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Beat Chronic Lower Back Pain: 10-Minute Per Day Plan · Scoliosis with Dr. Chris Gubbels

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: 10 minutes a day can transform your back pain.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: I know that may sound unbelievable, but that's because a lot of people spend a lot more time than that stretching, foam rolling, going to chiropractors, and they're still struggling.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: But that's because they're spending all that time doing the wrong thing.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you have chronic lower back pain, there are a few things that you want to do in those 10 minutes, things you want to focus on during that time.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: And one of them is probably not what you think.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, I'm Dr.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Chris Skoobel, specialist in the non-surgical treatment of scoliosis and spine deformity.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: In this video, I'm going to show you how I would use those 10 minutes to focus on the most important things to get rid of your back pain.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start off with the first three minutes, improving the movement that you're missing.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: So for those first three minutes, I want to improve the movement in the areas where you're actually restricted.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that's not always the same place where you may feel tight or you may be feeling the pain.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: You see, somebody could have lower back pain, but the bigger restriction might actually be in their hip.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: And someone else may feel very stiff throughout their mid back.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if there's scoliosis or spinal imbalances involved, one side may be compressed while the other side may have plenty of extra movement.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: And this is why I can't give everybody watching this the exact same stretch.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: The right movement depends on what the spine is actually doing, what your spine is actually doing.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if your hips feel stiff and your lower back takes over when you walk, hip mobility exercises or hip flexor stretching may make sense for you.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: If your mid back barely moves and you tend to hunch or twist through your lower back instead, I may work on thoracic rotation or thoracic extension exercises.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if one side of your back always feels compressed, the goal may be to create more space on that side rather than stretching both sides equally.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: And with scoliosis, I would be even more careful because the direction of the curve changes which movement makes sense.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: But you don't need 10 different stretches.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Pick one or two movements based on what's actually limited.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Then see what happens when you stand back up.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Are you able to move something that previously felt restricted?
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Do you stand and walk better afterwards?
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Do the areas that usually feel compressed or overworked feel different after you do the mobility exercises?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: If the answer is no, I wouldn't keep doing those same movements just because you felt like you got a good stretch while you were doing them.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Something needs to change.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now when we transition to minutes four through eight, we're going to switch the focus to actual strengthening the spine.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: So in the next five minutes, we're going to focus on adding strength.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, a lot of people with lower back pain are told they need a stronger core.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes they actually do, but I just don't want somebody doing more core exercises from the same position that they're already used to being in all day.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: So if you lean forward or shift to one side, or you're always collapsed through the same section or area of your body, then strengthen it in that same position just makes you stronger in that compensation.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Basically, it stabilizes you in the incorrect position.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: We want to put your body in the correct position first and then work to strengthen and stabilize it, but with your spine and body in the correct position.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: So step one is we have to find a better position.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: We have to get our body in the correct position.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Then we have to work on strengthening and holding it in that position.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Again, that exact exercise depends on each individual person, but there are plenty of simple things you can do almost no matter what's going on with your spine.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: A wall-supported squat can be very useful because it gives you feedback about whether you're staying centered or if you're starting to shift to the side.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Doing a bridge exercise can help strengthen the glutes or your posterior change without asking your lower back to do everything.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: A bird dog can be very useful for trunk control because it actually challenges you to keep your pelvis and spine steady while your arms and legs are moving.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's also very neurologically complex and challenging for your body.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: A standing row can also work really well if you're able to keep your rib cage and pelvis stacked instead of leaning forward or bending back or putting any excessive twisting in your body.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: So what really matters is what your body does while you're actually doing the strengthening and stabilizing exercise.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you always shift to the right, are you able to keep your body centered while you're doing the strengthening exercise?
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: If you tend to collapse or lean forward, can you stay upright and not hunch over while you're doing the exercise?
