When it comes to back pain relief there are plenty of great solutions here. And I would like to add in a very effective crick in the neck remedy today. The following article also applies to relieving a crick in the back. Get almost instant crick in the back relief just as simply as for the neck. This is totally from personal experience and is totally based on my many years of suffering from lower back pain and upper back and neck problems too.

Before I give the remedy to a stiff neck or a crick in the neck pain relief guide I want to give a little background as to how it happened to me this time.

I had basically been camping for a number of days and doing a lot of driving. One morning, feeling rather stiff in the back, and the rest of me too if I am honest, I simply went to lean in to the car to get something. The result was instant. I couldn’t move my neck to the left hand side. Not ideal when you are going to be driving and I basically had to deal with it.

So, what could I do on my own?

In an ideal world I would have had my backnobber, ideally the backnobber 2, with me, but I don’t have that kind of foresight. Problems like this are almost always associated with trigger points and can be rectified to some degree almost instantly. I recommend that you read up on performing trigger point therapy to see just how effective it can be. My solution as I was alone was partly to rest and do no more driving but also to deal with the problem more actively as well.

I dealt with the problem properly once I was at home but to at least ease the pain I performed trigger point therapy on myself.

Short Term Crick In The Neck Pain Relief

To ease the problem and get at least some mobility in my neck I simply used my thumbs and pressed all around the base of my neck and my upper back, including around the arm pits. You need to press relatively hard and in a very short period of time you will come across spots that are basically excruciatingly sore when pressed. This is more than likely the spot that is causing the problem. You will most likely find a number of them.

Press as hard as you dare without causing yourself to jump and after a few seconds the pain will begin to ease a little. Then press again in an upwards motion and wait again for the pain to subside. Do this for all 4 points of the compass and repeat it for any other sore spots that you find.

This is the basis of trigger point therapy and it can often give instant relief. It is best performed with the backnobber but in emergencies it can be done manually, although it is nowhere near as good.

Crick In The Neck Relief

It is not recommend that you perform stretching for a crick in the neck relief, it is often how it started in the first palace. Often it is the result of a stretched or torn ligament. And this needs rest to be allowed to heal. But it is often accompanied by severe trigger points, and this may be what caused the ligament problems in the first place because of the tension that builds up.

So, apart from rest here is how I dealt with my problem properly when I got home.

I basically got my Wife to perform manual trigger point therapy in the form of a very intense massage. Although there is still a slight ache a few days later mobility has returned and the effects of an intense trigger point therapy session were immediate.

Lying down on a flat surface my Wife basically pushed her thumbs in to my back either side of my spine until a sore point was found. You will find that the number of these spots is rather high. You may well also find a number of very hard lumps that will respond to pressure.

Cover your whole back in this way, as well as your lower neck and around to your armpits. Once these points are found and dealt with you will be amazed at just how much looser your whole back is. You should see a great amount of increased mobility in your neck and a sever reduction in the pain.

Get this repeated as often as you can, 2 or 3 times a day may be needed. If you cannot get anyone to perform this for you then use a backnobber. Remember that rest is also needed and never try to force movement in your neck, the cure for a crick in the neck so that you cannot turn your head to the left or the right is rest along with dealing with the trigger points that have built up causing muscular contractions and a lower range of movement.

This article is intended for those who experience back pain either during or after performing the Squat as part of a weight training or bodybuilding regime, looking to get a toned body or muscular body, and is part of the series of articles in the Strength Training category. The recommendations are for those that perform this exercise to gain muscle and strength, not for people who experience pain as part of a normal squatting movement under no extra load.

Why You Get Back Pain From Squatting

The reality is that many trainees are simply of the wrong body type to squat. If we have long legs, slightly weak lower backs, are prone to sciatic nerve damage and a myriad other reasons, then we may experience lower or even upper back pain when performing the squat as part of a training cycle.

The answer, at first, is to recover completely. You can find our recommendations in the Trap Bar article. With the squat there are so many cases of injury that the author no longer recommends this at all as part of a bodybuilding or strength gaining routine. The Trap Bar is a much better tool and can deliver just as good results.

