Old Remedies Massage Therapy

08/18/2026

Who Made Your Shoulder Blade Angry?
Spoiler: It might be your flip-flops.

Your Shoulder Blade Hurts. But Is That Really Where the Problem Started?

That one angry spot by your shoulder blade may have started all the way down at your foot.

I see this one all the time. Someone comes in and points to one very specific spot by the shoulder blade and says, “Right there.” Sometimes it feels like a knot. Sometimes it hurts when they take a deep breath, turn their head, or reach a certain way. A lot of people describe it as having a “rib out.”

Now, before we picture a rib wandering around your body like it lost its GPS, that usually is not what is happening. A true rib dislocation is uncommon. What I see much more often is an irritated or restricted rib joint, with the surrounding muscles tightening down to protect the area.

But here is the question I care about more: Why did that area get irritated in the first place?

Because your shoulder blade may be the victim here, not the criminal.

Your Body Is Not a Collection of Separate Parts
Let’s say you hurt your big toe. It seems small, but now you do not push off that foot quite the same when you walk. Maybe you roll toward the outside of your foot. Maybe you shorten your stride. Maybe you limp just enough that nobody else notices.

Your body notices.

When your foot changes, your ankle changes. Your knee and hip may start moving differently. Your pelvis may rotate differently, and then your torso has to compensate to keep you moving forward. That affects the way your rib cage rotates and, eventually, the way your shoulder blade moves across your back.

That is when you suddenly have one very angry spot under your shoulder blade.

This can happen after rolling an ankle, hurting a knee, dealing with foot pain, changing shoes, hiking, walking on uneven ground, or spending the afternoon gardening in flip-flops.

I know some of you are going to defend your flip-flops until the end of time, but stay with me. If you are gripping them with your toes, walking through uneven dirt, bending, twisting, and putting more weight on one side for hours, you can absolutely change the way you move. Sometimes your body complains right away. Sometimes it waits a few days and sends the complaint to your upper back.

So What Does the Rib Have to Do With It?
Your rib cage is moving all day long. It moves when you breathe, twist, reach, walk, and move your arms. Your shoulder blade sits on top of the rib cage and glides across it as you move.

If your pelvis and trunk start rotating differently because you are favoring one leg, the rib cage can start moving differently too. Then the shoulder blade has to adapt, and the muscles around it start working harder to keep everything stable.

That is often when people start rubbing the same little spot and telling me, “I have a knot right here.”

Maybe you do. But again, the bigger question is: Why is it there?

And Then There Is the Levator Scapulae
The levator scapulae is one of my favorite troublemakers because it connects the upper part of your neck to the upper inside corner of your shoulder blade. That means it is involved in both neck movement and shoulder blade position.

If your shoulder blade is sitting or moving differently because the rib cage underneath it is not moving well, the levator scapulae may start working overtime. That can give you pain near the shoulder blade, tightness up into the neck, and sometimes pain when you turn your head.

This is also why digging into that knot can feel wonderful and still not fix the problem.

You massage the spot. It loosens up. You feel better. Then a day or two later, it is back.

Why?

Because the muscle may not be the problem. It may be reacting to the problem.

This Is Why I Don’t Just Chase the Pain
If you come to me with pain under your right shoulder blade, of course I am going to look at your shoulder blade. But I may also start asking questions that seem completely unrelated.

Did you roll an ankle recently? Is your big toe sore? Have you been limping? Did you change shoes? Have you been hiking? Gardening? Carrying a child on one hip? Sitting with one leg tucked underneath you all day?

And you may be thinking, “Lady, I told you my shoulder hurts.”

I know.

But your body is a chain. When one area stops moving well, another area often starts compensating. That compensation may work perfectly fine for a while, until one poor muscle or joint gets tired of doing everybody else’s job.

So How Do You Get Rid of It?
Massage can absolutely help relax the muscles around the shoulder blade and rib cage. Heat can help too, and gentle stretching of the neck and levator scapulae can calm things down. Gentle movement and thoracic rotation can also be useful.

But if the same pain keeps coming back, I want you to look farther away from the sore spot.

Walk around and pay attention to what your body is doing. Are you putting more weight on one foot? Is one ankle stiff? Does one hip feel tighter? Can you rotate equally in both directions? Did something change right before this pain started?

Sometimes the answer is right underneath the shoulder blade.

And sometimes the answer is three feet away wearing a flip-flop.

