How to Tell if It’s Low Back, SI Joint, or Hip Pain
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Ever feel a nagging ache, sharp jolt, or deep stiffness somewhere around your lower back, hip, or pelvis—but can’t tell exactly where it’s coming from? You’re not alone. These areas are interconnected and can easily “refer” pain to each other. Pinpointing the true source is key—since the wrong approach may not only fail to solve your pain, but actually make it worse.
Why Accurate Diagnosis Matters
Each area low back, SI joint, hip has its own causes, pain patterns, and best next steps. Back pain can show up from disc/herniation, strained ligaments, facet joints, or nerve compression, often signaled by pain with bending, twisting, or sitting. SI joint issues cause sharp or aching pain at the dimples above your buttocks, sometimes radiating to the hip or thigh, usually worse with transitions like standing, stairs, or getting up from a chair. Hip pain tends to show deep, achy, or sharp pain in the groin, outer hip, or buttock, and is aggravated by walking, weight bearing, or rotating the leg.
[OMT: Osteopathic Manual Therapy]
Where Does Your Pain Fit?
- Low Back: Pain between lower ribs and pelvis, worse with bending/lifting, may radiate down into the buttocks or leg (sciatica).
- SI Joint: Achy, stabbing pain at the upper buttock “dimples,” worse with sitting, stairs, standing from a chair, or rolling in bed.
- Hip: Deep, aching or sharp pain in front of the groin, outer hip, or buttock, worse walking or rotating the leg, or standing up.
Because these tissues share nerves and muscle attachments, problems frequently overlap. SI joint instability can create tension and pain in both the low back and hip, and vice versa.
What to Do Next
- Get Assessed Holistically: A great intake includes physical tests, history, movement screening, posture, past injuries, and lifestyle.
- Prioritize Mobility and Balance: Include corrective exercises for the suspected culprit, but address every link in the chain—muscles, joints, connective tissue, and posture.
- Integrate Injury Prevention: Pain in these regions can lead to compensation injuries, so proactive balance, core work, and muscle activation are essential.
- Choose the Right Help: If your symptoms persist, get help from a pro who specializes in holistic, functional movement (not just isolated fixes).
Takeaway:
The right approach starts with locating your pain and understanding your personal pattern. With clear information and targeted training, you can restore efficient movement without setbacks or guesswork.
it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.
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Neck Pain After Sleeping: 4 Reasons Why and What To Do About It
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Did you wake up this morning with a stiff neck—the kind where you can’t look over your shoulder or tilt your head comfortably? Neck pain after sleeping is extremely common, with several possible causes and, thankfully, multiple ways to address and prevent it.
- Underlying Trauma
A history of trauma, like whiplash or a sports injury, can leave tissues tight, tender, or misaligned for years. Sometimes, the pain only shows up after sleeping when the body relaxes, cools down, and habitual tension “sets” into bad alignment. Not addressing acute issues right away can make future correction more difficult. Early, targeted mobility training and corrective exercise are key—even if the pain doesn’t seem urgent at first. - Postural or Overuse Strain
Desk work, smartphone use, and “tech neck” (forward head posture) retrain the body into poor alignment and chronic muscle tension. If you spend 8+ hours daily hunched forward, but only do an hour of corrective work (at best), the imbalance accumulates. This commonly leads to stiffness and pain after sleeping, when tissues contract and “remember” their imbalances. Address this by restoring shoulder, mid-back, and neck alignment; balance technology habits with posture- and flexibility-focused routines. - Pathology
Conditions like cervical radiculopathy, stenosis, or arthritis can all manifest overnight or in the morning as nerve signaling and disc pressures change with position. Persistent or worsening pain—especially with numbness, tingling, or weakness—deserves prompt professional assessment and a customized plan. - Sleep Position, Pillow, and Recovery
A poor sleep setup (too many pillows, sleeping on your stomach, or a lumpy mattress) disrupts healthy neck curves and strains muscles. Too little sleep or constant sleep interruption impairs tissue repair and healing, leading to more frequent or severe neck pain. The right pillow, good alignment, and consistent sleep hygiene are foundational for prevention.
What To Do About It
- Start with gentle mobility: Hot showers, light stretching, and slow, easy neck movements can help “wake up” the tissues.
- Consider alternating ice and heat to manage acute pain or inflammation.