Alternatives To Squats

The Trap bar or Hex bar is a much better alternative as it takes the load off the spine. With the Squat we are simply placing too much of a load on our spinal column and it can lead to compression of the discs, trapped nerves and in some cases permanent lower back injury or recurring problems.

Even trying to perform with a perfect technique can lead to a slight rounding of the back which is absolutely the worst way to perform this exercise.

Advantages Of The Trap Bar

With the trap bar we are able to train in a much safer way. Unlike a regular barbell used to perform the deadlift with the trap bar we are sited centrally with the handle grips out to our sides. It allows us to perform the movement with no forward lean or backward lean. We get a very smooth up and down movement that keeps our bodies in perfect alignment.

This gets rid of the danger of  back pain and other problems as we are not moving in an unnatural way.

Trainees will find that this exercise, performed correctly is just as good, if not superior to, the squat. A lower risk of injury and improved plane of movement means that it can be amazing if used to gain muscle. See the trap bar page for a routine that is guaranteed to pack on the pounds.

A Warning

Before any strength training is resumed after injury or even mild back pain we need to ensure that we are totally pain free and in the right condition to continue training with weights. Ease back in to training after taking off whatever time is needed to totally recover. If you do not do so then you are sure to injure yourself again in a very short period of time.

The Trap Bar, also commonly called the Hex bar, Shrug Bar, and Hip Bar is the answer to many weights trainees who simply struggle to perform the Squat.

The author has had problems for years trying to perform the Squat, many of us are simply not of the right body shape to perform it. Train in safety, and with a minimal risk of back pain or damage by using the Trap Bar to perform deadlifts for some amazing results. Follow a good diet plan as well, like at Lean Ape, and look great naked! The best results will come from both proper nutrition and hard training, both for men and women.

Trap Bar Deadlifts

Rather than risk lower back injury because of an awkward plane of movement any trainee should seriously consider either using the trap bar or the Hex bar with the raised handles.

If you think you won’t get an intense workout then think again.

If you suffer from back pain but want to weight train then first allow yourself to totally recover. Perform stretching to help ease back pain, and use Trigger Point Therapy and a backnobber to get yourself back in to great and pain free condition.

The beauty of the trap bar is that we can train with a much more natural plane of movement. We are also not putting such incredible downward pressure on our spines. We keep a much straighter back so do not run the risk of lower back injury, and sciatica sufferers will be pleased to know that as we are strengthening our lower backs with trap bar deadlifts we are setting ourselves up for a much more pleasant and pain free future.

Trap Bar Deadlift Routine

If you want to gain massive amounts of lower and upper body strength and pack on the muscle then try the following routine.

• Trap bar deadlifts 2 sets of 15 reps
• Chin up 2 sets of 12 reps
• Shoulder press 2 sets of 12 reps
• Bench press 2 sets of 12 reps
• Barbell curls 2 sets of 12 reps

Perform for a month in the following manner once you are totally free of pain and have given yourself a number of weeks to build up intensity and consolidate your strength and recovery. Learn about Insulin sensitivity to maximize your muscle gain by eating at the right times, and eating carbohydrates and protein after a workout, and you have a very sound program indeed. See http://www.leanape.com/100-steps-to-your-perfect-body for all manner of great tips on looking amazing, and combining strength training with weight loss.

Perform trap bar deadlifts with a weight that is at least 30% more than you are normally used to. You will be taking at least 2 seconds rest between each rep in the top position. By the end of the first set you will be so tired that you will not believe it.

After 2 sets rest until you have recovered slightly then perform the remaining routine with each set going to positive failure and with full intensity. Repeat the routine no more than twice a week for a month, then ease back on the intensity and weights for a period of 2 to 3 weeks then build back up to a new max in each exercise. You should also be adding weight to the bar on all exercises at least once a week during the month long intense program, If you cannot do this then eat more and rest and sleep more.

Watch yourself grow!