Your shoulder blade may be screaming the loudest, but that doesn't mean it started the fight. Sometimes you have to stop asking, “Where does it hurt?” and start asking, “What made it hurt?”

This is also the best time to get a chiropractic adjustment. I want to say massage can fix everything, but in this case, get some extra help.

08/13/2026

Meditation

# Meditation: You’re Probably Making It Harder Than It Needs to Be

# # You do not need to clear your mind, sit perfectly still, or meditate for 30 minutes to get started.

Meditation sounds simple until somebody tells you to sit still and stop thinking.

Then suddenly your brain remembers the grocery list, the laundry, something embarrassing you said ten years ago, what you need to do tomorrow, and whether you remembered to text someone back.

So let’s start there.

Meditation is not about completely emptying your mind. It is really about becoming quiet enough to notice what is happening inside of you without immediately reacting to every thought that comes through.

Your mind is going to wander. That is normal.

The practice is noticing when you wander and gently bringing your attention back.

# # Is Meditation the Same as Prayer?

Not exactly, but they can work beautifully together.

Prayer is often about talking to God. We ask, thank, plead, question, and share what is on our hearts.

Meditation can be the quieter part.

It can be a time to listen, reflect, breathe, or sit in God’s presence without feeling like you have to fill every second with words.

You can pray before you meditate, sit quietly for a few minutes, and then pray again when you are finished.

There really does not have to be a complicated rule about it.

# # When Am I Supposed to Meditate?

Whenever you will actually do it.

First thing in the morning works well for some people because the rest of the world has not gotten a hold of them yet.

Other people like to meditate before bed.

You can also do it during lunch, after exercise, in your car before you walk into the house, or even for a few minutes before an appointment.

You do not need a perfect quiet room.

Honestly, if you wait until your life is perfectly peaceful before you meditate, you may never start.

# # How Long Do I Have to Meditate?

This is where I think people make meditation way too difficult.

Start with two minutes.

Seriously.

Two or three minutes is enough to begin.

Five minutes is great.

If you eventually enjoy ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes, wonderful. But longer does not automatically mean better.

Five minutes every day is probably going to do more for you than forcing yourself through thirty minutes once a week and deciding you hate meditation.

# # Do I Need Someone to Guide Me?

No.

But a guide can make meditation much easier in the beginning.

A guided meditation gives your brain something to follow. Someone may remind you to breathe, relax your shoulders, notice your body, visualize something peaceful, or bring your attention back when your thoughts wander.

Eventually, you may realize you do not need someone talking you through the whole thing.

You can guide yourself.

Sit somewhere comfortable. Close your eyes if you want to. Take a few slower breaths.

Then choose one thing to focus on.

It might be your breathing.

It might be a word.

A scripture.

A prayer.

The feeling of your feet on the floor.

Even the sounds around you.

Then your brain will wander off somewhere.

Of course it will.

When you notice it, bring your attention back.

That is meditation.

# # What About Group Meditation?

Group meditation is essentially the same idea, except everyone chooses to be quiet together.

Sometimes one person guides the group. Sometimes there is music, prayer, breathing, a reading, or simply silence.

There can be something very calming about sitting in a room where nobody needs anything from you for a few minutes.

For some beginners, it can also make meditation feel less awkward because everyone else is doing the same thing.

# # What If I Cannot Turn My Brain Off?

Good news.

You are not supposed to.

This is probably one of the biggest misunderstandings about meditation.

Your brain has a job. It thinks.

The goal is not to force it to stop.

The goal is to notice where your attention went and bring it back.

Over and over.

And over.

Some days that may happen fifty times.

That does not mean you are bad at meditation.

That actually IS the practice.

# # Start With Your Body

If sitting quietly and focusing on your thoughts sounds terrible, start with your body instead.

Notice your jaw.

Are you clenching it?

Notice your shoulders.

Are they sitting somewhere near your ears?

Notice your hands.

Are you making fists without realizing it?

Notice your stomach, your breathing, your feet, and the way your body feels in the chair.

Sometimes the easiest way to quiet the mind is to first notice what the body has been trying to tell you all day.

# # Try This Today

Find somewhere comfortable and give yourself five minutes.

Take a slow breath.

Notice your body.

Choose something to focus on: your breathing, a word, a prayer, or a scripture.

When your thoughts wander, notice them and come back.

At the end, take one more deep breath and ask yourself:

**What do I need today?**

That is it.

You do not need special clothes.

You do not need a meditation room.

You do not need an app.

You do not need twenty minutes.

