12 “Pain Makers” that can Destroy Your Back and Stop it from Healing
Pain Maker Positions
Sitting (even with good posture) is more stressful on most backs than standing or lying down. Sitting is acceptable, of course, but limit time sitting as you are able to and intersperse movement with sitting.
Sitting in the C position is more stressful on the back than sitting with good posture.
Sitting in the C position and holding additional weight is much more stressful on the back.
Twisting the back and holding additional weight is stressful on the back.
Lying on your back and curling up your spine (as in a sit-up) is stressful on your spine.
Lying on your back, curling up your spine and twisting it is very stressful on your spine.
Lifting a weight with your back in the C position is very stressful on your back.
Lifting an extremely heavy weight (even with the back in perfect posture) is very stressful on the back.
Bending forward in the C position is more stressful on your back than bending forward with good posture.
Bending forward in the C position and twisting is more stressful than bending forward in the C position.
Bending forward in the C position and holding on to additional weight is much more stressful than positions 9-11.
Bending forward in the C position, twisting, and adding weight is the most stressful position of all.
The type of twist one might do when shoveling snow or moving a laundry
basket.
Moving laundry basket
The added twist will place even more strain on the parts of your back and the discs, and it will make the problem worse. If you desire to hurt your back, this would be one of the best ways to do it.
Performing any of the positions (1-12) in a repetitive manner places a large amount of cumulative stress on the back. Basically, with repetitive poor movements, you wear your back down and make it less able to handle stress. Back pain, disc herniations, and sciatica are rarely the result of a single, unsafe act. It is often an accumulation of many factors that have deteriorated the back over a long period of time. Most of those factors occurred in the pain maker positions.
Although you may not initially feel any pain or discomfort with a pain maker position, it may be giving increasing the damage to your body on a microscopic level. Assume the pain maker position long and often enough and yes, you will begin to experience pain.
Most individuals are unaware of the extent and prevalence of being in a pain maker posture. The difficulty with poor posture is its insidious and stealthy nature. When you settle into a slumped position year after year, eventually that abnormal position feels normal and upright to you. In fact, when we encourage our patients to straighten up, it feels strange to them.
Throughout the day observe those around you and you will quickly note the C position is extremely widespread and common (and so is back pain and sciatica). People are in the C position and they are not even remotely aware.
This video is a part of a series of videos on how to treat Sciatica/Back Pain on your own. Check out the full series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: http://bobandbrad.com/programs