have shown that golfers with low back pain have decreased trunk and hip strength, decreased hamstring flexibility, as well as trunk rotation to the right is also limited. Those are the main problem areas that we are focusing in Pilates – and much more. Pilates is all about body alignment, deep back and abdominal muscles strength, joint and spine mobility and stability, as well as soft tissue flexibility. A well-trained Pilates instructor can identify your musculoskeletal imbalances and provide personalized golf-specific Pilates exercises to improve your posture and overall conditioning specific to golf. Correct posture and good muscle balance will help you to get into proper positions which are required in effective golf swing. And the best part – they will lessen your lower back pain or even help you play pain-free!