Back pain from the front?
When your pain is in the back, it is usually because of a problem in the front.
This statement sounds completely backwards. Let me explain. When you are in pain, it is easy to assume that the problem is wherever you feel the pain. So you take a Tylenol and put the heating pad where the pain is and you feel better. But then a few days later, you are in pain again. Why is that?
I have an experiment for you. Take a thick rubber band. Put it over your thumb and forefinger. Now with a paperclip, shorten the front side by folding the band on top of itself, but only on the front side. The opposite side gets pulled and the tension it feels becomes visible. That tension is the pain. It is simply the symptom. The reason for the tension is the shortening of the band in the front. Now remove the paperclip from the front. The tension on the rubber band evens itself out again.
Your muscles work in a similar manner. When you sit, your abdominal muscles and hip flexors are shortened, and your low back muscles are lengthened. Now think about how often you are in that seated position; in the car, at your desk, on the couch, while you are eating, etc. That is a lot of time that for your body to be in a flexed position! That whole time, your low back muscles are working over time trying to hold you upright.
Similarly, think about all the times your arms and head are in front of your shoulders; using a computer, texting, driving in the car, etc. Your upper back and neck are working so hard to pull you back into a homeostatic position that they get over worked and begin to hurt. By lengthening your pectoralis muscles and the Sternocleidomastoid, you are allowing your neck and shoulders to return to the proper position.
Massage therapy uses a combination of gliding and compression movements to lengthen the muscles that have become shortened and increase blood flow to the areas that are in pain, allowing for the body to heal. Regular massage therapy appointments ensure that the clients’ muscles stay hydrated and pliable to help reduce the risk of new and recurring injury.