- Prioritize a balanced sleep setup: Neutral head/neck alignment, supportive pillows, and sleeping on your back or side (not your stomach).
- Incorporate posture-focused, corrective, and mobility exercises throughout the day, not just after the pain sets in.
- Seek professional help for persistent, severe, or radiating pain, especially if it comes with other symptoms.
[ELDOA: The Ultimate Spine And Joint Exercises]
Don’t let neck pain after sleep become your “normal.” Discover and address the true cause, and build sustainable habits to wake up pain-free and ready for life.
it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.
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How To Brace Your Core To Protect Your Lower Back!
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Bracing the core is one of the most effective ways to stabilize and protect the lower back—during heavy lifting, dynamic movement, or simply daily tasks. But “bracing” is more than just squeezing your abs. To truly protect your spine, you need to know which core muscles matter, how to train them, and how to integrate them into all movement—not just during workouts.
What Is Core Bracing (And Why Should You Care)?
Core bracing simply means contracting all the muscles of your trunk front, sides, back, even the pelvic floor to create a “girdle” of stability around your spine. Think of how the body naturally tenses before a big exertion or if someone is about to punch you in the stomach—this helps distribute forces evenly and prevents sudden overload on any single spot in the spine.
Which Muscles Are Involved?
True bracing integrates:
- All four layers of the abdominals (rectus, obliques, transversus, internal/external)
- Deep spinal stabilizers (multifidi, transversospinalis)
- The diaphragm (breathing muscle)
- Pelvic floor
- Back muscles (erectors, lats, serratus, etc.)
These muscles must function as a coordinated system to evenly “brace” the spine—so no one link becomes the weak point.
The Keys to Smart Bracing and Injury Prevention
- Start With Deep Muscles: Deep stabilizers (like the TVA and deep back muscles) activate first to prepare the body for movement.
- Progress to Superficial Muscles: Once deep muscles are awake, train global movers like obliques and erectors in different planes—flexion, extension, rotation, lateral stability.
- The Beam Phenomenon: During squats and deadlifts, bracing helps the spine act like a strong beam—so force moves through the trunk, instead of collapsing onto the lower back.
- Don’t Overuse Bracing: You don’t need to brace every second of the day—only before higher-effort movements or when lifting, twisting, or reaching. For daily life, your core should work reflexively after proper training.
How To Learn (And Progress) Core Bracing
- Awareness: Practice “bracing for a punch” lying on your back, feeling your abs, sides, and lower back tighten in unison.
- Breathe While Braced: It’s crucial to maintain breathing—a true brace allows for expansion and natural breath, not holding.
- Segmentally Strengthen: Build up reps of basic holds, then layer in movements (squat, hinge, carry, overhead press).
- Stretch and Normalize Weak Links: Segmentally train deep stabilizers, then all layers of abs and back, then global movements.
- Integrate Into Your Life: The real win is a core that reflexively supports you during life—not one that needs constant conscious effort.
With a systematic approach—segmental strength, fascial training, posture work—bracing becomes second nature, and lower back injuries become far less likely—whether you’re working at a desk or lifting heavy in the gym.
If you want a holistic program that’s more than “just another ab workout” and addresses your needs down to the weak links, we can help. Book a [free consult] to get a custom plan for a strong, pain-free back and a core that keeps you resilient for life.
it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.
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4 Steps On How Not To Get Frustrated With A Corrective Exercise Program
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Getting injured isn’t just painful it’s often maddening, especially when a corrective exercise program seems slow, confusing, or never-ending. The good news? There are concrete ways to break the cycle of frustration, so you can move forward in your recovery and come back stronger than ever.
Step 1: Get Specific and Get Curious
Most frustration comes from generic, surface-level advice—“just do X for your knee,” or “try this for your back.” But lasting results require a specific, holistic perspective. Zoom out: assess all the tissues, joints, and habits involved, not just the “squeaky wheel.” Don’t be afraid to ask more questions of your coach, read beyond the basics, or demand an individualized approach that’s tailored to the real cause of your issue—not just the symptoms.
Step 2: Stop the Comparison Game Own Your Pace
Corrective exercise takes time. Symptoms often last because underlying compensations have built up for months or years. Don’t get stuck comparing yourself to “fast healers” or internet testimonials. Accept that the process is nonlinear, and that small, focused wins build the fastest long-term progress. The less negative self-talk, the easier it gets to keep showing up and doing the right things every day.