This is only for those that have taken the time and care to ensure that they have totally recovered from any back pain and have been training with weights for some time and ensure that you NEVER under any circumstances use anything but impeccable form. Even the trap bar can cause injury if used in an in-appropriate way.

This is a series of five articles aimed at providing a complete set of instructions and tips on stretching to help back pain. During our lifetime nearly all of us will at some point in time have an issue with back pain, the author is certainly no exception. Trigger point therapy is recommended for severe cases as well as mild symptoms of back pain, and, if combined with stretches to help with back pain you will be the owner of a Proud Back before you know it.

Stretching Tips To Help With Back Pain

Before we look at specific exercises for specific problems there is one thing that we really should make of prime importance, and that is to never perform any form of stretching beyond our capabilities. It may be dis-heartening to realize that we are a long way off from being able to touch our toes, but trying to stretch too much too quickly is certainly not going to help to alleviate our problems.

Slow and steady always wins the race.

Please bear the following in mind before you read this series of articles and implement the back stretching routines given:

• Never stretch further than is comfortable
• Keep in mind that you will perform better every day that you practice
• Stretching is not an instant cure for back pain relief, it can take weeks or months to see a marked improvement
• Stretching exercises for the back really do work and will help to maintain a healthy back over the course of a lifetime
• For the best results you should perform stretches to stop back pain daily and continue to do so once you no longer feel any pain

The secret to a healthy back is to strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments of your whole body, and the best way to achieve this is through a COMBINATION of both daily stretching and some form of strength training.

Best Stretches For Back Pain

The best stretches for back pain are ones that are often in the form of Yoga positions. We recommend a good book on Yoga with a full course of instructions is the best possible way to ensure that you continue with a daily routine. Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar is the book that we personally have at home at it has stretching routines that actually allow you to progress from day 1 to years in to the future.Having a daily course to follow brings motivation and exceptional results and variety in movements keeps us interested.

The word Yoga often brings to mind a Hippy hugging a tree in his sandals but the reality is that you do NOT find people who practice increasing their mobility and suppleness through Yoga with back problems, that should tell us something.

For anyone who suffers from back pain incorporating a daily Yoga routine, or at least a number of positions designed for back pain, is the best course of action, combined with a strength training regime performed a few times a week.

But any form of strength training should only be performed once you have eliminated the pain and can train without risk of further injury.

This is part 1 of 5 articles in the series, please read the whole series for a full understanding of how to perform stretches for back pain correctly and to get the best possible results.

Stretching To Help Ease Back Pain

Stretching To Help Ease Lower Back Pain

Back Stretching To Help Ease Sciatica

Stretching Instructions For Back Pain

Stretching To Cure Back Pain

Stretching To Prevent Back Pain

Once you have eliminated your back pain it is important that you continue with the exercises and do them on a regular basis. If you lose the elasticity you have gained and the strength increases then you risk repeated injury and this will put us firmly back to stage one where the whole process will have to be repeated again. And every time we get back pain it becomes harder to cure it and takes longer too.

Lower back pain problems are the number 1 cause of missed work time and are crippling many millions of people every year. Many issues are involved in just why back pain is so common, excess body-weight amongst them. This and other causes and remedies will be addressed in articles later in this 5 part series but here will will provide some very effective yet simple to implement stretching routines specifically for lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain Stretches

If our muscles, tendons and ligaments do not have sufficient elasticity then we may well be very prone to repeated lower back pain. All are designed to be flexible and allow us to make a full range of motion with no pain. We need to recover this elasticity, and this is very simple to do.

Knees To Chest Stretch

Lie on your back and pull both knees in towards the chest. Move your chin down and on to the chest at the same time, but ensure that you move slowly and although this is a relatively mild stretch there is no such thing as mild if you really have serious back pain.

Perform the stretch slowly and stop if any unusual discomfort is felt. Hold for a reasonable period of time, but begin with just a few seconds daily and gradually build up the time in the stretch.

