Let me paint a scenario for some of you who like to “pop” or “crack” their backs by twisting backwards or throwing your hips.
You may have lower back and/or pelvic instability if:
- You wake up or lie down after a long day and feel stiffness in your lower back or sensitivity above your buttocks
- You are constantly shifting your weight or fidgeting around
- You are unable to find a fixed position while sitting or standing for a prolonged period of time
- You constant feel the need to bend forward and stretch
- You have a sharp pain on one or both sides of your lower back
- You hear popping or clicking noises at your hips/groin/lower back
- You have a difficulty carrying heavy objects, feeling discomfort in your lower back
The end result is that you “fix” the situation by twisting quickly and adjusting yourself before you continue with the task.
Sometimes you “crack” your own back or other parts of your body because it feels good. The reason it feels good is that chemicals are released after the self adjustment. Next time you adjust think about this: How do you know you’re “cracking” it into the right place or even the wrong place? Be careful.
With all those quick fixes, you may actually be grinding your joints against each other. You could also be lengthening your ligaments, the two very entities that keep your joint secure. You’ll find that your joints will soon shift out of alignment effortlessly. To correct this, when you’re instable, you need to stabilize your joint with the surrounding muscles and tendons while you are in the correct alignment.
First, I recommend seeing a chiropractor or your manual physical therapist to adjust or “crack” you into the right place. Second, GOOD practitioners will follow up with stabilization exercises to keep your joints in place. The reason I recommend getting an adjustment first is to get your joints in the right place and to decrease your initial pain so THAT YOU CAN perform the corrective exercises in a less painful environment. You’ll know your joints are becoming stable when pain is reduced, or you decrease the self adjustment, and you can statically hold different positions. Research has shown that the combination of both manual therapy/adjustments and core stabilization exercises has been effective in decreasing pain and increasing functional outcomes.
If you wish to avoid adjustments or manipulations, the slower method is to perform corrective exercises and stretches along with core stabilization exercises. Exercises such as drawing in your transverses abdominus is a great start to engaging your core. You will also want to stretch your hip flexors and perform a combination of glutes strengthening exercises; these will give you a slower but longer lasting relief. See my free lower back and hip exercises in the exercise tips section for help performing these activities at home.
Once again please see a medical professional to make sure this is the accurate diagnosis. As many symptoms listed above may be also caused by other pathologies.
Your #1 Fan,
Justin