Lower Back Pain Myths 4 – Lifting Posture and Movement

Pain can be experienced during movements for a multitude of reasons – muscle spasm, over activity, strain etc. but it tends to be linked to a lack of movement. When we then perform a sudden movement that our body is not used to, an over-stretch in an unfamiliar direction may initiate a muscular spasm as a protective mechanism. If we move more an explore greater ranges of movement in various planes, your body will become accustomed to it and this will allow more fluid movement and significantly reduce discomfort associated with atypical movements.

A useful example of how posture isn’t such an issue is strongman athletes performing atlas stone lifts – everyone watches this around new year surely! These athletes are lifting some serious weight…. but are they checking their posture and concerned over their form? No. And that’s because we’re built to move in these ways but also with years of training in these positions. This shows that these positions aren’t necessarily risky or make us vulnerable, we just need to have control and stability in our movement. Obviously, strongmen are highly trained and have spent years developing their strength, but it highlights what the human body is capable of.

If we can incorporate a wider range of movements into our routine then our lower back musculature will be better conditioned to various movement variations and therefore mitigate the changes of repeat spasms occurring. At Pure Physiotherapy, we can help you develop a plan of action regarding what movements to perform more frequently and how they can be implemented into a regular routine to progressively expose the soft tissue to more movement in difference planes.