❓ FAQ and Troubleshooting
Basics
How will exercise fix arthritis, labral tears, meniscus tears, and/or other forms of joint degeneration?
Read this article on the ATM Theory to understand how you can heal your body without having to worry about the typical list of orthopedic "pathologies."
I can't feel the right muscles firing in a certain exercise. What can I do?
Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cks1KRa6vFo
I get sore after stretching. Is this normal?
Yes, but if you handle it appropriately, you'll be fine. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxhAfI0ciQw
I tighten up after stretching. Is this normal?
Yes, and it just means you need to adjust how you approach stretching. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT9Z_9zv07o
What are muscle imbalances? How do I identify them? Is asymmetry a kind of muscle imbalance?
Read this article: https://www.uprighthealth.com/blog/identify-muscle-imbalances-dysfunction
Program Specific Questions
I don’t have time for this much exercise. What can I do?
If you feel you don’t have time to do about an hour of exercise per day, there are two things to do.
- Be honest. Do you really not have time, or do you simply lack the motivation to prioritize it? For the vast majority of people with back pain, days get filled with low-value tasks and distractions that are way less important than your physical health. Cut out the TV, phone, and other “entertainment” time, and you’ll often find more than enough time to exercise. If you have kids, discuss with all family members (who are old enough to understand) how they can help you block time for exercise.
- If you TRULY don’t have time, one option is to do only the morning routines. Start with Phase 1 and do it every day for a month. Then move on to Phase 2 morning routine for a month. Then repeat with Phase 3. Those should take you only 20 minutes per day.
If you feel you can’t even commit that, your chances of success in getting out of back pain may be quite low. However, any time dedicated to your health will be better than zero! Do the Phase 1 Mobility Workouts. Do one per day, 1-2 rounds each. If you find one that is especially helpful for you, focus on doing that one 3 times a week and rotate other mobility workouts in throughout the week. This will mean you are spending only 10-20 minutes per day on exercise.
Can I do extra mobility routines in a given day?
For example, could I do mobility 1 AND mobility 3 on the same day if I have extra time and motivation?
The first time you do the Back Pain Fix's three phases, the answer is no. If you have extra time and motivation, do extra rounds of the mobility routines you're assigned for the day. This will ensure you get a systematic, comprehensive approach for your whole body.
If you go through the Back Pain Fix a second or third time, you are welcome to be looser and more creative about how you adjust your routines.
If I find certain muscles are getting really tight again, should I go back to the previous phase for a bit?
Yup, use some more stretching and self-massage if it's post-workout muscle soreness with loss of ROM (Range of Motion). If it's just muscle soreness after workout without loss of ROM, then just some self-massage is fine.
If you're NOT losing range of motion but they're just feeling "tight" all the time (as opposed to just the day after workouts), make sure you're building enough strength in them during the workouts by using ankle weights, etc.
One of the routines seems to make my body hurt more. What do I do?
Good job paying attention! The next time you do that routine, see if you can identify which specific exercise seems to trigger the problem. Once you've done that, ask yourself: Am I doing the exercise properly? Am I doing it too intensely? Do I feel the right muscles working? If the answer to any of those questions is NO, then fix that first.
If the answers are all YES, then leave that exercise out for now. Make a note to yourself to come back to it in another month.
Helpful resources:
I can't get down on the floor to do the Back Pain Fix exercises!
That can feel pretty frustrating. First, there are exercises that do NOT require you to get down on the floor. Go through the workouts and exercises you CAN do and just skip won't you can't for now. Phase 1 Morning routine, for example, should be completely doable.
Long term, you gotta be able to get down to the floor and stay down there. It's a functional ability we all need to have for our entire bodies to feel right!
This video shows you strategies to get down to the floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxrYmvXJRH0 Practice and get better!