Step 3: Expect “Productive” Discomfort Not Suffering
It’s totally normal for corrective exercises to feel challenging, awkward, or sometimes uncomfortable—especially if soft tissue is stiff, joints are sticky, or new patterns are required. But true suffering means you’re doing the wrong exercise, too much, too soon, or fighting the process. Learn to distinguish between healthy training discomfort and bad pain. Treat each session as a chance to practice patience, breathe deeply, and learn from experience—not just to “grind through.”
Step 4: Find Acceptance and Focus on What You Control
Frustration around injury often comes from wanting to skip steps or fast-forward the process. Instead, accept your current state, focus on consistent progress, and get curious about deeper aspects of health, movement, or mindset you may have previously overlooked. The more you accept and fully engage, the faster—and more lasting—your results will be. (And if you get stuck, find a trusted guide or support community.)
[Segmental Muscle Strengthening]
Corrective exercise is much more than a fix for a body part it’s a mindset and a toolkit for lifelong mobility, injury-prevention, and lasting change. Embrace the journey, adjust your expectations, and celebrate progress one step at a time.
it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.
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January 17, 2022 Recorded live Q & A
Back Pain After Covid
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Are you dealing with back pain after COVID-19? You’re not alone. Back pain is one of the most common lingering symptoms after both infection and recovery a challenge felt by people of all ages and activity levels.
Why Back Pain Happens After Covid
Back pain can be a direct effect of COVID due to myalgia—generalized muscle and soft tissue pain caused by your body’s inflammatory response to fighting off the virus or as a side effect of the vaccine. Inflammation doesn’t always end when you test negative; your body might continue “defending” for weeks or even months, causing ongoing aches and back pain. This is part of what is known as “long COVID”.
Indirect causes are just as important:
Many people become more sedentary after (or during) illness—sitting more, working from home, and losing their regular movement and exercise routines.
Stress and lack of work-life balance increase tension, particularly in the spine, neck, and back.
Dehydration, already a common problem, is made worse as your body uses more water during infection and healing, leaving your discs and fascia less resilient.
Is It “Just” Covid, or Something Else?
If you notice new or worsening back pain after COVID, ask:
- Was the pain present before, and is it worse now?
- Are there other aches, joint issues, or general body pain? If so, it could be “long COVID.”
- If you’re simply sitting more, skipping movement, or under new types of stress—those factors can be just as powerful.
Always follow up with your healthcare team to rule out reinfection or other health issues. For most, the pain is NOT dangerous, but persistent inflammation, dehydration, inactivity, or stress must be addressed for full recovery.
What Should You Do?
- Hydrate thoroughly. Start each day with water and keep drinking throughout the day to rehydrate the spine, joints, and fascia.
- Rebuild your work/life boundaries. Set opening/closing routines (especially if working from home), get up regularly, and don’t allow “life creep” into all hours.
- Move more—gently and consistently. Aim for general daily activity (steps, gentle walks), not just “weekend warrior” blasts. Progress specific corrective exercises for your back, core, and posture as you recover.
- Mind your stress. Take time to rest, get outside, meditate, and actively de-stress—your body and back will thank you.
- Start or restart a balanced corrective/exercise program. Don’t jump right into intense workouts; first, restore foundational control and flexibility so your body adapts, not just compensates.
[Myofascial Stretching: The Best Total Body Active Stretches]
Persistent back pain after COVID is often multifactorial and almost always holistic in solution hydration, gentle movement, stress management, and a sustainable corrective program are key.
it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.
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Sciatic Pain Secrets
Sciatic pain isn’t just a pain in the hip, butt, or leg—it’s a debilitating problem that can take over every aspect of daily life. If you’ve been searching for a cure and nothing works, you’re not alone: the sciatic nerve can be irritated or compressed at many different points, so a generic program will almost never be enough.
Why Formulaic Treatments Fail
Most conventional protocols target one or two common areas: the lumbar spine (disc herniation, bone spurs) or piriformis syndrome. But the real “secret” is that problems can start anywhere along the nerve’s path—from the lower back to the hip, fascial chains, hamstrings, or even the calf. If your care only focuses on one link, you might see little change—or even make things worse.
