Acupuncture, Stretching, and Posture for Back Pain Relief
Lower back pain can ruin your day. Or week. Or years of your life.
And that’s not OK.
For thousands of years, acupuncture has helped people get out of pain.
How it works - the needles (1/12 the size of a hypodermic needle) go into your arms, legs, and sometimes back or abdomen to change the pattern of blood flow to the pain area(s).
When you improve circulation, it's like when you un-kink a garden hose. The flow returns. Your garden (in this example, your back), starts to heal.
Cupping, gua sha, and supplements speed along the healing.
Most people feel improvements within the first couple treatments. Chronic problems can take several rounds of treatment for a full recovery. But you should feel some improvements within just a handful of sessions.
This way we know we're heading in the right direction.
What Else Can Help With Back Pain?
You’ve already heard the importance of “strengthening your core.”
The thing is, according to ancient yogic principles, there are 3 parts to the "core."
- The perineum (space between the anus and genitals)
- All the abdominal muscles that criss-cross your mid-section
- Your throat/neck
If all 3 areas are positioned correctly and activated, your stars align, and you feel great!
In a healthy back, the alignment in your hips is relaxed and even, with activation going into your feet.
Many people, when they're told to "sit up straight" make this grave and common error - they stick their ribs out. This puts undue pressure on L4, L5. These discs are frequently the root cause of back pain and sciatica.
By anchoring the rib cage, bringing the ribs IN instead of letting them stick out, you allow the back to relax.
You can try this and feel the muscles in your lower back relax.
At first, you'll feel like you're slouching. Over time, you re-train your muscle memory.
Doing this while the shoulders stay down and back is another new muscle memory to try as well.
