IGFY: Break Your Back Pain

July 20 2009 by admin.

Lots and lots of people suffer low back pain, or LBP. There are almost as many remedies out there for LBP: pills, tablets and gel caps, shoes and shoe inserts, physical therapy, heating pads, cooling gels- the list goes on and on.

The best pain relief methods turn out to be the ones least used. A study was conducted to determine what approaches are being used to manage LBP. It found that many patients turned down research-proven methods like exercise and physical therapy in favor of medication.

Bodies are full of imbalances and restrictions from our lifestyles. Correcting these and allowing strong muscles to stabilize the body by establishing safe movement patterns can actually remove stress from the spine and eliminate the pain, not just mask it. In addition, mobility problems in joints like the ankle, hip or even shoulder can contribute to LBP, so continuing to compensate for that immobility will continue to cause pain.

The upshot: exercise permanently helps low back pain. Train with a credible, certified fitness instructor or physical therapist, and make sure they’re using the latest medical research to influence your workout program. The IMX Pilates system uses this research in its 5 Fundamentals, which color every moment of your pilates workout. The IMX Pilates Blue Bell studio has these research briefs bound and displayed in the studio lounge for your browsing pleasure.

This study was reported in the July-August 2009 IDEA Fitness Journal.

Posted in It's Good For You, Fitness, Article | Print | No Comments »