James Alamanos is a Professional Trainer, Sports Kinesiologist and Stretch Therapist who specializes in providing an exercise-based approach to treating pain of the muscles and joints. He believes that optimal health and performance is achievable and sustainable for people of all ages and levels.  James is currently practicing out of Fitness First Melbourne Central and Melbourne Physical & Natural Therapies Studio in Fitzroy.

Hands up if you’ve had back pain.  Chances are that right now as you’re reaching up to put your hand in the air you’re getting a little twinge in your lumbar spine.  I assure you you’re not the only one.  In fact you are very much in the majority with recent studies suggesting that back pain in its various forms affects over 75% of the world’s population.  Many of these cases cause major pain and discomfort, restrict our ability to complete everyday activities and some are so severe they are categorized as a disability.

Are you surprised?  Probably not – you’ve likely heard the anguished groans of your co-workers as, with one hand supporting their lower back they get up to go home after a long day chained to their desk.  Modern lifestyle plays a huge part in the prevalence of back pain. Most of us live a primarily sedentary life; whether it’s at the work desk, in the car or on the couch we dedicate a large portion of our lives to the seated position.   This activity was never meant as a preferred state of being but for many of us it has become our primary function.

This prolonged sitting has not gone undetected by the body.  The body’s matrix of bones, muscles tendons, ligaments and fascia respond to every movement or lack thereof with a compensatory allowance which enables us to function efficiently on the things that we do the most of; in the case of the human race, we sit…a lot, and our muscles have evolved to accommodate this.

The hip flexors, primarily the ilio-psoas complex, (consisting of two muscles, iliacus which attaches to the pelvic crest and the femur and Psoas major which attaches to the lumbar spine and femur) play a major role in back pain.  They flex the hip joint allowing us such common tasks as walking, running, bending and of course sitting.  Sitting for long periods puts the hip flexors into a habitually shortened position which over time can contribute to many physical impairments such as lower back pain by the action of the pelvis and lumbar spine being pulled forward.  We see this classically in people who have excessive curvature in their lower back.

An overwhelming majority of people have chronically tight hip flexors and this has dramatic effects on our posture and movement causing among other things chronic muscle tension, pain in the back, headaches and even breathing difficulties.  Generally, to counter this, stretching the hip flexors and strengthening the gluteal muscles and abdominal muscles can help to reduce pelvic tilt and decrease lower back pain if the correct methods are used.

What are the correct methods you ask?  One approach that has been shown to have remarkable results in helping people overcome their back, shoulder, neck, hip and knee pain is an advanced form of flexibility training called Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Feedback (PNF) Stretching.  Developed by Dr Henry Kabat in the 1940’s and 50’s as a way to help polio patients regain lost range of motion, PNF uses a combination of stretching, isometric contraction, breathing and relaxation techniques to assist the muscle lengthening process, after which specific strengthening, mobility and re-patterning exercises are employed to teach the body the desirable posture and movement.

With accompanying lifestyle adjustments, regular PNF stretching and strengthening exercises have transformed the lives of many of my clients.  It has given them the tools to help them manage their pain, avoid surgery and regain normal function; and it can for you as well.


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