8 steps to a pain-free back : natural posture solutions for pain in the back, neck, shoulder, hip, knee, and foot

Nearly 90% Of American Adults Suffer From Back Pain, And The Number Continues To Climb. Why Does This Condition Affect So Many People In The Industrialized World, While In Some Countries Only 5% Of Adults Report Back Pain? For The First Time, These Insights Are Revealed In A Step-by-step Guide Designed To Help Those Suffering Back Pain. Front Cover 1 Dedication 6 Acknowledgments 8 CONTENTS 10 FOREWORD 16 PREFACE 18 FOUNDATIONS 20 BACK PAIN 24 WHAT WE BLAME 24 STANDING UPRIGHT? 24 SEDENTARY LIVES? 25 STRESS? 26 WEIGHT AND HEIGHT? 27 AGE? 28 THE REAL CAUSE 28 LOSS OF KINESTHETIC TRADITION 31 INFLUENCE OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY 33 THE EFFECT ON OUR BACKS 34 MOVING OUT OF MISERY 35 HOW IT WORKS 35 WHAT DOES GOOD POSTURE LOOK LIKE? 36 ANTEVERTED PELVIS 38 A GENTLY CURVED, ELONGATED SPINE 39 EVERY BONE IN ITS NATURAL PLACE 40 USING MUSCLES MORE THAN JOINTS 41 MUSCLES FULLY RELAXED WHEN NOT WORKING 41 BREATHING AS A THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE 41 IT WORKS! 42 ORIENTATION 44 FOLLOW THE LESSON SEQUENCE 46 HERNIATED DISC 46 HIGH IMPACT ACTIVITIES 46 BENDING ACTIVITIES 46 ALLOW TIME TO CHANGE 46 KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT 47 HOW QUICKLY CAN I EXPECT RESULTS? 47 HOW LONG SHOULD EACH LESSON TAKE? 47 HOW DIFFICULT ARE THE LESSONS? 47 UNDERSTAND HOW THE LESSONS ARE ORGANIZED 47 RECOGNIZE YOUR PROGRESS 48 BARRIERS TO SUCCESS 48 LESSON 1: STRETCHSITTING 50 BENEFITS 54 INSTRUCTIONS 56 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 66 TROUBLESHOOTING 66 FEELING OVERLY STRETCHED 66 UNABLE TO STRETCH THE SPINE 66 DISCOMFORT AT POINT OF CONTACT 67 INADEQUATE CHAIR 67 FURTHER INFORMATION 67 SHOULDER REPOSITIONING 67 COMMENTS ON LUMBAR CUSHIONS 68 SITTING IN A CAR 68 FASHIONING A BACKREST 69 CHECKING YOUR POSITION 69 RECAP 71 LESSON 2: STRETCHLYING ON YOUR BACK 72 BENEFITS 75 INSTRUCTIONS 76 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 82 TROUBLESHOOTING 82 FEELING PAIN OR DISCOMFORT IN THE LOW BACK 82 FEELING PAIN OR DISCOMFORT IN THE NECK 82 FEELING DISCOMFORT AT A POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE BED 83 SNORING 83 FEELINGS OF EXPOSURE 83 FURTHER INFORMATION 83 BEDS 83 PILLOWS 83 CERVICAL PILLOWS / ROLLS 84 RECAP 85 LESSON 3: STACKSITTING 86 THE WEDGE 89 THE ANTEVERTED PELVIS 90 BENEFITS 91 INSTRUCTIONS 92 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 106 TROUBLESHOOTING 106 PAIN IN THE LOW BACK 106 SORENESS IN THE LOW BACK 106 WEDGE NOT AVAILABLE 106 INELEGANT MOVEMENT 106 CHANGED LINE OF VISION 107 FURTHER INFORMATION 107 CONFLICTING GUIDELINES 107 DISTINCTION BETWEEN TIPPING THE PELVIS AND SWAYING THE BACK 107 CHAIRS 108 FLOOR 109 RECAP 111 LESSON 4: STRETCHLYING ON YOUR SIDE 112 BENEFITS 115 INSTRUCTIONS 116 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 124 TROUBLESHOOTING 124 YOU CAN’T FALL ASLEEP 124 YOUR BODY DOESN’T HOLD THE POSITION THROUGH THE NIGHT 124 YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE IN THIS POSITION 124 FURTHER INFORMATION 125 SLEEPING ON YOUR STOMACH 125 WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR LEGS 