Hello,
For the last month I had a mild case of sciatica and doctors say I have an muscle imbalance and a disc protrusion in L3L4. After the sciatica receded almost completely I decided to learn about my problem and came to the Gokhale Method which has me with high hopes of getting better.
Yesterday I started with the first step and stretchsitted for 10 minutes, which felt very relaxing. But today I feel some pain in the middle part of my back, not really in the spine but in the muscles around it (at the level of the ribs), as if the muscles were very tight. It is not too painful and in a completely different part of my back to were my real problem is, but I wanted to check if this is normal... or did I do something wrong?
Thank you!
3 years 2 months ago
12/15/2010 - 7:51am
Hi there,
No you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you likely did something very right! Stretchsitting elongates your Erector Spinae muscles which attach at your mid-back. As they stretch, students often feel a sense of pulling where you were feeling sore, which is completely normal with someone with tight ES muscles. I suspect that is what happened. Usually after a week or two this feeling will go away as the attachments loosen. If you get the same feeling while doing the Inner Corset, that is nothing to be too concerned about either. Of course, if it is overwhelming, then back off and take a gentler approach as you body adapts to a lengthened spine.
Good luck!
Best,
Charlene Hannibal
Gokhale Method Teacher, Palo Alto/San Francisco