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: If one side of your back always tends to tighten up first, can you complete the exercise without that side taking over?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And one or two exercises done well are typically enough.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need 60 different exercises with 50 rep seats.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: What you do need are the right muscles working while the spine is in the correct position while you're doing the exercises.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you've been dealing with chronic low back pain and you're not sure whether or not scoliosis or big spinal imbalances may be part of the reason why your back pain keeps coming back, you can book a free discovery call with us and talk to us at Skol A Care Denver about exactly what's going on.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: We'll walk you through what you've been dealing with, what you've already tried, and whether a more specific evaluation makes sense for you.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the last two minutes are part of the most important, so be sure not to leave these out.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go over minute nine and ten.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: So for the last two minutes, I want you to get on your feet and I want you to do whatever movements normally cause you trouble.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: If walking is a problem, walk around the room or down the hall and see whether or not you can keep your body in the correct position.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: You just spent the last eight minutes improving mobility and strength and stability.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now you're finding out whether or not that carries over to when you're upright and you're starting to move your body.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: This can be done by simply standing in front of a mirror and seeing whether you immediately see your body shifting back to the side that you may always start to shift to.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: With this feedback, you can actually practice with your weight more evenly distributed on both feet.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you tend to lean or hunch forward, practice bringing your upper body or back over the pelvis in proper alignment when viewed from the side.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: If one tight of your back always tightens up with walking or any specific movement, take several slow steps, rest your position, and then start walking or doing whatever movement usually causes problems.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now that may sound too simple to matter, but if the pain always shows up when you're standing or walking or doing a specific movement, you need to practice standing or walking or doing that specific movement while you hold the body in the correct position.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: You see, you may be able to do a great exercise while lying on the floor and then lose every single thing the second you get up and put your weight under gravity.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly where a lot of home programs tend to fail, especially with scoliospecific rehabilitation.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: We want the patient using the correction during normal movement, not just while they're laying down doing exercises.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: That means being able to stand up to counter, walking to the store, gardening, traveling, doing whatever has become more and more difficult for you to do.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Now, here's what I absolutely would not do.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: I would not spend all 10 minutes stretching the lower back, and I would not keep adding more and more exercises just because the pain keeps coming back.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Because if an area continues to hurt over and over again, especially when you stand or walk, there may be a more specific reason that that part of the spine keeps getting overloaded.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: I see a lot of adults who've already been told they have arthritis or a worn-out disc or stenosis or a pinched nerve.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And those findings may be real, but they don't explain why that same side keeps getting irritated.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: You see, if your spine is shifting or leaning or rotating to one side, then the weight is not going to be going through the spine evenly.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: There's going to be more pressure on the inside of the spine compared to the outside of the spine.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: And one side of the spine ends up taking extra pressure.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Gravity is pushing down on the inside more than the outside.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that unevenly distributed pressure can cause your body to break down and wear down unevenly.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly how things like a degenerative scoliosis tend to progress over time.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why stretching, massage, or chiropractic care, or even an injection of spine may help for a while.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: But if when you stand back up, that same area becomes compressed or irritated unevenly, if that same side keeps having extra pressure on it, then the pain is only going to come back.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when is this 10-minute exercise and stretching routine not enough?
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: When do you need something more advanced?
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you have pain going down your leg, numbness, weakness, worsening balance, or your ability to stand or walk is clearly getting worse, you need to get it evaluated by a specialist.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: I also recommended getting checked by a specialist if you've been doing exercises consistently and you keep ending up in the exact same place.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: One thing I would absolutely want to know is whether anyone has ever looked at your entire spine while you're standing up with gravity.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: You see, an MRI may be very good at showing disc problems, joint issues, nerve issues, even stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal or opening where the nerves branch out.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: But you're usually lying down when you get those things.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: And they don't show us how your spine and body reacts to gravity and how your whole body lines up or doesn't line up over your palace.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that becomes a lot more important when you're looking at things like adult scoliosis or major spinal imbalances.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: The painful disc, the arthritis, the stenosis may all be a part of the problem.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: But the way the spine is loading that area may be a whole nother piece that nobody has stressed.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it may be what's actually causing all these problems in the first place.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have those imbalances there, then your 10-minute plan needs to account for it.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: So start this tomorrow, but keep it very simple.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Spend about three minutes on one or two movements that actually improve the restricted areas that you have.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Spend about five minutes on one or two strengthening exercises while you're holding your body in a better or more correct position.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Then spend the last two minutes standing or walking, trying to keep that improvement while you're upright and you're moving.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: When you finish, ask yourself three very important questions.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: One, did I move better?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Two, can I hold myself in a better position?
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Three, can I keep that position when I'm standing and I'm moving in an upright position?
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: If you move better, hold yourself better, and you can carry that into standing and walking.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now those 10 minutes are doing what you want them to do.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: But if all you can say is my back feels less restricted, I would keep looking for a better long-term solution.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: And if your pain is one-sided and it keeps coming back, or it gets worse the longer you stand and walk, I would make sure somebody's actually checked for adult spinal scoliosis or major spinal imbalances.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're dealing with chronic low back pain and you want help figuring out whether scoliosis or spinal imbalances may be the underlying cause of those, you can contact our team at Scholar Care Denver.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Our team will reach out to you and we'll set up a time to figure out exactly what's going on with your spine and what your best and most appropriate next steps would be.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: And if your back pain keeps getting worse while you stand or walk, watch this next video that's about to pop up and I'll show you why that pattern can actually tell you more about what's actually going on.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you there.