Raised Leg Stretch

Find a chair or other suitable object that you can place one leg on to, knee slightly bent. Keep your back straight and lean forward until you feel the stretch. Hold once you feel that you are near to the edge of what is comfortable. Repeat with the other leg.

Simple Touch Toes

Not actually as simple as it sounds, even for those without a twinge of back pain. To begin it may well be better to keep your knees unlocked to allow a slightly deeper stretch. Simply bend over trying to touch your toes with your finger tips. Don’t be surprised if at first you are a long way off from finding your feet!

It is amazing how many people in perfect health cannot do this movement so if you are stretching to ease back pain you at least have an excuse. Build up gradually, as in all stretches, to a 20-30 second stretch, this exercise will give you great flexibility over time but be cautious and never continue of you feel a twinge or pain. This simple exercise is also perfect for easing sciatic nerve pain, which will be looked at in more detail in the next article.

Spinal Twist

Lie on your back with knees bent and touching. Place you arms at a 90 degree angle to your side with palms down. Then SLOWLY allow your legs to turn to the left hand side as if you are trying to tough the floor, ensuring that the legs stay together. Repeat to the other side.

Only allow your legs to move to the side as much as is comfortable. Remember, if you have serious back pain then you still need to move your legs to the starting position so move with caution and return as soon as you feel any discomfort.

Stretching To Help With Back

The aim with all stretches is to slowly improve your range of mobility without causing increased damage.

This means never performing any stretch that could result in increased problems. Perform very limited ranges of motion to begin with and build up in the time and range of movement over the course of a few days.

From a personal point of view the author has had such acute back pain that any of these exercises were impossible to perform for many weeks, apart from a slight forward lean in a vain attempt to get anywhere near his toes!

If you have extremely serious back pain and are unable to perfom any stretches and get a sharp twinge with the slightest movement, then get the backnobber and use for a few days before attempting any stretches.

Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar is the book we personally own and recommend to anyone who suffers from back pain, it has courses designed specifically for strengthening and improving the lower back and is designed for the complete novice. A daily number of stretches is the absolute best way to keep increased flexibility and improve core strength and elasticity so that pain in the lower back is not a recurring problem.

This is part 2 of a 5 part series of articles covering all aspects of stretching to help with back pain. Please read the whole series for a fuller understanding of the do’s and don’ts before you begin any stretching movements.

Stretching To Help Ease Back Pain

Stretching To Help Ease Lower Back Pain

Back Stretching To Help Ease Sciatica

Stretching Instructions For Back Pain

Stretching To Cure Back Pain

We need to always err on the side of caution when first performing any new movements. And those who are stretching to help get rid of back pain should approach all exercises slowly and cease if any pain is felt.

There is no doubt that sciatica can be excruciating. People who have not experienced it really simply do not know just how bad it can be. Not only does our lower back become extremely painful, but the buttocks, inner thighs, and even down to our calves can cause constant pain. Sharp twinges from trapped nerves are a regular occurrence and can leave us immobile and in pain that we think will never be released. But back stretching to help ease sciatica can work wonders, so please follow the stretching exercises for sciatica in this article as well as those in the previous article too.

Stretches For Sciatica

Sciatica can be brought on by bad posture, bad form when lifting, sneezing (in the case of the author) and a myriad other simple movements that cause this very common problem.

To ensure that we both never get sciatica in the future and to treat for it when it occurs we need to both strengthen our backs, buttocks and thighs, as well as give them increased flexibility, or elasticity.

Tendons and ligaments shorten if they are not stretched and this is the prime cause of sciatica. Performing daily stretches designed specifically to ease sciatic nerve problems as well as to increase flexibility and range of movement will greatly diminish the pain and  the risk of future occurrences.

This is part 3 of a 5 part series intending to give you a basic grounding in all aspects of easing back pain through stretching. Follow the whole series and take note of the later chapters on the instructions for performing all stretches properly and other tips to ensure that you never develop a bad back in the future.

Towel Stretch

For acute cases any stretching before using a backnobber 2 is going to be difficult. The towel stretch is a simple to perform and mild stretch for sciatica that may be chosen first.

