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"Breathe, Move, Heal: 8 Practical tips for Back Pain"

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“Pain is a sign that something in your movement or environment needs to change.”

– Dr. Kelly Starrett



If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve experienced back pain at some point in your life. This article provides tools and strategies to help you reduce or even resolve incidents of back pain on your own.


While consulting a professional is always recommended for severe symptoms, many of these practices are inspired by Dr. Kelly Starrett’s belief that we should have the knowledge and tools to address our own pain first. Taking responsibility for our body’s care (not the same as accepting blame or fault) involves adopting daily actions and practices. Dr. Starrett advocates for committing just 10 minutes a day to self-maintenance. Below, I’ll outline several effective practices, including mobilizations, breathing techniques, and soft tissue work.


The tips are divided into two categories:

  1. Reducing Pain – What to do when you're experiencing discomfort.

  2. Preventative Measures – Daily habits to maintain a healthy, pain-free back.


Reducing Pain


When we’re injured, congestion often builds in the surrounding tissues. A powerful way to reduce this congestion (clearing waste and delivering nutrients to tissues) is through intentional breathing. Mechanical breathing activates the muscles around the ribs, spine, and pelvis, functioning as a pump for the lymphatic system. This video walks you through the technique step by step.


Be a Detective

Think like Sherlock Holmes—or even Ace Ventura. Analyze your daily habits and identify connections between activities and how your back feels. For example, excessive standing, prolonged sitting, or driving for long periods can be triggers. Stress and lack of sleep can also heighten pain sensitivity, so pay attention to those factors.


Walking

Walking is a simple yet powerful way to restore and maintain back health. Dr. Stu McGill, a renowned biomechanics and back health expert, highlights the benefits of brisk walking with natural arm swings:

  • Gentle Compression and Decompression: Promotes nutrient exchange in intervertebral discs.

  • Activation of Stabilizing Muscles: Engages core and spinal stabilizers, building endurance without overloading.

  • Improved Circulation: Enhances blood flow and oxygen delivery to spinal tissues, reducing inflammation and aiding healing.

  • Builds Endurance: Strengthens the muscles that support the spine in a low-intensity manner.


Ever dealt with a muscle knot in your neck or upper back? Just as a massage therapist works upstream and downstream of tension areas, you can achieve similar relief using a lacrosse ball. This video demonstrates key techniques to target problem areas and explains the principles of soft tissue mobilization. This has done wonders for myself and many of my clients.


Preventative Measures


Frequent Movement vs. Intensity

Even if you train hard at the gym for an hour, Dr. Starrett considers you sedentary if you sit for most of the day. Aim for 10,000 steps daily, set a timer to move every hour, or invest in a standing or adjustable desk to minimize sitting.


Daily Mobility Practice

Walking is great, but it doesn’t engage your joints and tissues at their full range of motion. Dr. Starrett refers to these end ranges as the "bookends" of movement. For example, shoulder flexion—reaching your arms as high as possible—represents an essential range of motion. Maintaining mobility requires daily practices that touch these "bookends." Tight hips, for instance, can impair spinal function, which is why you’ll find exercises targeting hip mobility and core stability particularly effective. The following videos can help you get started. Couch stretch for quads and glutes, Bretzel stretch for hips and upper back, squat hold for lower back,, whole body fascial stretch


Protect your spine by letting your hips and legs handle the lifting, whether in the gym or during daily tasks like picking up objects. Many back injuries stem from improper biomechanics—learning proper hip hinge mechanics can make a significant difference.


Core Stability

Core strength is integral to spinal health. Dr. Stu McGill’s “Big 3” exercises are excellent for building core stability.


By applying these principles, you can take meaningful steps toward reducing or preventing back pain. If you have questions, feel free to reach out—I’m here to help.


If you, or someone you know, needs help with a sleep, nutrition, or fitness routine, please reach out. Either online or in the gym, I specialize in helping busy professionals over 40 get fit without burning out. My personal training studio services downtown Toronto and is just steps away from the UP Union to Pearson Express Station.

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