Change the way you move in your body to change the way you feel in your life. As a manual Craniosacral Osteopath I continue to work with clients with chronic pain. I have observed through practice the most common structural patterns of people who struggle with lower back pain and or chronic pain in general.  When your pelvis is aligned, your movement improves and you will indeed find your stride. 

For example, most people are right handed. Due to this right sided dominance the pattern shows up as an exhausted  right side and the opposite left shoulder is usually, though not always tight and out of balance or position which may cause upper body discomfort. This imbalance may create a rotation of the spine at the hips which will then impact the thoracic spine further up, and the position of the neck may be impinged.  If you are a left handed person the pattern will look similar on the opposite side. This can vary depending on how you utilize your body on a daily basis. 

The number of people who experience chronic pain in general is high for the working adults and the elderly alike. Dr. Pourgal the director of NAO where I studied, shared that statistically, a person complains of chronic pain every six seconds. This is due to the excessive ways in which we function, work and utilize our sacred bodies; it also has to do with stress, poor digestion, poor nutrition and poor posture. 

Correct the lumbar spinal rotation to alleviate lower back and pain elsewhere in the body. The muscles and fascia surrounding the imbalance will need to be addressed overtime. Visceral work, to massage the viscera of the organs of digestion and elimination, also greatly helps to reduce triggers, tension and overall discomforts of chronic daily lower back pain.

The good news is, all of these chronic pains can be alleviated with simple daily movements to address your structure, and is a fundamental criteria to remain upright and mobile in your body, to live a freer and happier and more joyous life. 

Here are a few simple proven movements to practice on a daily basis to reduce chronic body aches and  pains.  Do this for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes 1-2x a day. This can be done from your bed, the floor, or from a seated position at work.

From the bed or floor: 

1.Lay down on your bed with a flat back and bend your knees, draw your knees to your chest and breathe deeply for a few minutes, then drop your feet to the bed to stabilize your hips and rotate your hips to the right while extending your opposite arm to gaze in the other direction. Hold this position for 5 deep breaths. Do both sides. If you are flexible, explore straightening your legs to increase the stretch. Be mindful to not overstretch. This is one of the most useful stretches to practice on a regular basis to relieve lower back pain and to improve your hip mobility.

 2.Place a pillow under the chest with an additional pillow under the nape of the neck to support the spine. Extend your arms out beside you and gaze back slightly to release a forward head tilt. Open your heart and breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling mindfully for 5 minutes.

From a Seated position: Try this set of movements during a work day from an armless sturdy chair.

1.Begin by Rolling up and down letting your spine extend downwards as you let your head drop and let go. Slowly roll up. Do this 3 to 5x. Breathe deeply. 

2. Warrior or Goddess pose Extend your arms above your head with your hands facing one another. Let your gaze rest steadily and forward.  Take gentle mindful breaths. Hold this for a few minutes while your system revives itself. This simple movement helps to alleviate low and tired energy according to ancient Yogic practices,

3. Side Bends Seated firmly, take one arm and extend it over your head to the opposite side of your body to side bend comfortably. Keep your spine long and parallel to your hips. Hold. Take 5 breaths. Be sure to do the opposite side. 

4. Hip Rotations to relieve tight lumbar spines. With feet flat on the floor, gently utilize your hands or the arm of the chair if you have one,  to rotate your hips to look behind you. Chest upright. Mind present. Take 5 breaths with each rotation. If you find your hips rotate to one side I would recommend you rotate your hips to the opposite side twice. So, for example if your health practitioner mentions that your lumbar spine rotates to the Right, I suggest that you rotate  your hips twice to the left side. This is super easy and super effective to relieve tightness of the lower back.

5. Finally with both finger tips, tap your upper chest bone above your sternum for a few minutes. This is an ancient Chinese technique to reduce stress and clear chronic pain quickly. Breath and come fully into the moment to complete your movement for this set.

 As a seasoned meditation practitioner and yoga practitioner of many years, I can guarantee you that these five simple movement practices will begin to help you with any lower back problems if continued in a consistent and gentle way on a daily basis. Consider visiting Dharani Healing Arts for your Initial Craniosacral Osteopathic consultation for an assessment and  to assure you that you are doing the movements correctly. Live a vibrant life!