25 Oct Back Pain and Underdeveloped Glutes
Back Pain and Under developed Glutes.
Let’s talk…
“Mom you have no butt” it was almost two years ago when my daughter said that to me. I’m glad she did… let me explain…
I know back pain.
It started with disc degeneration (FYI most people over 40 have this on some level). Then there was a full disc rupture (see the image to the right and below). It was so bad that I had a foot drop and had loss of use of my right leg…There was an urgent surgery (laser endoscopic) and then a second one later and then ultimately there was temporary alleviated pain. And then it came back…
“If only you had a strong core” they said… Ohhhh but I DID
“If only you understood the body keeps the score- it’s your emotions they said”… OHHHH but I DID
“If only you do PT, stem cell, Chiro, meditate, surgery, massage, spend a fortune on Sarno experts or acupuncture… I DID THEM ALL
Everything helped… in the moment.. temporarily… but nothing fixed it. The disc between L5 S1 was now gone.
The interruption from my daughter…
Then that one day, my daughter said that to me. I got on a mission to develop my glutes…it started as ego (hey bigger butts are in!) but it taught me so much…The pain drastically reduced.
Why? Because when you have underdeveloped glutes your discs take all the weight and pressure! Develop and use your glutes and you take the disc out of the main equation…Lightbulb 💡 moment for me!
The difference is NIGHT AND DAY. I’m not 100% out of pain – I do get flare ups and they are not amazing..but they are not debilitating anymore.
We do not talk enough about this
…and we should. As we age, we lose our butts if we do not focus on them.
If you have back pain and also have tried “everything” my question to you is “how is your butt building going?”At 50 I finally really have them! The pic above was taken 2 weeks ago. Eat anti inflammatory, and train your glutes!
OK… So you likely have some questions….
HOW DO I DO THE EXERCISES WHEN I AM IN PAIN?
Assuming you are CLEARED to move (from your doctor)-I advise breaking the “pain cycle” you see sometimes it’s moving through it to get TO the restorative exercises.
The very thing you are afraid of may be what you need. So assuming you have doctors clearance to move … work through it.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GLUTE EXERCISES?
Deadlifts, and hip thrust. CAVEAT- you MUST do these in CORRECT form- fully activate your glutes correctly or you could make things worse. Hire a trainer to guide you if you need help with form! When done correctly these alleviate pain, not aggravate it.. OR start with my HOME FIT series HERE
WHAT DOES EATING ANTI INFLAMMATORY MEAN?
It means eating foods that HELP you heal and that do not make the inflammation worse. This means eating whole natural unprocessed foods that once grew, lots of veggies and fruits, healthy fats, proteins, and avoiding processed foods, sugar, dairy and grains. I’m not here to argue about this- I’m sharing what’s worked for me, countless clients and what research supports for pain reduction. If you want an intro to this, my most recent book is called “aging in reverse” grab that or Download the 7 Day Jump Start Original Plan HERE and follow plan 2 there.
WHAT SUPPLEMENTS can help?
Staples for me Turmeric, Fish Oil and collagen – they won’t alleviate all the pain at all but certainly help things. At this link you can find my must have collagen and fish oil
Want to learn more? Watch the recent LIVE lower back pain discussion here:
I’m not a doctor and everyone’s situation is unique! So I was sharing MY journey and what worked for me so it could potentially help YOU 💗
xoxox Natalie Jill
