You Feel Better… Then Your Back Hurts Again

If your low back has been bothering you for months or even years, you've probably heard some version of:

“Your core is weak.”

"Your hips are tight."

"Your hamstrings are tight."

"You need to stop lifting."

But here's the problem: Low back pain isn't always about finding the one muscle that's "tight" or "weak."

A better question is:

What is your back having trouble tolerating?

For one person, bending forward may be the problem.

For another, it's extending backward.

For someone else, it's rotating while swinging a golf club.

And for a lifter, the problem may not show up until they put a heavy barbell on their back.

That's why two people can have the same diagnosis - or even the same MRI findings - and require completely different approaches.

I want to know what your back can and can't handle.

When I evaluate someone with low back pain, I'm not just looking at where it hurts.

I'm looking at things like:

• How you squat

• How you hinge

• How your hips move

• How your spine moves

• How you control your trunk

• What happens when we add load

• What movements reproduce your symptoms

• And, most importantly, what changes when we change the movement or load

Because the goal isn't simply to make your back feel better today.

The goal is to build a back that can handle your life.

If you want to lift weights, we need to get you back to lifting.

If you want to play golf, we need to build your capactiy to rotate and repeatedly swing.

If you want to run, we need to prepare your body for the demands of running.

And if you simply want to pick up your kids, work in the yard, or get through a day without constantly thinking about your back, that's what we should be training for.

Pain relief is the starting point - not the finish line.

Your back doesn't necessarily need more rest.

It may need the right movement, the right progression, and gradually increasing exposure to the things you actually want to do.

If you've been dealing with recurring low back pain and you're tired of treating the symptoms only to have them come back, schedule a Discovery Visit with Summit Health & Performance.

We'll look at how you're moving, what your back is struggling to tolerate, and what it will take to get you back to doing the things you enjoy.

You don't have to settle for "my back is just bad."