After twenty years of very avid work, I've developed a remarkably easy fix for a bad back.
It's mostly preventative. It might help during a flare-up, or might not. But if you'll practice it once or twice daily (it takes about 10 seconds), it can help inoculate you from the problem.
Let's talk about The Problem. In my case—and, I'm told, most people's cases—the issue is an asymmetry, aka pelvic torsion, which temporarily causes one leg to extend further than the other. It doesn't show up on MRIs or x-rays, and orthopedists don't have it on their radar. It's the "x factor" behind many mysterious back problems, and conditions like sciatica are often "downstream" from this, so it might help there, too.
Physical therapists and good massage therapists know about this issue, and can offer temporary help. But there's no cure for it beyond their ongoing involvement. Until now.
Lie down on top of a foam yoga block laid flat and rotated like a "|", not a "——". It should extend from your sacrum to support the buttocks.
Gently shift your hips left and right over the block about ten times. It's fine if they shift off the block at the extreme of movement, but your feet and chest should stay relatively still. You may hear or feel a "pop" as the structures realign, and it shouldn't hurt.
If I don't do this twice daily, I'm vulnerable. A heavy lift or sudden turn can trigger crippling back pain. But if I keep up the practice, I'm golden.
1. Try a forward bend first.
This helps prepare the area for adjustment. If your hamstrings are tight, stretch forward over a bed, arms extended forward onto the mattress. Try to relax your abdomen, which will probably be tensed. That may help you descend further, but depth doesn't matter. Just give yourself a good stretch.
2. Heat Helps
A heating pad, hot bath, or even a warm shower will help loosen the lower back and buttocks so realignment happens more easily.
3. Ungrip Your Glutes
Tight glutes resist realignment. A tennis ball can help. Set one on the floor and sit on it—cross legged or with legs extended—avoiding the dead center of your hip socket. Gently work the ball to and fro, paying extra attention to tight spots, gradually tracing a circle around that midpoint. Then repeat with a wider circle, and then work the other buttock, and then try the yoga block again.
Done right, this should take about 15 minutes, and you may need to repeat it once/day until the area permanently relaxes. From that point, you'll only need occasional maintenance.
I've done yoga for 45 years.
This may not work as well for you right away. But the motion is gentle, the effort is minimal, and it takes just 10 seconds. So long as you follow caveat #2, it's certainly worth a try.
Consult a professional.
If you’ve had spinal surgery, structural abnormalities, or conditions like degeneration or stenosis, you should be under medical care already—and you should definitely ask first.
If you just have a "bad back", this may work well for you. It has limited usefulness during an acute flare-up, though. Try it if you want, but you may get better results by seeing a good massage therapist or physical therapist, and then try this once you're feeling better.
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