Over the last six months, I’ve worked with a number of clients who all suffered from debilitating back pain.

Today, they’re all in a much better place.

One of them was John, a man in his 50s, who woke up with tremendous stiffness and needed a 30 minute routine to just ‘wake things up’ and feel some semblance of being okay.

And now? John’s back is nowhere near as stiff as it used to be. Not only does he require less warm-up in the mornings, but the effects are more powerful and longer lasting. He no longer has to think about his back.

Another was Anthony, a 27-year-old man, who felt like he was trapped in a cycle of aggravating his back every time he trained. He kept having to take time off, which caused him to lose muscle mass, strength, and general confidence.

And now? Anthony is training with his mates again, lifting weights, working hard, and feeling good. He has no more fear around flare-ups during movement, and has absolute confidence in how to deal with them if they ever do occur.

The other was Henry, in his early 40s, whose back was so sensitive it would lock up when he was training, doing housework, and even when he was sitting on the couch. This was despite being relatively active in martial arts for the last five years.

Now? Henry no longer gives his back a second thought when moving around the house, fixing his car, or playing with his kids. He can now get the most out of his martial arts training, and is actually enjoying the process, rather than suffering through it.

So what’s the secret?

To cut a long story short, I treated them holistically and actively rather than in an isolated, passive manner.

On one hand, I taught them relaxation and recovery techniques to help them better manage their pain (and their frustrated minds!). This included working with the breath, shaking the body, stretching, self-massage, and joint clearing exercises.

On the other, I helped them build muscle and strength through resistance training - but taught them how to do it SAFELY so as to minimise injury and flare-ups. This meant showing them the right way to do things, and correcting any improper techniques they may have picked up over the years.

Okay… but what was the BIGGEST secret?

The common thread with pain - back pain in particular - is that most people aren’t aware of just how much stress, tension, and anxiety they’re holding onto - and how much of that they are storing in their bodies.

Learning to relax and LET GO of tension is something we all know we should do, but how often are we actually doing it?

If the answer is “not often” or “never”, then you’re either setting yourself up for future back pain or you’ve already got it.

Of course, some back pain comes from injuries and physical damage to the body, but it can ALWAYS be made worse by excess tension.

This can also apply to pain in other areas of the body, but in my experience, it shows up most in the spine, which can include pain in lower and upper back (or neck).

So, are you keen to get rid of your back pain for good, but need some helping doing it?

Are you looking for a more holistic approach to the body and a wiser way to train?

Let’s have a chat!