Lower back pain is one of the most common issues people face today, and let’s be honest—it can slow you down in more ways than one. But here's the good news: you don’t need to rely on medications to get relief. In fact, the key to eliminating lower back pain might be simpler than you think. It starts with retraining your body to move properly.
Whether you're sitting at a desk for hours or lifting heavy objects, the way you breathe and position your body can either protect your lower back or set it up for pain. So, let's dive into how you can alleviate lower back pain naturally by focusing on proper movement, breathing, and posture.
Understanding the Root Cause of Lower Back Pain
Pain in the lower back is rarely just about the back itself. In my practice, we often say, "Pain is always the victim; the culprit is the joint putting strain on it." For many people, poor hip and shoulder stability, ineffective breathing patterns, and dysfunctional feet are key contributors to back pain.
Let’s break it down:
Hip Stability: Your hips provide the foundation for your pelvis, which directly affects the lower back. If your hips aren’t stable, your lower back compensates, often leading to pain.
Breathing: Many people miss out on the importance of proper breathing mechanics. Shallow chest breathing leads to poor ribcage and pelvis alignment, putting strain on your back.
Foot Function: If your feet aren’t functioning properly (e.g., poor grounding and support), it throws off your entire body's alignment, causing issues that travel up to the lower back.
By addressing these three areas, we can retrain your body to move in a way that prevents strain on your back and keeps you pain-free.
Breathe for Relief: 360-Degree Breathing
It all starts with the breath. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chests, but this type of breathing can compress your ribcage and put strain on your lower back. The goal is to breathe into your entire torso—360 degrees of expansion from your pelvis up to your ribcage.
Here’s a simple exercise to practice this:
The 3-Month Supine Position:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your lower ribs. Take a breath in through your nose, focusing on expanding your ribs outward, sideways, and into your lower back. As you exhale, feel your ribs drop down and your core engage. Repeat this for 10 breaths, and notice how much more relaxed your back feels.
Stabilize Your Hips with the 90/90 Hip Lift
Next up—hip stability. Poor hip control often leads to overcompensation in the lower back. To strengthen and stabilize the hips, one of my favorite exercises is the 90/90 Hip Lift from the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI).
Here’s how you do it:
Lie on your back with your feet on a wall, knees bent at 90 degrees, and your lower back gently pressed into the floor.
Without lifting your back off the ground, use your hamstrings to pull your pelvis slightly off the ground. You should feel your glutes and hamstrings engage.
Hold this position while taking deep, 360-degree breaths, just like you did in the supine position. This exercise stabilizes your pelvis, which will reduce strain on your lower back.
Perform this for 3 sets of 8 breaths.
If you are feeling the lower back working or the front of the hips working you are now compensating to lift the pelvis. Stop relax and reset this position.
Get Your Feet Working with the Ground
You might not connect foot function to lower back pain, but if your feet are not properly supporting your body, that misalignment can travel all the way up to your back. Learning to use the arch of your foot effectively is crucial.
A simple way to start improving foot function is to work on controlling support function of your feet. Here’s how:
Sit with your feet hip-width apart.
Start leaning forward until you feel your feet pushing into the ground.
Focus on maintaining a 3 points of contact on the feet. The base of the big toe, the base of the pinky toe and the middle of the heel. As you get better at controlling this motion, it will become easier for your body to balance and support your lower back.
Spend 5 minutes a day practicing this foot control exercise to improve your overall stability.
Dynamic Stretching to Loosen Up Tight Areas
Dynamic stretches, which involve movement, are much more effective than static stretches for lower back pain relief. Why? Because they help restore movement in a way that reflects real life, rather than just passively stretching a muscle.
One great dynamic stretch is the Cat-Cow from yoga (don’t worry, this isn’t about holding static poses).
Start on all fours.
Inhale and arch your back, lifting your head and tailbone toward the ceiling (Cow).
Exhale and round your spine, tucking your chin and pelvis under (Cat).
Move slowly through each movement, feeling your spine stretch and release tension.
Repeat for 10 rounds, allowing your lower back to move freely and relieving any built-up tension.
Strengthen Your Core to Support Your Back
Finally, you’ll need to build core strength to maintain your progress and keep your back pain-free. Exercises like planks and dead bugs are excellent choices because they target the deep muscles of your core that stabilize your spine.
Start with this: (This is a low level exercise, do not rely on just this to strengthen, but it is a good starting place when you have been in pain)
Dead Bug Exercise:
Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent to 90 degrees. Slowly lower one arm and the opposite leg toward the floor while keeping your lower back pressed into the ground. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each side to build core strength.
Lower back pain doesn’t have to be a lifelong issue. By focusing on proper breathing, stabilizing your hips, improving foot function, and strengthening your core, you can get relief without relying on medications.
The best part?
These simple, everyday movements will not only reduce pain but also prevent it from coming back.
If your back pain has been bothering you for a while, it might be time to take a deeper look at what's really causing it. At Kalamazoo Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, we specialize in finding the root cause of your pain and helping you move pain-free, so you can get back to the activities you love!
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