Decompact that Low Back!

It has been extremely busy at Dynamic and the Canadian Human Performance Centre. We have a couple HUGE announcements that will be release by the end of the week. With Fall now here, all our university athletes are back to school (some are back, pre-season injuries and were already home sick from our facility), and professional athletes are back in camp. To get this blog back on a roll I want to address a few questions and concerns that I have seen over the past few months.

 Lumbar Spine Deloading AND Decompacting

In our Blog and when I talk to athletes that I am working with from a treatment, corrective exercise, and rehab perspective when I use the word DELOAD, I am referring to taking pressure off an area. This will help prevent repetitive strain injuries, compression injuries (very common to LOW BACK PAIN, in particular Facet Irritation) and help soft tissue rebound from strenuous work or exercises.

Most Sports Conditioning Guru’s will refer to DELOAD as taking a week of from a program, or modifying a particular program to let body recoup. I am on the opposite end of the spectrum, my job is to help athletes stay injury free and rehab, our Sports Conditioning Guys at Canadian Human Performance Centre have the other job.

Below in this blog, we are going to go through techniques and exercises to help take pressure off of your back. THIS IS A GENERAL OUTLINE for Blog Readers to spark curiosity and motivate to learn some anatomy; it will not treat low back pain or dysfunction, but most certainly can help manage symptoms.

Helping to alleviate pressure of your lumbar spine is great for anyone with a history of “low Back pain”, Facet Compression Issues, or just dysfunction.

There are going to be critics reading this blog, and watching our video’s and will write, Adam forgot to talk about Thoracic Mobility, make sure Navicular Bone is not following proper PRM. The list can go on. This is an outline, and we are just taking one or two exercise that my staff and I prescribe on a daily basis for our patients and athletes.

Note: For Corrective Exercises Techniques, we will be posting a blog coming up.

Soft Tissue Preparation: Before & After Exercise, Morning and Evening

SMFR and Soft Tissue preparation will do just that, prepare your tissue for work. These techniques will also help break adhesions, promote proper muscle health.

Your lumbar spine is the weak link in your body. Compared to your Thoracic Spine, there are minimal major actions of your lumbar spine except for stability.

Unilateral Leg Work Post Bilateral Low Rep Exercise: After Heavy Lift

This is one of the most important aspects of Lower Back Deload or Decompact that I recommend. Usually, in our programs, our sports conditioning guys will use a split squat or Bulgarian split squat, I agree with this exercise. Single leg or Unilateral Exercise will activate muscles like Glute Med.

This particular exercise will also dynamically stretch Psoas Major, Rectus Femoris, and will force your body to keep proper spinal aligment.

Lumbar Distraction: Post –SMFR/Dynamic Warm-up, Home Care

Video: Decompact Your Low Back. Pt. 1



Eretor Spinae Health: These muscles will help keep the stability and prevent lumbar vertebrae go into flexion at most common L2 on L3, L3 on L4 (Most important Vertebrae, for another blog post), L5 on S1.

Quick Mention of L5 on S1: Take a look at biomechanics of this segment, with hip flexion, the spinal process on L5 should rotate the opposite direction. If there is a adhesion or lesion present and the L5 vertebrae moves same way,



    Side Bar:

How to test: Have your patient standing up, kneel behind (ask for permission and explain what you are going to do), place one finger on L5 Spinous Process and another finger on the Ischial Tuberosity. Have client/patient move leg into Hip Flexion, What way does it Move? Compaction? Lesion? Dysfunction?

A major component of Lumbar Spine or Low Back Pain is Pelvic Dysfunction, whether it be a visceral component, mechanical, or myofascial. There are many issues that should be assessed and addressed for proper biomechanics and tissue health.



I have a lot of Clients and friend that read this blog looking for business advice as well. I also want to include “tid-bits” of information that make you think, look at your business, and grow!

I had a conversation with a Sports Injury and Massage Therapy practitioner who is in the first few months of his new business. We had a great conversation on creating a NICHE business and not being an "all in one"

We are going to post the conversation and why it is important to create a Niche Market that you should have your business aimed towards.

Eric from TruBody Fitness and Myself had a few minutes to kill yesterday afternoon, so we decided to film a quick interview, check it out: