Let’s talk about the synergy we often overlook!
Disclaimer: I am not a professional trained doctor or therapist, all honest opinions are mine from my past 5 years experience. This post does not contain any affiliation link. Please consult your doctor first when you notice you have discomfort in any area.
After back and forth between different therapies: chiropractic, acupuncture, cupping, Interferential Current (IFC, TENS), yoga, deep tissue massages, Thai massage…etc. I wanted to take a step back and learn more about how a spine disc can cause a huge impact on the whole body.
It was just a left lower back pain at the beginning, I had a hard time sitting down comfortably without my legs getting numb in the first three months. Then around two years later, I started to feel the right neck have a pinched nerve. I did not know there was a connection between these two. It seemed like they were far from each other, so I treated them as separate issues. I thought maybe it was that the pillow was not good enough, so I bought a new pillow. It did help, but did not make the pain go away.
Day by day, I lived with the discomfort, fast forward five years later, once I decompressed my spine, my neck pain was gone suddenly! I was so impressed by this synergy!
Here is a tilted picture hanging on the wall, shifted to the bottom left, what would you do to straighten it up? You would pull down from the upper right, am I right?
Our bodies are doing the same: the muscles in the right side of my neck were compensating for the weakness on the left lower back. It all seems more connected after I understood what doctors call compensation effect.
When it comes down to keeping a balance, you will find the diagonal lines in the diagrams always tell the truth. In the world balance is kept with counterweights, it is not a surprise our bodies work the same way.
Our body is a complicated miracle system, it constantly adjusts its movements to keep balance, even when you have trouble with your spine, your knee or legs would do the extra work, and while it is working hard for us, little did we realize the hidden cost- muscle tense.
The five years journey totally taught me this the hard way, and I have a confession to make…
A long, long time ago, I had a yoga instructor who was an experienced physical therapy nurse . She always talks very seriously about how this crossed syndrome would affect the body, but I was the young student who didn’t take it too seriously, and now I can’t treat it carelessly anymore!
I can’t tell you how many google search for articles, youtube videos, chiropractic visits I had tried, and targeted such topics in the following:
How to relieve your lower back pain?
How to straighten your spine?
How to relieve your sciatic nerve pain?
How to relieve neck pain?
How to decompress your spine?
What can you do to treat your back pain?
The best yoga video to help your lower back or neck pain
The acupuncture you can try at home to relieve your back pain
…etc
One evening, I thought of my physical therapist had told me I also have Anterior (forward) pelvic tilt, I got an idea: if in the past five years I spent time on “Spine”, “Lower back”, without seeing any drastic improvement, there must be another way to try out. This time, I would focus on the Anterior (forward) pelvic tilt.
The key point to my recovery was to pay attention to the Anterior (forward) pelvic tilt. It turns out it is actually very common for people with long sitting hours and women after pregnancy because the heavy weight on the belly for months and and girls who love high heels cause the back curves in an excessive way.
I don’t doubt that this is an aesthetic image of women on the main stream these days, having the S curve which make your waist smaller and hip uplifted. But, are you sure you have the right curve (muscle) instead of the fake curve (excessive spine curve)?
Armed with the anterior (forward) pelvic tilt as my focus point I went for it and then… Boom!!!
The loud cracking/pop sound from my left lower back shocked me. For five years, I’ve been waiting for it, every time when I did a chiropractic visit, yoga practice, or Thai massage, I was always hoping this is the time that will work and was always disappointed.
But, this time, I couldn’t believe it! I finally decompressed my spine!
I almost burst out into tears, because I can feel my body being reborn! The annoying pains were suddenly all gone in a snap!
I told my love, I had never felt my body this light for five years! I must share with you my strategy!
Let’s see how I decompressed my spine in 3 steps.
continue reading…
How to decompress your spine in 3 steps- Part I
Symptoms of a herniated disc over time
How to decompress spine in 3 steps- Part II
First aid for your lower back pain while living with it
How to decompress spine in 3 steps- Part IV
We all need a strategy, don’t we? <— step by step decompress your spine right here!
How to decompress spine in 3 steps- Part V
Self-reflection after 5 years experienced lower back pain
Keep well,
Gabrielle
Excellent job!! Congratulations
I adore you mom! thank you so much!! <3