This video shows you strategies to get UP from the floor: https://youtu.be/t_9nhkjZ5ls
This workout video involves NO floor work and will help you build some hip and leg strength to help you eventually get down to the floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thz4tPRFs2Y
Upper Back Pain
My upper back hurts in / around / under / between my shoulder blades.
Check out this video.
I feel tightness when... kneeling lat stretch / pushing the floor away in plank position.
One of these resources will be helpful:
Back Pain
Back hurts when bending to pick something up
This is extremely common. Make sure you pay special attention to the Hip Hinge, Seated Pigeon, and the Inner and Outer Hip Flexibility assessments. You may need to implement those correctives multiple times a day for weeks or months to improve this situation.
Back muscles jamming up when i do rows and and reverse flys.
Focus on lat stretches. Adjust your body position to get more stretch along the back of your ribs, down the sides of your body, and a little into your low back. Focus on feeling a medium stretch/challenge. Feel for lengthening in the muscle fibers of your lats and lower traps.
Hip Hinge hurts the opposing side so if I'm standing on my left, my right lower back / hip starts hurting.
I would suggest trying the Asymmetry routine to see if anything grabs your attention. There is very likely an imbalance hiding somewhere in there.
It's hard to tell what area you're referring to, but if it's above the pelvis and below the ribs and to the right of the spine, it sounds like QL area. The asymmetry routine should make it clear.
This video may also help: https://youtu.be/BUZJR58Up0o
The Two Leg Hip Thrust is causing me back pain.
To modify this, use a lower surface or do it with your back on the floor (simple glute bridge). As you learn how to do it without pain, you can start adding cushions to increase the elevation. Focus on keeping the lower back flat (i.e. remove its normal curve). This will lengthen and disadvantage the lumbar spine erectors and make the glutes work preferentially.
I can't do the one leg hip thrust on my right leg.
Do it on the floor without any elevation. Add small amounts of elevation as you feel ready.
Herniated Discs & Sciatica
Herniated disc is pushing on the sciatica. Pain shoots from the hip area and spreads down to the foot.
If the pain starts shooting every time you fold forward, then for now avoid going into those aggravating positions. When you're as lit up as you are, you'll want to find the positions that give you relief.
Is going into spinal extension is better for you? In that case, you can simply work on any of the exercises that put you into extension (like the "cow" in cat/cow) or the "anterior pelvic tilt" position).
This video will help you identify the things that may help and aggravate your back: https://youtu.be/2ylj5e6-uxM
When you're in such an aggravated state, you may want to work with someone one-on-one locally to help guide you through specifics for your body. Hopefully you can find a good PT or corrective exercise specialist near you.
Knee Pain
Pain in my knee when I bend down (squat or something like that).
For the knee, just give it a little time to rest up. Keep doing what exercises you can, and make sure you DO NOT push into more pain.
Hamstring stretches and quad stretches may be helpful. Glute stretches may also help (your glutes may be tightening up due to some of the exercises in the program).
More leg massage (as shown in the massage routine) may also be helpful.
During your workouts, identify which exercises may make that spot feel "vulnerable" and then respect your pain free range of motion
That spot is where a lot of thigh muscles' tendons blend and attach, so you just may have some residual soreness/pulling happening. Give it time and be patient!
Finally, this article may be helpful: https://www.uprighthealth.com/blog/fixing-pain-flare-ups
Belly Button
My belly button points left / right. How does this relate to the pubic bone and Palloff press?
If your belly button is to the LEFT of your pubic bone, the band should be anchored to your LEFT. You would be chiefly working the right side of the core and spine.
You MIGHT feel some activity on the left side of your core too from the obliques firing on that side as well.
If your belly button is to the RIGHT of your pubic bone, the band should be anchored to your RIGHT.
You MIGHT feel some activity on the right side of your core too from the obliques firing on that side as well.
This link may be helpful to understand that anatomy: https://barebonesyoga.com/anatomy-stories-how-can-i-tell-the-difference-between-my-internal-and-external-obliques/