A Personal Story
Having suffered sciatic pain for years, I went through the checklist: imaging, painkillers, physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga, pilates, and endless McKenzie exercises. Like many, I found partial, temporary relief—but never truly got my life back until I learned to assess the whole body and embrace a holistic, structure-first approach.
The Real Underlying Causes
- Nerve root compression: Lumbar disc bulges, herniation, or spinal stenosis pinch the root of the nerve, sending radiating pain downward.
- Piriformis & fascial entrapment: The nerve can be compressed as it passes through or alongside the piriformis, gluteal, or hamstring muscles, or by tight and fibrotic fascia.
- Connective tissue “stickiness”: Fascia or scar tissue can tether or irritate the nerve anywhere in its course from the spine to the foot.
- Other contributors: Poor hydration, poor posture, weak links in the core or lower chain, and poor movement mechanics can all keep the nerve “on edge” even after the initial injury.
What Actually Works
- Pinpoint the true source of your pain with proper testing—don’t just trust imaging reports. Functional nerve tests and hands-on evaluations unveil what really needs work.
- Address the whole kinetic chain:
- Stretch and normalize not just the low back or piriformis, but also the glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles (especially in cases where the sciatic nerve gets “tethered”).
- Use mobility training, fascia-focused techniques, and segmentally-strong corrective exercises to restore healthy nerve gliding.
- Stay patient and persistent: The longer pain has been present, the deeper the compensation and the longer re-education will take. Good “hurts” (tightness, stretch, mild ache from exercise) are necessary; avoid sharp, worsening zaps or numbness.
- Holistic support matters: Hydration, sleep, mindful movement, and stress management are all essential for full nerve recovery and prevention of relapse.
[Fascia Normalization: Fascia Massage]
If you’re exhausted by “recipe” approaches and want truly personalized help, book a diagnostic call. We’ll uncover where your stuck points really are, create a sustainable plan, and help you reclaim real mobility and comfort.
it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.
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BACK PAIN, HERNIATIONS, VISCERAL PROBLEMS, FATIGUE: Signs Your Core Muscles Are Weak
Weakness in your core is about much more than just missing “six-pack” abs. It’s the foundation of how your body functions daily impacting pain, injury risk, posture, digestion, and energy. Here’s how a truly weak core reveals itself, how these problems are connected, and what to do about it.
What Actually Is the Core And Why Does It Matter?
Your true core is a wide, complex system: four layers of abdominals, three layers of spinal erectors, the diaphragm, pelvic floor, intercostals, lats, pecs, and even parts of your glutes and hip flexors. These muscles are surrounded and integrated by robust fascia, forming your body’s “corset” for stability, movement, and organ support.
A strong core anchors your upper and lower body—power ripples out through it whether you’re running, lifting, cleaning, or simply standing and turning. When your core is weak, force doesn’t distribute through your system and ends up causing strain, injury, or dysfunction elsewhere.
1. Back Pain and Why You Can’t Fix It from the Outside
Back pain is the most classic sign of a weak or deconditioned core. Your abdominal muscles (especially the deep TVA) and the layers of back extensors are responsible for keeping the natural spinal curves and providing “active stability” to every vertebra. When the core can’t do this job, small muscles and ligaments are overloaded, discs degenerate, and pain is inevitable.
Chronic sitting, stress, and dehydration make this even worse: the discs between the vertebrae need water and dynamic core support to stay “fluffy” and absorb shock. If your core coordination is off, those discs flatten, allow unnatural movement, and eventually trigger pain—no matter how often you stretch or see a chiropractor.
2. Herniations Spinal and Visceral
Core weakness doesn’t just set you up for spinal disc herniations. If there’s a literal or functional “hole” (from weak, stretched, or deconditioned tissues), your thoracic and abdominal organs can shift and even herniate out of their natural compartments. Classic examples include weak points in the abdominal wall (inguinal or umbilical hernias) and “internal” herniations, where organs slip through diaphragmatic or pelvic floor defects.
Pascal’s Law—the principle that pressure applied to a fluid spreads equally in every direction—applies here. When your core can’t “hold pressure,” force escapes through the path of least resistance, causing pain, tissue strain, or an actual bulge. Keeping the abdominal wall strong, coordinated, and flexible gives you a true “wall,” not a revolving door.
