Once I understood this, it changed everything

The most common misconception I see in my practice is also the most logical.

It's the idea that if something hurts, it means that there's an issue in this spot.

I have met countless clients who came to me with back pain, which they thought as incurable because they had tried EVERYTHING: back exercises, injections, lumbar support, a new mattress...

They had tried everything... everything but looking elsewhere.

When I start working with someone who has lower back pain, I always check their hips. More often than not, if they had scans done that showed nothing wrong with their spine, the issue lies a little lower.

And it makes sense, because nothing works in isolation in the body. And because the hip is right under our spine, it kinda acts as its foundation. And let's be honest: we've not been taking very good care of this foundation.

Nothing prepared our body for the amount of sitting we do now. Of course our hip flexors are short and tight. Of course our glutes are weak. And as we age, our body is also losing its capacity to recover from the abuse we're putting it through (as I'm sure you noticed last time you had more than 3 beers).

I want to give you 3 signs that point towards an issue with your hips. It's not a diagnosis, just an idea to explore.

1. Your lower back/hips feel very tight in the morning or after you've spent a long time sitting. You're struggling to walk for a bit after you get up, or to even stand up straight after getting up from your chair.
2. The pain gets worse when you sit.
3. And on the contrary, it gets better when you walk.

Some of my clients have told me they were surprised that their back felt better when they were on holiday, even though they were carrying their kids around, hiking with a heavy backpack, etc. And as soon as they went back to their desk, bam! The pain was back.

If this sounds like what you're experiencing, I would definitely start looking at building more mobility in your hips. There might be a lack of support, or a lack of flexibility. Sometimes both.

Let me know if you'd like my input on your situation. As I'm getting settled in my new home, I feel ready to take on one or two new clients :) You can check my revamped website here and contact me there, or just reply to this email.

Much love,

Clem

Yoga with Clem

La Madeleine, France

For more info, resources and ways to work with me, please have a look at my website.