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Curious About Core?
Written By: Ashby Underwood - Yoga Highlands | Issue: 2021/04 – April
A holistic approach to healing back pain and core strength through yoga and bodywork.
Ashby Underwood-Garner
Do you know when your back has been hurting for months, or even years, and the X-ray or MRI can’t find the cause? You or someone you know may have experienced that frustration. If you’ve ever had back pain of any kind, it can keep you from feeling at peace and doing the things you love. According to Harvard Medical School, “80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives”, which is four out of every five people.
Often chronic back pain can interrupt both sleep and vitality for day to day activities. The psychology of low grade back pain is even more limiting in wondering if it will ever end. Your posture affects your mood. Whether a gripping injury of a herniated disc or chronic aching and stiffness, back pain absolutely can be helped with the right support.
Enter the phrase,”I should strengthen my core”. We hear this. We say this. But what is the core really? We pat our bellies and think of tightening our middle. An orthopedic surgeon can prescribe physical therapy. But often for long lasting, pain-free balance there is a combination of exercises that must align with the client’s unique somatic or felt-sense experience. We cannot fully address back pain just by working on the back. This is good news if you have been suffering and haven’t yet found an answer.
Adults and children alike are experiencing distress due to poor postural habits when using phones or tablets. Disconnected with the sensations in the body when we “plug in”, we do not live in a well designed society to support a strong back.
There is resilient movement in the spine that accompanies a breathing pattern. This can be employed as your inner-massage therapist. When we work to heal the spine and supporting musculature we also need to look within, below, and above in the spine. When it comes to core, we need to feel, not think. We need to breathe, as well as strengthen.