And you definitely do not need an empty mind.

You need a couple of minutes and somewhere to put your attention.

I use my meditation time to ponder feelings. Why do I feel this way? What led me to where I am now? I also spend some of this time thinking about how I treat others or spend time with family.

These self-evaluations are meant to guide me in becoming a better person and to help me make plans to work on myself.

Read Full Article HEREhttps://www.oldremediesmassage.com/what-hurt...

08/07/2026

Braces Are Straightening Your Teeth... But What Are They Doing to Your Jaw?

The hidden reason some people develop headaches, jaw pain, and neck tension during orthodontic treatment.
Braces are amazing. They can completely change a smile, improve your bite, and even make chewing easier. But while your teeth are moving into place, the rest of your body sometimes has to adapt.

My husband is getting braces for the first time this week at age 55. It is a big deal at his age. I fully expect to have to work with him as his mouth and jaw work to accommodate the changes. He is the 7th person in our house to get braces. Over the years, I have worked with many people undergoing orthodontic treatment. Kids, teenagers, and adults. One of the most common things I hear is, "Ever since I got my braces tightened, I've had a headache," or "My jaw just feels tired all the time."

That doesn't surprise me.

Your teeth don't move by themselves. Every adjustment changes how your upper and lower teeth meet. That changes how your jaw closes. When your bite changes, the muscles that control your jaw have to learn a new normal. Sometimes they do that beautifully. Sometimes they don't.

The muscles that close your jaw attach into your cheeks, temples, and around your ears. They also work together with the muscles in your neck. If those muscles stay tight for too long, people may notice:

Headaches, especially around the temples
Jaw pain or clicking
Neck stiffness
Pain behind or around the eyes
Ear pain or a feeling of pressure
Soreness when chewing
Difficulty opening the mouth completely

One area people don't think about is the neck. Your head weighs around 10 to 12 pounds, and your jaw doesn't work in isolation. If your bite changes, your neck muscles often change right along with it as they help stabilize your head. I've seen people whose biggest complaint wasn't actually their jaw—it was the neck pain and headaches that followed.

Now, this doesn't mean braces are causing damage. Tooth movement is a normal part of orthodontic treatment, and some soreness is expected. But if the surrounding muscles become overly tight, they can make the adjustment period much more uncomfortable than it needs to be.

This is where massage can help.

By relaxing the muscles of the jaw, face, scalp, and neck, massage may reduce muscle guarding, improve comfort, and help your body adapt more easily to the changes happening in your bite. It doesn't move your teeth or replace your orthodontist. It simply helps the muscles that are working overtime.

If you've recently had your braces adjusted and suddenly find yourself reaching for pain medication because of headaches or jaw tension, don't forget to think about the muscles. Sometimes they just need a little help keeping up with the changes. Please watch the video I created on reducing jaw tension as you go through this process.

One more thing. I have also seen similar problems in people with chin injuries. This can also cause tightening in the jaw, neck, and head. Sometimes getting a new crown or other dental work should be considered too.

Jaw pain and clenching often come from muscle tension. General stre...

07/29/2026

I work with people’s nervous systems every day. I also work with the muscles and soft tissues surrounding those nerves, helping reduce tension and irritation in areas where a nerve may be compressed or inflamed. I thought I understood enough about nerves to be truly helpful.

Now I understand them even better.

By January 2024, I had been dealing with severe, almost constant pain from carpal tunnel syndrome for three years. The symptoms themselves had been there for more than ten years. Keep in mind, I had already been practicing massage therapy for nearly 25 years.

Eventually, I reached the point where I could not take the pain anymore, so I went to see a surgeon. He used an ultrasound to show me the nerve traveling through the carpal tunnel in each wrist.

On my right wrist, we could see the nerve, the inflammation around it, and at least some movement. On the left side, there was no visible movement at all.

I had heard of nerve slithering before, but I did not fully understand it until I saw that ultrasound image. As the body moves, nerves are supposed to glide and slide through the surrounding tissues. They need room to move.

Mine did not have that room. The nerve was so compressed that it was no longer gliding normally.

That was the moment it finally clicked for me.

When a nerve becomes irritated or compressed, it may lose some of its normal movement through the tissues around it. That can create pain, tingling, numbness, burning, or the feeling that something is simply stuck.

So when you feel stuck, and there is nerve pain involved, you may not be imagining it. Your nerve may truly need more space to move.

