Fast Fitness - Neutral Spine in 5 Seconds
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
If you have lower back pain after standing, walking, or running, or feel that you need to bend forward or lift one leg to relieve lower back pain, you may stand with too large an inward curve in your lower back (hyperlordosis).
- Stand with hands on hips, thumbs in back
- Roll hip under so that thumbs and the back of the hip come downward (not forward)
- Use the neutral spine position for normal posture.
Reader David from Belgium made us this short video of correcting overarching (hyperlordosis). At first he is standing with the front of the hip tilted forward and the upper body leaning backward. Both actions increase the lower back curve. Then he tucks the bottom of the hip under to neutral position, correcting the hyperlordosis.
Don't tighten your abs to do this. Just use them to move your lower spine out of unhealthful arching to neutral spine. Breathe.
Labels: abdominal muscles, fast fitness, lower back, neutral spine, ordosis, running, video/movie, walking
8 Comments:
At Saturday, October 11, 2008 8:09:00 AM,
jfromflorida said…
Hi, How do you maintain the neutral spine while walking? I can maimtain the neutral spine while standing, but when I start walking I either lose it or start to feel pain in the middle of the back
At Saturday, October 11, 2008 8:13:00 AM,
jfromflorida said…
Hi How do you maintain the neutral spine while walking? I seem to lose it while walking, and when I try to tilt the pelvis back into the right position I feel pain in the middle of my back.
At Saturday, October 11, 2008 8:16:00 AM,
jfromflorida said…
Hi, when I try to maintain the neutral spine while walking, I feel pain in the middle of my back. Is this a matter of getting used to the neutral position, or am I doing it wrong?
Thanks, and great info by the way,
J from Florida
At Sunday, July 12, 2009 12:04:00 PM,
Steve said…
Hi. I've seen that video, but I'm not sure if it works for me. I have a severe hyperlordosis and I'm also familiar with back pain after walking for more than an hour. My orthopedia specialist told me all I had to do was strenghening my abs, and he also showed me exercises for the spine mobilization. I was always hoping to reduce the arch in my lower back in order to obtain a neutral spine. My doctor told me I was "made that way", i. e. my hyperlordosis was hereditary and couldn't be evened out. What to you guys think, is it possible to slowly decrease hyperlordosis?
At Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:02:00 PM,
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM said…
JF, maintain it walking the same way. Don't make new pain, that means it's wrong - forced, or tight or too much. Check yourself side view in a mirror. Of course, it makes sense to come in person to a workshop so we can see what you are doing to keep it healthy - www.DrBookspan.com/classes.
---
Steve, you ask if it possible to slowly decrease hyperlordosis? Yes some of our readers take a very slow long time. That is not necessary, and is why I wrote the educational article posted above.
You say you saw the video but are "not sure if it works for you" - do you mean you watched but do not know how to do it? Or you could move your spine just like the video but don't know what to do next?
"Reducing hyperlordosis" just means to move your spine, no differently than you move your arm or leg or hand. Bend to where you want it. It is a posture, not a structure that you inherit any more than holding your elbow bent is inherited.
You say your specialist told you all you need to do to get better. Did it work?
See the article and my replies in Fixing Posture - No Exercise Needed about not being "born with" posture. Make sure you are not preventing easy motion of your spine by tightening. Tightening is a fad, but is not needed or healthful - Using Abdominal Muscles is Not Tightening or Pressing Navel to Spine.
If you supply the file sharing site link for your own side-view video or photos , I can make time to take a look.
At Thursday, July 16, 2009 1:06:00 PM,
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM said…
a (hopefully) working link to Using Abdominal Muscles is Not Tightening or Pressing Navel to Spine.
At Saturday, August 01, 2009 5:10:00 PM,
John said…
For the life of me I can't seem to do this. I can't tuck the "bottom of the hip under to neutral position" without leaning backwards, and obviously this isn't a neutral spine. Trying to then lean my upper body forwards to make my spine neutral just forces my hips back again. Is it possible that my lower back is too tight and needs to be stretched out?
At Saturday, August 08, 2009 12:13:00 AM,
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM said…
John, good work trying, and knowing the difference when it is not right. A quick solution is to try it against a wall - heels, backside, and upper back touching the wall. Many people with your same observation have success pressing the overly large curve toward the wall (not touching it). The wall blocks leaning back and helps feel the motion better - click this video to see the wall drill - Fast Fitness - How to Feel Change to Neutral Spine.
If tightness still restricts you, here are common relief stretches - Which Stretch Stops Back Pain by Making Neutral Spine Possible?
To reinforce, look at yourself sideways in a mirror and/or take side view photos/videos to see overarching and correcting. If you put them on a photo sharing site I am willing to take a look. Send me your link. Click the neutral spine label under this post for all Fitness Fixer on neutral spine with more photos and descriptions.
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