# back problems



## jiggles (Nov 7, 2008)

I'm not one for posting here very much, but I've run into a bit of an issue with my back and I'm hoping people have some useful suggestions...

I've gained a good 20lb in the last 3 months, most noticeably in my chest and stomach and my mid back is killing me.

I'm wondering if anyone has an suggestions on muscle building exercises to help build some strength back there or any overall suggestions for what I can do to help support or rest my back, I sit at a desk all day and am not a big fan of going to do weights at a gym (its too sexualized of an environment). 

Anything is appreciated!


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## comperic2003 (Nov 7, 2008)

jiggles said:


> I've gained a good 20lb in the last 3 months, most noticeably in my chest and stomach and my mid back is killing me.



Well, if you were not experiencing back pain before the gain, I'd suggest you lose the weight.



jiggles said:


> I'm wondering if anyone has an suggestions on muscle building exercises to help build some strength back there or any overall suggestions for what I can do to help support or rest my back,



Excluding back pain due to traumatic injury, the majority of back pain is actually referred pain. Therefore, in most cases, the back is not the problem. In fact, most people who experience non traumatic back pain actually have stronger than average backs. 



jiggles said:


> I sit at a desk all day and am not a big fan of going to do weights at a gym (its too sexualized of an environment).



If you sit all day at a desk, your hips are going to lose mobility and become tight, your glutes are going to become weak and inactive, as will your abdominal wall. Couple these effects with the typical rounding of the shoulders and mid back typical of desk posture, and your recent weight gain, and it is no wonder your back hurts. 

Tightness or immobility in one joint transferring pain and load to another is due to the skeletomuscular system's Kinetic Chain. A weak link in this chain transfers the stress and load that it cannot support to stronger, neighboring links. Well, because your "links" are joints and bones and muscles, you feel pain in response to this compensation. 

So, stop sitting so much. Perform hip, shoulder and thoracic spine mobility drills and activation exercises for your glutes.


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## Mysti Mountains (Nov 9, 2008)

As a massage therapist, I would suggest that you look up "piriformis stretches" on the internet. The amount of time you are sitting at your desk may be causing the problem. Also, try to do butterfly stretches as well....your inner thigh muscles may also be tights...I have found with my clients that if those muscles aren't tight, 99% of the time there won't be low back problems....as for me, I'm over 400 pounds and don't have any back pain....it's about keeping your muscles healthy....I also have full mobility...can touch my toes....do a back bend, and extend my leg up over my head. 

I would suggest that you see a massage therapist in your area....and if there's anyone in the Palm Springs, California area who needs therapeutic massage, send me a PM.


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## comperic2003 (Nov 9, 2008)

Mysti Mountains said:


> As a massage therapist, I would suggest that you look up "piriformis stretches" on the internet.



I would adamantly advise against any piriformis stretch. According to Nick Tumminello and Mark Comerford, 

Stretching the piriformis from any position (standing, sitting, supine, etc.) with the hip externally rotated and abducted (as in the leg cradle) will actually do more to stretch the posterior lateral hip capsule than the piriformis muscle. Consistently stretching the hip capsule in most cases is a bad thing because it can develop uncontrolled motion (i.e. instability). This type of instability can eventually lead to a number of hip dysfunctions such as hip impingement syndrome.

And even if you find a specific piriformis stretch that avoids this dangerous positioning, and it definitely exists, you are still better off just stretching your hip in general. Therefore, I would stick with activating your glutes and abdominal wall, stretching and mobilizing your hip flexors, ankles and thoracic spine, as well as generally not sitting as much.



Mysti Mountains said:


> I also have full mobility...can touch my toes....do a back bend, and extend my leg up over my head.



Not to be picky, but that is technically flexibility, not mobility. And flexibility without proper stability and or mobility, is almost always the result of muscular imbalance. I am certainly not saying you have a muscular imbalance; I am just stating that touching one's toes etc. is not a sign of joint health but rather relative muscle length.


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## Mysti Mountains (Nov 9, 2008)

Just for the record, I was stating that I have full mobility AND flexibility...
and in my opinion, a massage therapist can help with both. 

The piriformis tends to be tighter in people who are more sedentary, such as those who sit and work in an office....

there are many other muscles at play here too...the gracilis tends to be tighter in people with back problems....and releasing that can also help with some knee issues, hip issues, etc....

Just trying to be of assistance....didn't know that I was going to be jumped on for it....


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## Miss Vickie (Nov 9, 2008)

I've had some nearly lifelong back and hip problems that started from lots of different things, some in and some out of my control. Being fatter than my body can handle, carrying three pregnancies, and being abnormally flexible due to a sacral abnormality is bad enough, but add to it an autoimmune disease and hernias and I'm a mess.  In some ways it's better since the weight loss but because I'm more active and can rotate my joints more my hips pop out of place much more frequently. In my job I'm routinely called to bend and stretch, pull and push in ways less than optimal. Thank dog I have a lovely chiropractor and massage therapist who put me to rights on a weekly basis.

Several things have helped me:

1) Chiropractic coupled with deep tissue massage
2) Instead of a desk chair I sit on an exercise ball. This is strengthen my core muscles without putting pressure on my back. It's made an enormous difference.
3) I take a supplement called Ligaplex, made by Standard Process Labs. I first took it during my second pregnancy when my ligaments got so soft that I could barely walk from suprapublic pain. It is a food based product that strengthens your ligaments which for those of us with loosie goosie (a medical term ) ligaments it's great.
4) Working on improving my abdominal tone with gentle crunches.
5) Yoga, which helps strengthen my core muscles.

It's something I still struggle with though, and it's hard to do the things I need to do, want to do -- walk and work out -- when it hurts. OTOH, when I DON'T stay active it hurts way worse.


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## comperic2003 (Nov 10, 2008)

Mysti Mountains said:


> Just for the record, I was stating that I have full mobility AND flexibility...



You never even mentioned the word, "flexibility," in your initial post. Instead you mistakenly used the word, mobility. So, you really were attesting to your flexibility and only your flexibility.



Mysti Mountains said:


> and in my opinion, a massage therapist can help with both.



I agree. Soft tissue work is incredibly valuable in enhancing both mobility and flexibility in ways other methods cannot.



Mysti Mountains said:


> The piriformis tends to be tighter in people who are more sedentary, such as those who sit and work in an office....



I agree. But 99% of the stretches prescribed to treat a tight piriformis, "will actually do more to stretch the posterior lateral hip capsule than the piriformis muscle. Consistently stretching the hip capsule in most cases is a bad thing because it can develop uncontrolled motion (i.e. instability). This type of instability can eventually lead to a number of hip dysfunctions such as hip impingement syndrome." That is why I stated the original poster should simply focus on stretching the hip flexors as a whole, as well as performing the several other factors listed. 



Mysti Mountains said:


> there are many other muscles at play here too...the gracilis tends to be tighter in people with back problems....and releasing that can also help with some knee issues, hip issues, etc....



I agree, there are many other muscles at play here. That is why I insisted the op learn to activate her glutes, anterior abdominals, mobilize and stretch her hip flexors, ankles and thoracic spine, and generally not sit as much. 



Mysti Mountains said:


> Just trying to be of assistance....didn't know that I was going to be jumped on for it....



There is nothing wrong with trying to help, but it does not help the op if all the incoming advice goes unchallenged.


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