What nerve slithering means

The clinical term is nerve sliding, nerve gliding, or neural mobilization.
Nerves must move slightly as the body bends, reaches, and changes position.
They slide through muscles, connective tissue, joints, and narrow passageways.

How a healthy nerve moves

A nerve acts somewhat like a cord moving through a sleeve.
During movement, it needs to:
Slide back and forth
Lengthen slightly
Adjust to changing joint positions
Maintain healthy blood flow

What nerve compression means

Compression occurs when pressure is placed on a nerve or its surrounding tissues.
This pressure may reduce blood flow and irritate the nerve.

Possible causes include:
Muscle tension
Swelling
Scar tissue
Disc problems
Arthritis
Narrow anatomical spaces
Repetitive positions or movements
Common nerve symptoms
Shooting or electric pain
Burning
Tingling
Pins and needles
Numbness
Sensitivity to touch
Weakness
Reduced grip strength
Symptoms traveling into an arm or leg

How massage may help

Massage may help by relaxing the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the nerve pathway. When those tissues are tight or guarding, they can add pressure or pulling around an already irritated nerve. By reducing that tension and improving movement in the nearby joints and muscles, massage can help the body move more comfortably.

This is also why I do not always work only where the pain is felt. The area causing the problem may be somewhere else along the nerve pathway, so I look at the surrounding muscles and joints that may be contributing to the irritation.

Massage does not physically push a nerve back into place, and it cannot correct every type of nerve compression. What it can do is reduce some of the tension around the nerve and create a better environment for the body to move and heal.

07/21/2026

What Does Massage Actually Do to Your Body?

It makes you feel better, right? But why?

Like any experience in life, massage therapy is about feeling better and about being heard. When you get the perfect massage, there is a blend of environment, talking (or not talking), and muscle or pain relief. If these three things don't come together, the massage just won't give you that dopamine you're looking for.

Most people know massage can help them feel better, but massage does much more than simply relax sore muscles. It affects the muscles, connective tissue, nervous system, circulation, joints, stress response, and even the way the brain interprets pain.

It Helps Muscles Stop Guarding
Muscles can become tight from overuse, repetitive movements, stress, injuries, or staying in one position too long. Sometimes the original activity is over, but the muscle continues to brace as though it still needs to protect you. It is trying to help, but isn't quite getting it right.

Massage uses pressure and movement to help reduce that guarding. As the tissues relax, the muscle will move and lengthen. Remember, massage therapy only does one thing. It lengthens.

Despite what you may have heard, I am not crushing knots into submission. Your body is not bread dough. Much of the change happens because massage gives the nervous system new information.

It Calms the Nervous System
Touch, pressure, warmth, and slow movement send sensory messages to the brain. These signals may help the body feel safer and allow it to shift away from fight-or-flight mode and toward rest-and-recovery mode.

That is why your breathing may slow, your body may feel heavier on the table, and you may suddenly realize you have been clenching your jaw since Tuesday.

When the nervous system relaxes, muscles often stop bracing so strongly.

It Can Change How Pain Feels
Pain is not based only on what is happening inside a muscle. Your brain also considers stress, sleep, previous injuries, emotions, and whether it believes an area is in danger.

Massage provides new sensory information through pressure, warmth, and movement. This can temporarily turn down pain signals and help movement feel safer.

That does not mean the pain was imaginary. It means pain is complicated, and the nervous system plays an important role in how strongly you feel it.

It Can Improve Movement
When tight or guarded muscles surround a joint, movement can become stiff or uncomfortable. Reducing that tension may improve short-term flexibility and range of motion.

Massage does not force bones back into place. It helps the muscles around the joint stop pulling and protecting so strongly, which may allow the joint to move more freely.

It Supports Circulation and Fluid Movement
Pressure temporarily compresses the soft tissues. When the pressure is released, blood returns to the area. Massage and muscle movement can also support the normal movement of fluid through the tissues.

However, massage does not “flush toxins” from your body. Your liver and kidneys already handle that job, and they are probably relieved we are not trying to replace them.

It Interrupts the Stress-and-Pain Cycle
Stress can cause shallow breathing, tight shoulders, headaches, jaw clenching, muscle tension, and increased sensitivity to pain.

Pain then creates more stress.

Before long, your entire body is participating in a very unhelpful group project.

Massage can help interrupt that cycle by giving the body time to slow down, breathe, and stop protecting every sore area as though it is preparing for battle.

