Breathing

You may have already found my previous articles discussing stretches and exercises for lower back pain, and the follow-up article after I started seeing a GOOD chiropractor.  For me, the neck exercises were helpful after my lower back issues were straightened out.  My worst pain was in the L4 / L5 disc, which the chiropractor popped back into place after 4 adjustments.  This was the first step in my recovery.  Now, I'm trying to re-train my muscles such that my posture is correct.

You may have already read some of my blog posts on lower back pain and chiropractors.  I've found that while a chiropractor can get you out of pain using spinal adjustments, yoga will strengthen your muscles and correct your posture (when done correctly).  The first thing you learn about doing yoga is the importance of correct breathing and how it relates to your posture.  I've done a bit more reading and it turns out that breathing is much more powerful than many believe. 

ScienceOfBreath.pdf

I am posting this free book because it is public domain, I do not own it nor claim copyright.

I find it ironic that humans are the only animal ‘lucky’ enough to walk upright, when so many suffer from lower back pain. I’ve got a slightly bulged disc in my lower back that was diagnosed in 2007. I've been through the whole process: X-Ray, MRI, pain medication, and physical therapy.

Some people suffer from lower back pain due to an injury or accident, I believe mine is mainly due to bad posture and lack of exercise. I seem to go through cycles; one week, I’m doing push-ups and sit-ups, my back feels great, and I start slacking on the exercise. I get lazy. Then the pain comes back and I start doing push-ups again. Rinse, lather, repeat.