Back pain is the most common orthopedic complaint amongst adult Americans. Understand where your back pain might be coming from -- and how to improve the symptoms.
The McKenzie method involves 4 different movements that you can do at home to identify what’s going on and find some relief.
Basically, it’s a "same-better-worse" test. While performing 4 movements, ask yourself whether the pain remains the same during the movement, made better during the movement, or made worse during the movement.
The moves:
- Touch your toes and come back up
- Lean backwards and push the hips forward
- Shift your hip to the left
- Shift your hip to the right
What to do:
Keep note of which movements made the pain feel the same, better and worse. Not only can these movements relieve the pain you have, but this test also helps you alleviate your symptoms.
If a movement is better, do it 10 times every hour -- yes, every hour.
If it’s worse – do not move in this way; in this screen or in "real life."