The spine was designed to be strong and flexible
Your back has three curves, two inwards (concave) – the lumbar and the cervical and one outwards (convex), the thoracic or rib area. There are 24 vertebrae, the sacrum and coccyx, all stacked on top of each other. The curves give your back its flexibility, load bearing strength and its shock absorbing capacity. Many branches of muscles and ligaments attach to each of the vertebrae to keep you upright.
Lower back and the pelvis
The curves in your back are influenced by the position of the pelvis. If the pelvis is tilted forward it increases the curves which put more shear force on the vertebrae of the lower spine and if it tilts backwards it straightens the curves which lessen the shock absorption that it can give you. A pelvis that is not balanced will interfere with the movement of your hips and put more stress through your knees, ankles and feet.
Sacroiliac joints
The lower back supports the upper part of your body and works with gravity and its curves to give it the strength to do that. The pelvis, including the sacrum and coccyx at the end of the spine gives you a firm base for the abdomen. The weight from above is distributed from your spine to your legs through your hip joints and sacroiliac joints. This downward force counteracts the shockwave which comes up with each foot and leg as we walk, run and jump and is then transferred through the hip and sacroiliac joints. If there is an imbalance anywhere above or below this area it will be putting unnecessary forces on joints that can over the years lead to wear and tear and later stiffness and pain. This makes moving harder and over time you may start moving less and less and you might start gaining weight which will make it even harder to get up and do things.
Lower back pain
There are many reasons why your lower back may be painful. Studies have shown that sixty four percent of people with no back pain can show an abnormality in their spine. Twenty four percent of people with no back pain can show a compressed nerve and a spinal nerve does not cause pain unless it is irritated and inflamed first. The most common problem I see is muscle spasm which happens when your body has decided it needs to protect you and stop you from moving. Acute back pain will stop you in your tracks. It can impede your mental capacity because it is all you can think about. When this occurs you may only be able to take pain relief medication and rest in whatever position is the most comfortable for you. Chronic pain is when the pain lingers long after the acute stage has passed.
Helping ease the pain with Pain Source Release
I treat all back pain similarly, regardless of what the cause it is. Most people with chronic pain have had a lot of different types of treatments and haven’t been able to get to the cause of the problem. People with acute pain will benefit from having a treatment if they can come to see me as soon as they are able to because I work very gently and can help to calm the muscle spasm.
What would a pain source release treatment be like?
If you are able to I get you to lie on the table on your back. I support your lower back with gentle hand pressure, wherever I feel the spasm or tightness. With one hand supporting your lower back, the other hand will stay near the lower back, gradually allowing you to sink into the pressure. Or I may lay my arm across your legs to balance your pelvis. The pressure is gentle, yet strong enough to support your tight muscles. As you relax you may feel like you are sinking into the table or because of the pain you may feel nothing at all. As your body relaxes your whole body becomes softer and you are able to move more freely so your body can get rid of inflammation more quickly and start the healing process.
Is the relief immediate?
Because everyone is so different as is the reason for their pain I cannot guarantee immediate relief. The treatment is designed to help you relax into your body so that you can allow your body to take over and do what it needs to do to fix itself. Some people walk out still in pain, but I can see that they have straightened up and a few days later they feel the difference. Some people find that they can work at a deeper level with other treatments they may be having. Some people who have given up ever thinking that there is an end to their pain problem find that there is enough change to start doing something for themselves again. Some people are able to postpone joint replacement surgery and use pain source release as a part of their pain management. Everyone works out for themselves what they will use it for.
I have always worked in heavy industry, construction and mining and spent hours travelling to and from work sites. Over a long period of time it has taken a toll on my body. I was regularly taking pain relief and anti-inflammatory pills. I truly believe if I hadn’t met Sandra my working life would have been cut short due to chronic problems that had developed over the years of hard work in poor work environments.