Back Pain is something that affects way too many people these days!  According to the American Chiropractic Association, back pain is the fifth most  common reason for all physician visits in the US, and the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old.

In fact according to the AMA, 70 to 85 percent of all people have back pain at some time in their life. Yikes, what a staggeringly high number of people, and I suspect that unfortunately, these numbers are probably going up rather than down!

As one of those in this majority, who suffers with congenital back issues, I have spent most of my life actively doing things to help keep my body strong, fit, and flexible.  I have discovered over the years, that there are some things my body loves to do, and other things that are guaranteed to cause me grief.  And what I have learned is that the more I exercise and stay active, generally, the better my back feels, and the happier and healthier my whole-body is.

Let’s face it, when your body hurts, it’s under stress.   While some muscle tension is good and appropriate to maintain posture and help us move around, overly tight muscles create unnecessary stress and too much tension which unfortunately can lead to back pain. When any of the bones in our body are held too tightly together by muscle contraction, or misalignment, freedom of movement will be restricted and over time, with the inability to enjoy free and easy movement, poor posture and pain can be the result.  It’s no secret that stress causes tension… 

Discover how to reduce neck pain, and back pain with Pilates breathing techniques.