3. Visceral and Digestive Problems
The core is also your body’s anchor for digestive health and internal motility. Weakness or loss of tension in the deeper tissues—especially the diaphragm and abdominal wall—reduces both the stability and movement of your organs, affecting drainage, blood flow, and bowel motility. That can mean sluggish digestion, bloating, or a feeling of heaviness that no medication seems to fix.
If your core is “loose,” your organs aren’t supported and can’t do their job. When you retrain the diaphragm, address core strength and posture, and restore balance, digestion and energy improve.
4. Fatigue, Poor Balance, and Posture Problems
Your core is at the center of every movement supporting your skeleton and acting as the communication hub for balance, agility, and force transfer. If it’s weak, bigger, less efficient muscle groups work overtime just to maintain basic positions (like standing, sitting, or picking something up), resulting in rapid fatigue and muscle aches.
Poor core strength also contributes directly to slouching, “tech neck,” and postural collapse. Good alignment spreads workloads efficiently, while slouched or tilted posture focuses them in harmful areas—creating a vicious cycle of pain and tiredness.
Building Your Core The Right Way
Start from the deepest muscles—train your TVA, diaphragm, and multifidi for internal control before progressing to external movers like obliques and erectors. Exercises that integrate breathing, maintain alignment, and combine both strength and flexibility give you durable protection and performance. Segmental strength work, myofascial stretching, and consistent attention to hydration and posture are cornerstones for rebuilding a core that lasts.
[Segmental Muscle Strengthening]
If chronic pain, fatigue, or internal issues are holding you back, don’t just “work out” address your foundation. For a completely customized approach, book a diagnostic consult or download our expert core-strength guide below.
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Piriformis Syndrome Treatment: STOP Foam Rolling!
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If you’ve struggled with pain deep in your glutes, you may have heard the term piriformis syndrome. Many people confuse it with sciatic nerve pain, and unfortunately, one of the most popular “solutions” — foam rolling with a tennis ball often makes the problem worse.
This article will clarify what piriformis syndrome truly is, how to distinguish it from sciatica, why aggressive rolling can be harmful, and what safe, effective treatment really looks like.
The piriformis is a small muscle deep beneath your glute max. It runs from inside your pelvis to your thigh bone’s greater trochanter. It’s crucial for external rotation of the hip and interacts with your pelvic floor muscles including the obturator internus, coccygeus, and levator ani, affecting pelvic balance, posture, and organ support.
The piriformis exits the pelvis via the greater sciatic notch, sharing a delicate passageway with the sciatic nerve itself. Depending on individual anatomy, the nerve may run above, below, or even through the muscle, which helps explain why piriformis dysfunction is often confused with or causes sciatic-type pain.
It’s vital to distinguish between true sciatica (usually from lumbar spine issues) and piriformis syndrome. Positive results on the straight leg test often indicate nerve root issues from the spine, while the FAIR test (flexion, adduction, internal rotation) and outward foot rotation when lying supine may reveal piriformis-specific problems.
Should you stretch or strengthen the piriformis? In reality, most people need both. The piriformis often becomes both tight and weak. Its action is external rotation — stretching involves internal rotation, and strengthening involves careful, supported external rotation. Always address these needs within the context of whole-body, fascia-oriented chains.
Why is foam rolling a bad idea? The piriformis is layered among sensitive fascia and ligaments with the sciatic nerve dangerously close. A tennis ball cannot target it accurately and risks compressing nerves and delicate structures, often raising inflammation and aggravating your symptoms.
Instead, sustainable treatment for piriformis syndrome demands:
- Professional diagnosis (to exclude spinal causes)
- Targeted stretching and strengthening, done within the body’s connected chains
- Skilled therapy to restore fascial and joint balance
- Avoiding movements and modalities that could worsen irritation
The underlying theme is restoring overall structural balance and function not just “treating one muscle.” If you rebalance how your pelvis and hips work, pain and dysfunction often resolve naturally.
If you’re currently frustrated by piriformis syndrome and repeated failed attempts at relief, it’s time for a change. Respect your body’s architecture and fascia, and choose precise, guided exercises and therapy.
Ready for Relief?
If you’re ready to move beyond pain and get clear on lasting solutions, Book a free consult. On your call, we’ll pinpoint what’s holding you back and build a personalized plan to get you strong, mobile, and pain-free.
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