The Bad Back Manual

This book enables the reader to implement a systemic and effective action plan to fight mechanical back pain. Two major strategic differences set this book a part and make it essential reading for back pain sufferers. The 24/7 approach: The first step in fighting mechanical back pain is making simple but critical daily lifestyle changes. The mattress we sleep on, the shoes we wear and the chairs we sit on have tremendous influence on our posture and well-being. Getting those basics right will ensure fast and sustainable progress in terms of improving posture and eliminating back pain. The Brain-not-Muscle approach: Most posture improvement methods proscribe muscle strengthening and stretching exercises to deal with poor posture. Overly influenced by the fitness industry, such methods fail to take into account the fact that posture and movement are created in the brain and that it is therefore, first and foremost, the brain that needs to be trained. Whilst it might be useful to have strong thighs for cycling, it’s your brain that tells you how to keep your balance and steer. Learning good posture requires exactly the same principle to be applied. It is 99% brain power and only 1% muscle strength. This book and the exercises it recommends reflect this reality. Because the Brain-not-Muscle approach focuses on re-educating your brain to enable you to adopt the right posture, it is particularly effective and sustainable. There is no need to perform endless repetitions of certain exercises; once you have learned how to cycle, you do not have to go back to using stabilizers! In the same way, once your brain has learned how sit, stand and walk correctly, your posture will have improved permanently. Correcting posture is often the single most important step for permanent back pain relief.