Your back pain isn't what you think it is


Where does it hurt when your back aches?

In the last few months, I've had a few new clients who all pointed to the same spot: on their lower back, just above the hips.

They all told me they had a back problem, which is the logical thing to think. But most of the time, the issue doesn't come from the back... but a bit lower.

I know, you know, we all know that we sit too much. And when we do, our hips become tight and weak. They gradually lose their ability to both move and stabilise our lower back. I don't want to bore you with the anatomical details, all you need to know is that your back is probably the victim, not the culprit.

The 3 most common mistakes I don't want you to make

Mistake #1: Stretching the back - It's only a mistake if that's the only thing you do. It will ease the tension for a while, sure. But that treats the symptom, not the cause.

Mistake #2: Doing superficial ab work - Doing crunches won't strengthen the deep core muscles, the ones who actually support your back. It some cases, it can even make things worse.

Mistake #3: Ignoring the nervous system - Chronic stress equals chronic muscle tension. If your whole system is on high alert all the time, your muscles will never relax and your pain will never lessen.

A short story of back pain and relief

Caroline came to me a few months ago after trying everything: osteopath, ab strength programmes, painkillers... Her lower back pain was waking her up every night, and without sleep, only got worse.

We started seeing each other twice a month, and I built her a 10-minute daily routine that included hip mobility, deep core work and a light breathing practise.

She's now off the ibuprofen and sleeps through the night (when her young kids allow her to anyway 😅)

What you can do now

Try this right now: stand up on one leg, bring your other knee to your chest and make big circles with it. Does it feel super stiff? That's the first problem to address.

You can start with this 7-minute routine I made to restore a bit of life into your hips.

And if you want to address the root cause and build yourself a routine that will help you get rid of pain for good, I'm opening the doors for two 1:1 clients this month. If you want to discuss it, reply to this email or head to yogawithclem.com to learn more and enquire :)

Take care 🧡

Clem

Clémence Dieryck

I'm a bilingual yoga teacher who helps people who sit a lot gain mobility, move without pain and reduce their stress.

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