126 RECAP 127 LESSON 5: USING YOUR INNER CORSET 128 BENEFITS 132 INSTRUCTIONS 134 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 140 TROUBLESHOOTING 140 SWAYING THE LOW BACK 140 DIFFICULTY BREATHING 140 FURTHER INFORMATION 140 LENGTHENING BY CONTRACTING 140 JUMPING 141 REACHING ABOVE YOUR HEAD 141 PROTECTING YOUR NECK 142 USING AN EXTERNAL CORSET 142 RECAP 145 LESSON 6: TALLSTANDING 146 BENEFITS 149 INSTRUCTIONS 152 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 160 TROUBLESHOOTING 160 UNABLE TO CONTRACT THE FOOT ARCH 160 DIFFICULTY SHIFTING WEIGHT ONTO HEELS 160 PROBLEMS ALIGNING THE SHOULDERS 161 INABILITY TO SENSE YOUR VERTICAL AXIS 161 FURTHER INFORMATION 162 ARM POSITION 162 WEIGHT ON THE HEELS 163 NATURAL ARCHES OF THE FEET 163 BARE FEET 164 PREGNANCY 164 INSOLES 164 SHOES 164 SPINE CONTOUR CONFUSION 164 RECAP 167 LESSON 7: HIP HINGING 168 ANATOMY OF A BACKACHE... 171 ... AND HOW TO AVOID IT 171 BENEFITS 173 COMPARING DIFFERENT BENDING STYLES 173 INSTRUCTIONS 174 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 180 TROUBLESHOOTING 180 BENDING IS PAINFUL 180 THE GROOVE IN YOUR LOW BACK DISAPPEARS AS YOU BEND 180 THE GROOVE IN YOUR LOW BACK GETS DEEPER AS YOU BEND 181 FURTHER INFORMATION 181 HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY 181 BENDING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS 182 BENDING WHILE SITTING 182 EXTRA WEIGHT 182 HIP HINGING FOR ATHLETIC ADVANTAGE 182 TRAINING CHILDREN TO HIP HINGE 183 RECAP 185 LESSON 8: GLIDEWALKING 186 BENEFITS 190 INSTRUCTIONS 192 INDICATIONS OF IMPROVEMENT 208 TROUBLESHOOTING 208 FEELING THAT YOU ARE LEANING FORWARD 208 TENDENCY TO TUCK OR LEAD WIITH THE PELVIS 208 UNABLE TO COORDINATE BUTTOCK CONTRACTION AND FORWARD THRUST 190 208 DIFFICULTY LEAVING BACK HEEL ON THE FLOOR 208 LOSING TRACK OF YOUR POSTURE 208 CANNOT COORDINATE ALL THE ELEMENTS OF GLIDEWALKING 209 FURTHER INFORMATION 209 WALKING ON ONE LINE 209 GETTING EXTRA POWER IN YOUR STRIDE 210 RUNNING LIKE A KENYAN 210 RECAP 211 APPENDIX 1: OPTIONAL EXERCISES 213 STRENGTHENING THE TORSO MUSCLES 215 STRENGTHENING THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES 215 STRENGTHENING THE DEEP MUSCLES OF THE BACK 222 STRENGTHENING AND STRETCHING THE MUSCLES IN THE SHOULDER AREA 223 STRENGTHENING THE NECK MUSCLES 225 STRETCHING THE NECK MUSCLES 225 STRETCHING THE KEY MUSCLES THAT CONNECT THE TORSO AND LEGS 226 STRETCHING THE EXTERNAL HIP ROTATOR MUSCLES 228 STRENGTHENING KEY MUSCLES USED IN WALKING 229 STRENGTHENING THE ARCH MUSCLES 229 STRENGTHENING THE GLUTEUS MEDIUS MUSCLES 231 STRENGTHENING THE TIBIALIS ANTERIOR 232 TROUBLESHOOTING 233 STIFFNESS OR PAIN 233 LACK OF IMPROVEMENT 233 FAILURE TO EXERCISE 233 FURTHER INFORMATION 233 APPENDIX 2: ANATOMY 235 GLOSSARY 238 BIBLIOGRAPHY 241 INDEX 242 SUMMARY GUIDE 244 Gokhale believes the root of a painful back, a painful body, postural dysfunctional and general feelings of discomfort are due to the fact we have lost sight of how to use our bodies. According to Gokhale the cause of such maladies is not due to the simple fact that we move less now than we ever have before, but rather it's the way we hold and position our bodies while undertaking such sedentary tasks that is creating the problem