BACK PAIN: Stop Bending your Knees First

Discover how to properly lift something heavy by using the correct squat technique. This article explains the benefits of posterior hip hinging and how it can help prevent back pain.

If you're like most active adults over 40, you experience back pain from time to time. And if you're like most people, you probably try to alleviate that pain by bending your knees. But according to new research, that might not be the best solution. Bending your knees might actually make the problem worse! So what should you do instead? Keep reading to find out. . . .

The worst advice ever given in history is to "bend your knees" when lifting up something heavy and also in most sports.

The body's kinetic chain or neurological sequence follows the old Saturday Morning Cartoon Commercial jingles: "The head bone is connected to the neck bone, the neck bone I connected to the backbone," etc.

The human movement must follow the nerves from the spinal cord to the nerves at the extremities. That path cannot be disrupted, or the body will not function correctly.

Bending your knees first skips a HUGE and ultra important area: our pelvis structure, which includes our hips on the boney side and glutes and pelvic floor on the muscle side, to make a few. Just look at any picture of the human body. Most body muscles from the chest to the knees attach or pass through the pelvic region. This area is essentially the "center of your universe" for the most vital movements of the lower body.

If you skip this area by moving your knees first, out of the body's natural neurological sequence, you will turn it off. Unfortunately, that means the glutes, hamstrings, and back extensors that protect the spine will be severely diminished, leaving the back exposed to injury.

Watch a toddler move. They move perfectly because the body is drilling in the proper neurological sequence. They move butt to heel every time.

The solution is the squat. You must move your butt back first and then let the knees bend due to that movement. Also,o the torso should move forward over the toes.

Check out this video for how to squat correctly: https://youtu.be/K31R6y3qlJ4

The best way to avoid back pain is by following these simple guidelines: 1) Don't bend your knees when lifting something heavy. Instead, keep your spine straight and use your legs to lift the object. 2) When playing sports, make sure you move in a way that doesn't put stress on your back. For example, try not to twist or jump when you're running. 3) If you're experiencing back pain, don't try to self-diagnose it. See a doctor for help. Thanks for reading! Please email us @ drkmac@perfectmotionsportstherapy.com or text us 978-651-1812 if you have any questions or want more information about how to prevent and treat back pain.

Squat properly like a child to lift something up heavy