Lie on your back with a towel placed behind the lower part of the leg. Preferably the foot. Keep your leg slightly bent and to to raise it vertically in the air by pulling on the towel. Hold for a comfortable period of time then lower. Repeat with the other leg.

As with all stretches, perform for only a few seconds to begin, and with a very limited range of movement. Increase daily for more time and a better stretch as your sciatica improves.

Relieve Sciatica Pain Symptoms

Do The Twist

Any twisting exercise is going to help to strengthen your inner core and help stretch out your muscles and tendons to give relief.

One of the best options is to sit on the floor and place your left foot bent up to your crotch, or as near to it as you can. In severe cases this will probably mean that your foot rests across the opposing thigh. This in itself with provide a very good stretch and may even be too much for severe cases.

Place your right hand on to your upper thigh and turn to the left as much as you can, keeping a very straight back. This will really loosen up the stiffness and this is then repeated on the opposite side.

Forward Stretch

This is a modified version of the previous stretch. Rather than turning to the side, once your leg is bent across your straight leg then simply try to tough the toes of the extended leg, keeping your back straight. Repeat for the other leg.

Stretches For Sciatic Nerve Pain

Any exercise where you are feeling a stretch in the inner thighs and the top rear of the buttocks is going to help alleviate the problems of sciatica.

Side Stretch

Lie down and keep both legs extended. Then bend one leg and place your foot to the outer side of the knee of the extended leg. Then with your hands try to push your leg to the floor by applying side-ways pressure to the knee. This will have a limited range of movement but is certainly very effective at giving a very good stretch and is one of the best performing stretches for sciatic nerve pain.

Stretching To Help Ease Back Pain

Stretching To Help Ease Lower Back Pain

Back Stretching To Help Ease Sciatica

Stretching Instructions For Back Pain

Stretching To Cure Back Pain

Please read the next two articles for some further tips on performing stretches for back pain relief and for other ways to dramatically cut down the risk of sciatic and general back pain in the future.

We have now looked at a number of different stretches for back pain relief, but none of them will be effective if not performed properly and with a real sense of self preservation.

Please follow the below stretching instructions for back pain to ensure that you perform them in the most effective way and without causing increased problems.

How To Stretch Safely

There are a number of points to bear in mind but one of the main ones is to ensure that you are sufficiently warmed up. Tendons, ligaments and muscles contract when cold and this can increase back pain. To perform a stretch without being warmed up is never a good idea.

This may mean you simply have a hot shower before performing them, where you direct the water on to your problem areas. If you have access to a zero impact way of warming up, such as a stationary bike or an Elliptical Trainer (recommended) then a warm up should be performed prior to beginning to stretch.

Just ensure that you are warm before beginning.

Before You Begin Stretching

Please keep the following in mind:

• Ensure you are warm
• Stretch in a warm room
• Wear warm but loose fitting clothing
• Ensure the surface is flat and even

We should then perform our stretches in the following manner:

How To Stretch For Back Pain Relief

If you have read the previous articles then you have a good number of stretches to perform.

It is critical that you never try to stretch excessively and risk causing more damage. It is much better to perform a slight and very short stretch at first to get used to the exercise and to find where your comfort point is.

Begin with a partial movement and hold for only a few seconds, and repeat for as many stretches as you feel comfortable doing. The following day try to extend the stretch and the period of time in the position. Over a few days you will find that you have increased flexibility and are also able to hold the position for a longer period.

It is much better to build up slowly than risk being unable to perform as you have tried to do too much too quickly.

How Long To Perform A Stretch For Back Pain Relief

Once you feel that you have made improvements in flexibility and the pain is easing then you should aim for a stretch in the extended position of between 20 and 30 seconds. This may be repeated once or twice per session daily, but always with caution. If you have excessive soreness in the tendons or ligaments the next day then ease back. You will find that this will hinder your progress.

This is part 4 of a 5 part series of articles on stretching for back pain relief. Please read the full course for specific exercises as well as tips for ensuring that you get the most benefit from the stretches performed.

