Out of the myriad of factors that are involved in the process of getting results with lower back pain, one of the more important areas that I have discovered to be critical involves the ORDER in which things are done.
Here is the BEST activity that will dramatically impact the results you get from your lower back pain relief program:
1. Relax FIRST before you do anything!
I know this one may sound obvious, but it is rarely addressed. Its important to keep in mind that pain causes increased muscle tension and increased activation of the sympathetic branch of your central nervous system, the “fight or flight” part. When this happens for long periods of time, the habitual muscle tension patterns become unconscious. Basically, you aren’t aware that you are holding your body in a tense way.
By performing a relaxation-inducing activity, particularly one that involves actively paying attention to your body, you can decrease the tone in your muscles, thus allowing increased blood flow and function. One of the very best activities for doing this is a sort of meditation.
Start off by laying on your back. Close your eyes, and allow yourself to lay in the most comfortable way on your back. Start by focusing your attention on your big toe. Focus on relaxing and letting go all of the tension in the muscles in that toe. Then allow that relaxation response to spread to your other toes. Allow it to move up to the soles of your feet, then your ankles. Continue this process, muscle group by muscle group, until you have every muscle in your body completely relaxed.
Do your best NOT to fall asleep!!
After you have done this, you will have allowed the tone in your postural muscles to relax, and will get MUCH better results from your corrective stretching and exercise program!
Try it and let me know how it works for you!
–Sam