Everyone
Most of the people I work on, no matter the initial complaint, have a certain amount of tension throughout their body. When I massage you, I can tell if the tightness is from tension or from injury. When it is injury, I work in a specific order to release the muscles from the pulley system it is stuck in. When the tightness is from tension, your muscle usually starts to relax in under one minute from being massaged. I goes from tense to goo in my hands. That is how I know if you have had a stressful week or not. The muscles always tell me the truth.

The Basic Benefits of Massage
Massage may help:

Reduce muscle tension and stiffness

Ease common aches and soreness

Improve flexibility and comfortable movement

Calm the nervous system

Reduce stress and promote relaxation

Support recovery after physical activity

Improve overall well-being

Help you notice tension before it becomes a larger problem

Massage is not a cure for everything, and it should not replace medical care for serious injuries or unexplained symptoms. But when discomfort is connected to stress, posture, overuse, or muscles compensating for one another, massage can give the body an opportunity to reset.

In simple terms, massage tells your body:

You can stop guarding so much.

You can breathe.

You can move.

You can relax.

Remember, don't just get a massage; get better.

07/13/2026

Summer is in full swing, and I want to talk about something that happened to me last week.

My husband and I went on a little overnight backpacking trip. The hike was only about three miles with a 500-foot incline, so we were not doing anything crazy. I had made sure I was hydrated the day before, and I started the hike feeling great.

I carried 2.5 liters of water with two packets of Liquid I.V. mixed into it. It was hot, and I drank it all throughout the day. I even finished the last of it before going to sleep.

Apparently, it still wasn’t enough.

That night, I woke up with full-body muscle cramps. Not one little calf cramp. My whole body was joining the party, and nobody was having a good time.

Muscle cramps can be a sign that your body has lost too much water and salt through sweating. Sometimes you feel fine during the activity, and then your body lets you know later that it needed more.

One of my clients once told me that when his cramps started, he ate some of his electrolyte powder while sipping water because he wanted it to work quickly. I understand the desperation, but please mix electrolyte products according to the package directions. Your body still needs the water that goes with them.

The next morning, I started working on my hydration. We were also staying near a hot spring, and soaking helped my muscles relax. However, a hot spring is not a good idea if you are still overheated, dizzy, weak, or nauseated. Cool down and rehydrate first.

Even when you think you have planned well, the heat can still catch you off guard.

While you are outside this summer, pay attention if you or someone with you suddenly develops:

Unusual weakness
A headache or dizziness
Nausea
Muscle cramps
Chills or goosebumps in the heat
A racing heart that does not calm down during a break
A sudden drop in energy or performance

Those are not signs that you need to toughen up and push through. They are signs that your body needs a break, shade, cooling, and fluids.

After you are finished, keep drinking gradually, eat something with protein, carbohydrates, and a little salt, and give your body time to cool down. Gentle walking, light stretching, or gentle massage may feel good, but massage cannot replace hydration.

Keep an eye on the people you are with, too. Heat problems can come on quickly, and sometimes the person experiencing them does not realize how bad they are feeling.

Sometimes being a good hiking buddy means being the person who says, “We are stopping now.”

Have a great summer and be safe!

Remember, don't just get a massage; get better!

Photos from the 5th Water Hot Spring in Utah.

07/07/2026

Can’t Turn Your Head?
When your neck says, “Nope. Not today.”
Wow. It has been a whole week of clients who can’t rotate their head properly from side to side.

What are you people doing out there?

You know I’m kidding.

Mostly.

But seriously, how do you know when your neck will work itself out and when it is time to call your favorite professional and let me work out the kinks for you?

Let’s talk about it.

The Morning Neck Surprise
You wake up in the morning, five minutes before your alarm, ready to take on the day.

Then you get out of bed and realize something is very wrong.

Yesterday, you could turn your head to the left.

Today, your neck is stuck.

I see this all the time.

My first reaction is always this:

Call me that day before it gets worse.

Neck tension can start out as annoying and quickly turn into:

“I guess I’m turning my whole body to back out of the driveway now.”

What You Can Try at Home First
If coming in right away is not going to work, start simple.

Use heat.
Grab the heating pad and let the area calm down.

Massage gently.
Get out the massage gun, but please do not attack your neck like you are tenderizing a steak.

Gentle matters here.

Most of the time, this did not come out of nowhere.

It has probably been a little tender for days, but you hoped it would work itself out. Then overnight, your body finally said:

“We are done pretending this is fine.”

Why Did It Happen?
This is usually an accumulation of things you did during the week.

Maybe you tripped.

