30Apr 2023 by ritapt
Don’t blame your bad discs – help them!

Don’t blame your bad discs – help them!

Lifting, Neck Back, Recovery, Spine, Tactical
Don’t blame your bad discs - help them!  This article was originally published in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association If you've had a healthcare provider say your back pain is because of bulging or degenerated spinal discs, you'd expect them to tell you how to fix said discs, right? Unfortunately, I bet many people in this situation have been told this is nothing that can be done. Disc replacement is a thing, but it's nowhere near perfect yet for the lower back. So most doctors offer one type of solution: pain management. They provide pain drugs, injections, and sometimes even anti-depressants. Relief, yes, but not repair. While there is no doubt that pain relief is important so that you can go about your life, it isn't…
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02Feb 2021 by ritapt
How to make hanging from a pull up bar more effective for low back decompression

How to make hanging from a pull up bar more effective for low back decompression

Neck Back
How to make hanging from a pull up bar more effective for low back decompression Hanging from a pull-up bar to decompression your spine is a great way to reverse the effects of gravity and reduce many types of low back pain. There’s just one problem: some of the muscles used to hang actually contribute to spinal compression.  Case in point: the Lat muscles attach to some of the thickest tissue fibers in your body, wrapping the low back and protecting it from high forces generated during bending, lifting, and pulling tasks:  ✅ Here’s a quick fix: place a box or sturdy stool under the pull-up bar such that your feet touch with some slight bend in the knees. You’ll reduce the muscle work required of the Lats, reducing their…
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09May 2020 by ritapt
When you should see a doctor about head, neck, or back pain

When you should see a doctor about head, neck, or back pain

Spine
When you should see a doctor about head, neck, or back pain Matt had suffered from back pain on-and-off for years. He’d been in a car accident years ago and had also survived a nasty fall from a ladder. The past few years had been pretty good, though, with only occasional low back pain after hard workouts.  This recent slip from a ladder was different. And stupid, Matt said, because, in his hurry to clean out the gutters on a sunny day, he’d failed to secure the ladder properly. Matt said he felt strange the next morning - while his back hurt, his left leg felt wobbly like Jello. He’d nearly tripped over his foot on his way to the bathroom. And, he’d had difficulty urinating when he did make…
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