If you find yourself full of joy, with a sense of belonging and fulfillment, your back probably doesn’t bother you that much. On the other hand, if you’ve been suffering from chronic back pain—or perhaps you have some recent low back pain you can’t ignore anymore—it’s time to look at what’s going on in your life that would manifest itself as your aching back.
The lower back—this is the lower part of the back starting at the pelvis going up to the lowest ribs of the back and also includes the inside front of the hips.
On the outside of your low back where you might be experiencing your pain, your body transmits the energy of activities you engage in with others. Many of us in the mind-body medicine professions have a sense of this.
Back Pain and Core Flexibility
Some of us have the idea that core strength will help resolve chronic pain.
However, only a few of us are aware of the need for core flexibility, especially deep in the front hip muscles. It is good for the core muscles to be strong. However, if these muscles lose their flexibility, then the body becomes rigid, which forces back muscles to work harder and may even cause wear and tear to the joints, all of which can be painful and frustrating. What gives muscles good tone is a balance of strength and flexibility.
You need core flexibility in the hips and low back as a foundation for all movement as well as balance for your emotional body.
Where Passion Lives—The Front of the Hips
The front hip muscles attach to the front of the low back bones, go down through the pelvis and attaches to the inside of the upper leg. Together they lift your legs when you are standing, walking or running. They also keep your low back upright when sitting.
This muscle group stores and transmits the energy of your passion and charisma. We express passion when our heart and soul are actively engaged in meaningful activities and professional pursuits. There is even something about the activity that reflects and completes something deep inside us. Sometimes the experience is perpetual, like in one’s relationships or life work. Sometimes it’s spontaneous and short-lived, like craving chocolate or sharing a special moment with someone.
Time to Reflect
If you are experiencing pain or discomfort in the low back—the question to ask yourself is: “What am I doing that, maybe I used to like doing before, but it’s no longer fulfilling for me? What’s missing now that will give me those warm, fuzzies I really want to enjoy? What is next for me?”
A woman was doing some professional growth seminars and got to a point where she accomplished her goals and reached a level of sufficiency by applying the skills and tools she acquired with the organization. Around that time, her back started to hurt.
With Reposturing Dynamics treatment and Reposturing Yoga exercises, we helped her get rid of the low back pain. Coincidentally she was also completing her agreements with that organization. Lo-and-behold, at the same time the stress of her unfulfilling commitments was eliminated, her back started feeling better.
Cause and Effect—Flexibility and Freedom
It’s not that there is ever a clear “cause-and-effect” to point to. What IS evident is that there seems to be a correlation between how our body manifests physical stress and our life choices and activities.
The connection I have found is this: The more flexibility and freedom you give to your front hip muscles, the more passion and pleasure you are able to experience and express. Remember, the front hip muscles start in the front of the low back. Therefore, in order to truly help your low back, you must stretch and release tension in the front hip muscles. When you are no longer passionately engaged in meaningful activity, you may experience low back pain.
Again, when your back hurts, in addition to the professional help you seek, the questions to ask yourself are, “What activities am I doing just for myself? Is this still fulfilling for me? Do I still enjoy doing it? Does it produce the results I want in my life?”
Self Care Action Plan
If the answers are no—find a way to complete the unfulfilling agreements you have in place. You can even decide that you want to have one-crowning achievement by completing that project and move on with the rest of your life.
Of course, seek the care, support, and good advice from health professionals such as chiropractors, physical therapists, and orthopedists. However, the best self care for low back pain is stretching the front hip and front low back muscles.
The Reposturing Solution
Some of my favorite hip stretches from the Reposturing Yoga DVD are: Standing Quad Stretch, Step-Up Lunge, and Standing Crossover Hip Stretch. These will get you started toward a pain-free back.
More important, with the self care emotional approach, you may also open the door to even greater happiness in your life. For more information, or to accelerate your healing, email us at mika@reposturing.com or call
(650) 347-4565.
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