Quaranturnt Day 40 - Trap House, Chip on a Shoulder

Alright Quaranturnt Crew,

Last day on back pain (unless anyone has any burning questions you want me to address!). 

I learned A LOT about backs a few years ago when I herniated a disc and couldn’t find anyone educated enough to help me fix it properly. I followed advice to a T and that got me in a worse position than when I first got the injury - seriously, my friends at my first job only knew me as the guy who stood or laid down 100% of the time. Zero sitting. It’s a cool reputation for sure. 

The first step to recovery is always just to rest until you’re out of triage - exactly what the triage/distress state is depends on the injury, but for most soft tissue things (read: non-bone) won’t last more than a few days. From there, everything got better when I focused on 1) maintaining healthy movement and 2) improving stability. 

Healthy movement means sitting would have been ok, as long as I kept changing positions frequently. The same goes for you, sitting isn’t evil… sitting 10 hours a day is. And btw, standing isn’t the solution either if you’re doing it 10 hours a day. “Your best position is your next position” is what my favorite PT once told me. So keep moving, go for walks, light runs even if you’re not in much pain. Workout for sure, just don’t go crazy until you have some good stability and control built up. 

Improving stability = strength + good positions. For backs, that means a lot of core work. “But it hurts when I do situps!” Ya well, read day 14 and don’t do situps if your back hurts. Do internally static core work and keep good position by lightly squeezing your glutes, tightening your abs just a tiny bit, and rotate your hips by pushing your…pelvic region up and forward. This will straighten your spine and relieve the pressure you’ve built up in there. Finally, when we do hamstring work Saturday, be sure to keep this posterior pelvic tilt.

Over time, you will build a subconscious habit in standing safely. You’ll build kinesthetic sense in understanding of your body’s position. And you’ll regain control over your body.


Today’s IG post was particularly fun to make.