The Science of Low Back Pain
Hi, I’m Christine Lynders, physical therapy expert, author, and back pain specialist. I am going to debunk the back pain epidemic. Here’s the key to unlocking back pain for good.
After just one episode of low back pain, you lose the function—the automatic function—of two critical core muscles. And that is why back pain has become such an epidemic without any one successful treatment, and why people get chronic low back pain.
You see, after one episode of low back pain, you lose the automatic function of the deep spinal stabilizing muscles, the multifidus. Without specific retraining, research has proved they do not return to function on their own. These are the deepest back muscles in your spine—the muscles that provide essential support to your vertebrae.
In order to get those deep back muscles to function again, you must activate your deepest abdominal muscle. Now, you’re probably wondering: Why do you activate your abdominal muscle to get the deep back muscles to stabilize? Well, when you activate your transverse abdominis (TrA), your deepest abdominal muscle, it communicates with your brain to activate the deep back muscles.
And here’s the exciting part—you can live your life free of chronic pain.
The Simple Science: Suck It In
It’s very simple. When you suck it in, you activate the transverse abdominis. That signals your brain to activate the multifidus. And that gives your low back stability from the inside out.
Let me show you how to do that right now:
👉 Place your hands on your bellybutton.
👉 Gently pull your bellybutton in toward your spine.
👉 Do not pull in the area above your bellybutton—just focus on the bellybutton area.
Pull it in, then let it out. Pull it in, let it out. Now start to pull in, out, in, out, in, out rapidly. After about 10 or 20 repetitions, you’re going to start to feel a low burn around your lower abdomen. That’s your transverse abdominis waking up and calling your multifidus to action.
Keep going: in, out, in, out. After several more reps—maybe another 30 or 40—you may start to feel fatigue in your low back. That’s your multifidus muscles working.
Step 2: Make It Automatic Before You Move
Now that you know how to reignite these critical, back-saving muscles, step two is to activate them BEFORE you move. This retrains them to work automatically like they’re supposed to.
⭐️ The next time you get out of bed: Suck it in first, pull your bellybutton in, then get up.
⭐️ Before you reach into a kitchen cabinet or refrigerator: Suck it in first to stabilize your low back.
⭐️ Before you lift your child: Bellybutton in first, then bend.
It’s as simple as that.
You just need to make this a habit—and enjoy being free from chronic low back pain.
The Science of Low Back Pain?
Suck it in, and be one less statistic!
