Home Lower Back Pain Remedy
Video Series

A Daily Plan

I designed this 4-part lower back pain remedy in response to many of my clients who wanted a home treatment program.

1. Improve the length and flexibility of the hip flexor muscles.

2. Improve the length and flexibility of the back muscles in flexion, extension, side-bending, and twisting.

3. Improve the length and flexibility of the gluteal muscles.

4. Develop core strength.

Try to visit this page daily and follow this simple protocol.

Part 1 of 4

1. Improve the length and flexibility of the hip flexor muscles.

In the industrialized world in which we sit for long periods of time — at our desks at work, or commuting in our cars — the primary hip flexors, the psoas and the iliacus, have become tight and short in many of us. Unless we specifically work at lengthening these muscles, they can become chronically contracted. When this occurs, a number of problems arise.

• It becomes harder for these muscles to lengthen when we call upon them to do so, such as when moving from sitting to standing.

• The lumbar spine can get pulled into an excessive lordosis (curve) which causes the lower back muscles to overwork and results in them become painful and sore.

• Tight, short hip flexors can lead to muscular compensation by the gluteal muscles which can then become their own problem.

Hip Flexors Stretch

Part 2 of 4

2. Improve the length and flexibility of the back muscles in flexion, extension, side-bending, and twisting.

Even if one is physically active, it's very easy to lose flexibility in the back muscles. It doesn't take a great deal of muscular shortness in order to start feeling that nagging stiffness in the morning, or that tired, sore feeling by the end of the day.

By using a simple, daily protocol, it can become a simple thing not only to maintain reasonable flexibility, but even to improve it. Touching your toes (without a stab of pain!) is within your reach if you can be consistent with the following stretches…

Somatic Pelvic Tilt

Part 3 of 4

3. Improve the length and flexibility of the gluteal muscles.

Tightness of the gluteal muscles might be the most frequently ignored but often most important issue with respect to lower back pain.

When the gluteals begin to brace due in an effort to stabilize a painful lumbar spine or due to other types of muscular compensation, they frequently develop myofascial trigger points that can be mistaken for sciatica symptoms.

Trigger points can develop in any of the muscles of the body but can be especially pernicious in the gluteal muscles.

Gluteals Stretch - Part 1

Gluteals Stretch - Part 2

Part 4 of 4

4. Develop core strength.

Doing a handful of sit-ups from time to time will not develop the type of core strength necessary to keep lower back pain at bay. A complete range of core strengthening exercises is essential so that…

• The core is able to stabilize just before movement. If the core doesn't contract and stabilize just before a movement such as moving from sitting to standing, then the burden of that movement is thrown to the back muscles.

• Core strength prevents the back muscles from gaining an anchor hold of tightness. Without core strength acting as a counter-balance, the back muscles have no antagonist activity to signal to them that they can relax.

• Core strength provides our bodies with tremendous stability for all movements, and especially somewhat sudden movements which are often the culprits when we "tweak our backs" or "throw them out."

3-Part Abdominal Strengthening