Well Yesterday I went to the pool for a bout an hour before work, I started out alittle rough I felt like I took a few steps backwards. Half was through my lesson I got things back on track and was able to get things done.
After the swimming session I had a Physio session booked so I head there to get my leg worked on. So the physio guy up the intensity on the exercises, which at the time felt good, but by the time I went to work my back felt alittle tight.
It was a busy night at work non-stop, so when my lunch came around I decided to chill down on the sofa in the lunch room, bad move, by the time my lunch was over I walked upstairs as if I was old man, My back was all seized up.
It doesn't help sitting ion the police car leaning over typing on the computer too, and of course near the end of the night I got in a foot pursuit with 2 guys, got one sore back and all...
So all day now I've stretching and trying to do anything to loosen up my back, tonight being a long weekend (Canada's Thanksgiving) and all will be crazy downtown..
Should be fun, I haven't forgot about talking about my new book, next post I guess...
Later
Kenny
Hey Kenny, Have had a bad back for years, am sure everyone is different, and am sure you've got a great physio too. Here's what I've been told, and what i've been doing-might give you some ideas at the very least, or you might just know it already:)
ReplyDelete"I've been to many physios, and can condense what I've been told by the one who finally sorted me out. He's one of the physios to the GB athletic team so he does have a slight idea what he's talking about. I now play sport, do weights etc, and the best thing is, and the measure of a good physio, is that I've never had to go back to him. After all, if you keep going back, there's still something wrong isn't there?
As he explained to me, unless you have a serious bone/disc problem, lower back pain is a symptom of something being wrong elsewhere.
And when I say wrong, that means you're unsupple, you're stiff, you haven't stretched/you're not supple enough.
When the muscles of your glutes (your bum), hamstrings, quads (front of legs) and your groin muscles (strange but true) are too tight, they are not acting as they should, and that is to act as shock absorbers to protect the back. When you have lower back pain, it is because the muscles around your lower spine are enflamed because they're spasming to PROTECT your back-they're stopping you from moving in order to keep it safe.
Imagine a car with stiff shock absorbers-no impact is ever really stopped, and it is transferred directly into the people inside the car (your back). Does that make sense?
So what do you need to do to stop it?
You need to gently stretch all of those areas in order to make them more supple so they can start acting as shock absorbers.
You might also need to strengthen as well as stretch your glutes as they're actually the largest muscles in your body. Look up glute stretching exercises against a wall next time your back hurts, do one for each leg for 30 seconds (gently) and see if that makes any difference, I'll guess it will.
Get an exercise ball because you need to strengthen your core muscles, so not just sit ups that are the more cosmetic outer muscle layer.
I can also recommend doing Pilates classes, but you might not have the time or want to do those so fair enough.
Gently stretching your back by pulling your knees gently towards your chest will help.
My final trick, since I've done this it's made a big difference-I stretch my hamstrings just after having a hot shower every day. The heat will warm your muscles up, but be careful if it's in the morning as your muscles are tighter. As you do it after/during a shower, it's quick, it takes 30 seconds to a minute, and you're doing it 7 times a week (or more), which is at least 7 minutes of stretching more than you probably do already? This has made a BIG difference to me.