Foundational knowledge for a pain-free low back

Common Low Back Pain —it’s about the discs

The most common type of low back pain is a result of lumbar disc damage, and it can happen to people young or old. For most people it happens initially from lifting something too heavy or with poor posture; low back flexion puts the vertebra at a less stable angle which increases pressure on the discs posteriorly, damaging them as weight is introduced. Since discs take many years to fully gristle up again (a decade in fact!), painful flare ups are common. These flare ups can be caused by less pressure than the initial injury, because the disc is already weakened. Healing, then, is a matter of learning to avoid reinjury. This is easier said than done.

Until fairly recently it was thought that discs simply didn’t heal, because the process of supporting it is so exacting. The good news is that yes they do heal, but it requires keen understanding, and lots of time, to successfully support the process. My one-on-one coaching and classes offer this foundational understanding!

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A Note on Yoga and Disc Healing

I occasionally teach yoga classes that are beneficial to this common type of low back pain, but it’s important to note that most yoga asana practices are not conducive to lumbar disc healing. I’ve found that even so-called “low back” centered yoga classes feature low back stretches, like hugging your knees to your chest, or held twists. Yes, these feel great in the short term, but this is due to a neurological phenomenon called the stretch reflex.

Low back stretches trick the brain into pain-free bliss for about 20 minutes. It feels (temporarily) wonderful, so it’s no wonder that people do them!

However, as you might imagine, stretches which forcefully flex the spine and put posterior pressure on posteriorly damaged discs are a bad idea. Like bending your elbow when you have a (very slow-healing) cut on it, these moves pull on the disc’s damaged outer tissue, and actively interfere with the delicate healing process. My classes, of course, take a different approach. Find out more by clicking here.