Relieve Low Back Pain | Reduce Low Back Pain | Canada's Leading Authority in Human Movement | Dev Chengkalath

Hopefully after this series of posts, you’ll be a little less confused about what’s probably one of the most confusing aspects of low back pain:  the famous “slipped disc“.

This ubiquitous moniker is a fairly common one.

It’s flashed in eye-catching headlines in low back pain articles. It can be heard reverberating through the halls in hospitals and overheard being discussed in great detail in locker rooms. It’s unfortunately (mis)used all the time  by medical health professionals (physical therapists included) as either an umbrella category for a host of back pain issues or as a misnomer for the actual injury at hand.

In reality, there is no such thing as a slipped disc.

That’s right.

Slipped discs don’t actually exist.

So if the disc hasn’t slipped, what’s the problem?

In most cases, what’s happened is that the intervertebral disc has herniated to some degree and the ensuing tissue pathology has started to cause irritation on the local spinal nerve root.

So if you’re still with me after that last sentence, you get a gold star because that was the technical, mumbo-jumbo way of saying a part of your spine has bulged and is putting pressure on, or causing inflammation around, a nearby nerve. This then becomes the source of your pain, discomfort and dysfunction.

Over the next few blog posts, I’ll delve a little deeper into the “mysterious” world of disc bulges. In order to make this journey easier on you, here’s the agenda for the next few posts. As you’ll see, everything still follows the 3 key issues related to low back pain (which also happens to be the same 3 key issues related to most musculoskeletal issues!).

Part 1: Knowledge

In part one of this series we’ll spend some time on the function and anatomy of the spine. Having this knowledge is paramount in conquering this, or any other form, of low back pain. Knowing and understanding the structures that are involved will give you a better idea on how to protect them or help them do what they do best, heal.

Part 2: Motor Control

In part two of this series we’ll check out some of the motor control issues that lead to, or worsen disc bulges and their painful effects. This includes postures, positions, habits, muscle imbalances, mobility issues or movement patterns that all play a role in disc bulges, whether good or bad.

Part 3: De-conditioning

In the final part, we’ll talk de-conditioning and how you can reverse this process. And, as always, we’ll do all this while keeping your back happy and healthy, using the right kind of exercises, in the right way. Safely and efficiently.

So in the next post, we’ll get the knowledge base laid and then build up on it.

After everything is said and done, you should be better able to understand the true causes and potential cures for your disc herniation (formerly known as “slipped discs“).

Yours in movement.

Dev Chengkalath

You’ve taken the first two steps.

You’re educated about your problem. You’re well versed in the causes of your low back pain. You have the knowledge bombs needed to make the right choices and decisions.

Cognitively, you are ready to go. 

You’re also aware of the control issues at stake. You know you have to get your motor control back under your control. You know you have to assess and fix your posture, you know you have to balance your muscle imbalances, you know you have to optimize your mobility and you know you have to improve your movement patterns and break those bad habits. 

So what’s left?

Getting fit. 

The many benefits of getting in shape.

This really means undoing all those years of de-conditioning that you may have heaped onto your body.

De-conditioned simply means you’re out of shape. 

Being in a state of de-conditioning makes it harder for your body to deal with the daily stresses that it must face. This can include simple activities such as climbing the stairs, changing positions, lifting things, walking and yes, even sitting. 

If you’re not in the kind of shape you should be in, chances are, you’re using poor posture, your muscular system is not working on all cylinders, you’re not as mobile as you should be, and most certainly you’re using faulty movement patterns through compensation or bad habit. 

In order to help you fix your de-conditioning and all the other causes of low back pain, I’m going to re-introduce you to GOYA therapy.   

I discussed GOYA therapy a while back, but I think it is fundamentally important, not only for relieving low back pain, but for any physical therapy intervention for almost every single type of injury or corrective exercise program. 

Apply the principles of GOYA therapy wisely and consistently and you’ll soon see fitness levels that will astound even yourself .

Yours in fitness.

Dev Chengkalath