Stretching To Help Ease Back Pain

Stretching To Help Ease Lower Back Pain

Back Stretching To Help Ease Sciatica

Stretching Instructions For Back Pain

Stretching To Cure Back Pain

Please read the final article in the course for a look at ways to keep your back in fine health and to implement routines to give you better strength to vastly reduce the risk of recurring back pain.

Now that we have a number of different exercises for stretching to cure back pain it is time to look forward to ensuring that we absolutely minimize the risk of ever suffering in the future. If you can recover your good condition and keep it that way then you are certainly going to have a new lease on life.

It is recommended that you perform stretching daily, and ensure that you are adequately warmed up before you do so, as discussed in the previous article. Please read the trigger point therapy tools article as well as the course on trigger point therapy for an insight in to how to deal with excessive back pain problems without exercise or stretching, you will find that this can ease pain dramatically and then allow you to better perform the stretching routines.

How To Keep Back Pain Free

Only we can answer this question but it needs to be addressed:

Are you overweight?

There is no doubt that excessive weight being carried around puts increased pressure on all of our tendons, ligaments and muscles, not to mention leading to chronic spinal disc problems including herniated discs. It is a large contributing factor to back pain and if we are overweight then a suitable regime to lose the weight should be implemented.

Exercise is not needed to lose weight.

Contrary to what popular belief may be exercise is NOT the best way to lose weight. A controlled diet is going to allow us to lose weight quickly and effectively and if we clean up our diet then we will be a lot less prone to back pain problems. It is not within the scope of this course to offer dietary plans but we know what is a clean diet and what is healthy food and if we are overweight it is down to the individual to address this problem.

Although diet is the most effective way to lose weight strength training comes a close second. The more muscle we add to our frame the more calories are burned to maintain the mass. A strength training regime is recommended from a health and fitness point of view and more importantly from a  back pain point of view.

The stronger the region around our back is the less prone we are to back pain issues.

This is one of the best ways possible to vastly reduce the risk of back pain re-occurring. Along with a routine of stretching for a short period of time each day a physical resistance training program performed twice weekly can allow us to burn fat by increasing muscle mass and will strengthen our entire bodies so that we are much less prone to repeated back pain and injury.

Perform a brief workout twice weekly with weights or with machines and you will do yourself a world of good. Concentrate on exercises to increase leg strength and both abdominal (crunches are a great exercise to begin with) and lower back strength and you will go a long way to eliminating the risk of repeated back injury.

Stretching To Help Ease Back Pain

Stretching To Help Ease Lower Back Pain

Back Stretching To Help Ease Sciatica

Stretching Instructions For Back Pain

Stretching To Cure Back Pain

Stretching to stop back pain should be performed daily if the pain is not too severe. It will help to keep you flexible and release trapped nerves from sciatic pain and to strengthen your central core. Combined with a strength training regime you will be able to greatly reduce the risk of back pain re-occurring if you follow these simple to implement steps.

Without doubt one of the most beneficial and non-invasive ways to alleviate many symptoms of back pain is to employ the use of Trigger Point Therapy.

And with so many visitors looking for a trigger point therapy chart we are pleased to announce that we have some great deals for you here, it is beyond the scope of this article to provide all the various trigger points for the entire list of body parts affected (i.e all of them). But the image to the left is a strong indication of areas to concentrate on and is a good trigger point therapy chart for the back.

Trigger point therapy has, for many, been an absolute life saver. From all manner of back pain relief problems to crick in the neck pain relief too. Oddly this is still not recognized by many medical practitioners for what it is:

One of the best ways to quickly alleviate much of the back pain you may be suffering from.

But it is now often used in sports massage as well as by many other professionals in the field. And is becoming more widespread all the time. Working on the trigger points on your body can give you instant relief that is rather incredible and requires no exercise, no bending, stretching or anything else that may give you a severe jolt at exactly the period in your life when all you want is some instant relief. After initial use then we should try to incorporate daily stretching to help back pain.

