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The method isn't working the second time around - three months no improvement - help!

lindsaymico
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10 years 6 months ago
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08/08/2012 - 12:55pm
The method isn't working the second time around - three months no improvement - help!

Brief context - I developed substantial back pain (mostly in the SI area when seated) two years ago, and after suffering about a nine months, I discovered the Gokhale Method and after a a few moths of practice felt almost 100% normal.  I would proudly tell friends that I no longer had back pain thanks to the method.  

Three and a half months ago I had a sudden and brutal relapse - I think related to poor form doing squats and a new obsession with Salsa dancing along with some muscle imbalances built up over years.  Bu unlike last time I am getting no relief from stretchsitting, lying, etc.  My spinal erector muscles are always so tight that after twnety minutes or so I feel over stretched and they start to get sore.  I know there is a balancing act between good and bad pain, but the disturbing part is that the pain does not seem to be improving week to week.

I am 34, have mild degenerative disk issues at L5-S1 and some minor arthritis in the lumbar/lower thoracic.  Ive been doing lots of PT and stretching along with the Method to try and rebalance the associated muscles.  

I also attended a workshop locally to confirm I was sitting correctly, and purchased a cushion (which is great)

Im wondering if this is common and if it is indicative of a different issue this time around.  

Please any help would be so much appreciated.

Sophie Rubin
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7 years 1 month ago
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05/03/2016 - 11:39am

With this much pain and damage, I would recommend more than a workshop. An hour or two of one-on-one courses with a Gokhale Method teacher would probably go a long way to sort out your problems. If you are going to physical therapy, you're willing to spend the time and effort necessary to really learn how to use your body in a new way, but traditional PTs aren't always helpful for posture-related pain because they are trained to treat mostly acute injuries. 

I wouldn't say what you're experiening is common. It's possible you're using the right muscles but they're over-stressed (inflammation), but it's also possible you haven't quite implemented the techniques properly. Your old pain went away because you shifted the work onto a different set of muscles/tendons, giving some relief to the spots that were stressed before, but it wasn't actually the correct set to keep you out of trouble. 

If you're doing squats and dancing, you may also be moving too quickly. 

I really hope you're able to find a solution to your pain! 

 

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