This is not to say that it is a painless process but the relief that it brings is immense and long lasting. Ensure that you have a thorough understanding before you commence trigger point therapy.

Please read the following articles in order for a simple yet comprehensive understanding of trigger points and how to treat yourself simply and effectively at home using a simple tool or with manual pressure applied by a third party.

Trigger Point Therapy

What Are Trigger Points

Trigger Points To Relieve Pain

Does Trigger Point Therapy Work

How To Perform Trigger Point Therapy Effectively

Trigger Point Therapy Tools

Trigger Point Therapy Workbook

There is simply no doubt that for many people suffering from mild or chronic back pain the use of trigger point therapy can alleviate the problem in a way that no other technique or treatment can. The aim of this series of articles is to present trigger point therapy in a simple to understand way that can then be employed at home to relieve back pain without the need for expensive consultations and treatments. Once we get some relief then read the course on stretching to help ease back pain to continue to have a healthy and pain free back.

The first step to really getting the best out of personal trigger point therapy and being the owner of a very Proud Back is to understand what trigger points actually are. As we are strictly for the layman here we will try to explain simply and without medical references and terminology that does nothing but confuse (us included). So what are trigger points.

If you do wish to read more medical based articles then this article can supply you with a more technical overview or you can read the Wikipedia overview that is rather comprehensive.

To quote from the Trisoma website:

Trigger Points are defined as discrete, focal, hyper-irritable spots located in a taut band of skeletal muscle which are painful on compression and can produce local and referred pain which can perplex medical professionals not familiar with trigger points. A current theory for the cause of a trigger point is that the calcium switch fails to turn off in the sarcomere.

For our understanding what we really need to know is that a trigger point is basically a knotting of the muscles into what is often a tight hard ball so compact that you can actually feel it through the skin if you apply pressure.

This is often what is felt if you feel around near to the locale of where you have severe pain.

Trigger Points And Back Pain

Many causes of back pain are actually the results of severe trigger points throughout the body. The misconception is that if you have a severe case of sciatica that there must be a hard lump of muscle at the spot where the pain occurs.

This may often be the case but the majority of times you will also find that there are a number of tight clusters throughout the thighs, lower back and even extending right up to the neck and shoulders as well as the upper back.

If we get a partner to feel around the region where we have the most severe pain in our back they will undoubtedly find a number of hard knots, often felt as lumps of hard muscle. Other times there is simply a deeps sense of pain if the area is pressed hard. All of these spots can be treated simply and effectively with a simple set of tools to bring incredible pain relief in an amazingly short period of time.

What Causes Trigger Points

It can be anything, from a herniated disc, lifting too much weight with bad (or even good) form, slumping in your chair, bad posture in general, onset of repetitive strain injury, exercise,  and a myriad of other activities that can tighten up the muscles and lead to severe or mild pain and stiffness that needs to be relieved. The author actually spent a week in bed before discovering trigger point therapy after a bout of sneezing caused a bad back!

But if you exercise make sure that you follow a proper program, and use perfect exercise form. If you read online fitness websites then pick a good one, like http://myfitnesstoday.com/. You want to only read good quality information.

This is part 2 in a 7 part series of articles please read the full series for a better understanding of Trigger Point Therapy and how you can use it to alleviate back pain in a very effective manner. All links open in  a new window.

Trigger Point Therapy

What Are Trigger Points

Trigger Points To Relieve Pain

Does Trigger Point Therapy Work

How To Perform Trigger Point Therapy Effectively

Trigger Point Therapy Tools

Trigger Point Therapy Workbook

The beauty of knowing that trigger points even exist is that we can treat our bad back at home either for free if we have a willing partner or for a low cost with a simple tool that will be discussed in a later article.

Being unable to perform simple daily tasks because of severe back pain makes it hard for us to believe that we may well be able to cure ourselves without medical intervention or expensive treatment, but for many this is the case.

Of course, for some this is not going to be the answer, but it is rather amazing just how many people get amazing relief and back pain improvement by the simple use of some basic knowledge of how to get rid of trigger points.