Maybe you lifted something too heavy.

Maybe you spent twelve hours in the car.

Yes, you.

You know who you are.

Maybe you sat at your desk, read a book, looked down at your phone, or slept in a weird position just long enough for your neck to get cranky.

Try to remember when it first felt sore.

Then check the rest of your body.

Is your shoulder tight?
Is your upper back irritated?
Did your low back or hip act up first?

Sometimes the neck is not the first problem.

It is just the loudest one.

Meet the Levator Scapulae
Now let’s learn a muscle that seems to be tightening up on everyone I meet lately:

The levator scapulae.

With a name like that, you can probably guess what it does.

It helps lift the scapula (shoulder blade).

You can usually find it pretty easily. Most neck muscles run more straight up and down from your head toward your back.

The levator scapulae runs at an angle from the top inside corner of your shoulder blade up toward the back and side of your neck.

When this muscle gets tight, it can make turning your head feel restricted, painful, or just plain stuck.

Common Things That Irritate It
The levator scapula does not love:

Driving
Desk work
Reading
Phone use
Stress
Sleeping weird
That slight downward head position we all pretend we are not doing all day long

The Simple At-Home Release
The at-home release is basic, but it can help.

Use heat.

Massage gently along the muscle.

Move slowly.

Do not force your neck to turn.

Sometimes the things that feel the most dramatic are actually the simplest to calm down, especially if you catch them early.

When to Call Me
If you wake up unable to turn your head, don’t wait until you are walking around like a robot.

Call me.

Let’s get it moving before your neck recruits your shoulders, upper back, jaw, and everything else into the drama.

https://youtu.be/ZKHcLQSJQ_w?si=SpX6zG6PhqIPD7Dm

07/01/2026

Why Your Low Back Hates Standing Still
Low back pain can show up in a lot of different ways, but two of the most common things I see are pain with standing too long and pain with leaning forward.

Sometimes people already know they have an injury, arthritis, disc problems, or something more serious. That matters, and those situations deserve proper medical care.

But today we are talking about a different kind of low back pain: the kind that comes from the balance between your psoas, your sacrum, and the way your body holds you upright.

Your psoas is one of your deep core stabilizers. It connects your low back to your hips and helps support your body when you stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, and move from one position to another.

When the psoas gets tight, overworked, or protective, it can cause all kinds of problems.

The tricky part is this:

You usually do not feel psoas pain directly where the muscle is.

Instead, it often shows up as low back pain, hip tightness, SI joint irritation, or that deep ache that makes you want to bend forward, shift your weight, or sit down.

Then your sacrum can get involved.

Your sacrum is the triangular bone at the base of your spine, right between the two sides of your pelvis. It should have a little bit of natural movement when you walk, bend, twist, and stand. But when the psoas tightens, the sacrum may tighten in response.

Now your low back is stuck in the middle of a tug-of-war.

The psoas is pulling from the front.

The sacrum and pelvis are trying to stabilize from the back.

And your low back ends up taking the blame.

This is one reason standing can become so uncomfortable. Standing looks easy from the outside, but your body is constantly making tiny adjustments to keep you upright. If your psoas is tight and your sacrum is not moving well, your low back may have to work harder than it should.

Leaning forward can create the same problem in a different way.

Reaching into the trunk of your car, picking something up off the floor, leaning over a crib, loading the dishwasher, pulling weeds, or bending over to tie your shoes can all irritate this area. None of these may feel like a big injury in the moment, but when your psoas and sacrum are already fighting for balance, those small forward-leaning positions can be enough to push your low back over the edge.

That is why I do not always chase the sore spot.

If the low back is screaming, I still want to know who started the fight.

Is the psoas too tight?

Is the sacrum locked up?

Is the pelvis shifting unevenly?

Is your body protecting an old injury or compensating elsewhere?

The fastest change usually comes from helping your body find its balance again. Not forcing it. Not beating up the low back. Not stretching everything to the limit.

Just finding the right place to release tension so the body can stop guarding.

At the end of this newsletter, I am including videos to walk you through what you can do at home. These are simple tools to help you start calming the area and notice how your body responds.

And as always, if your back pain is getting worse, traveling down your leg, causing numbness or weakness, affecting bladder or bowel control, or came after a major injury, please see a doctor.

But if your back pain shows up mostly with standing, leaning forward, or that “my back just gets tired and angry” feeling, your psoas and sacrum may be a good place to start.

Low Back Pain When Standing Video
https://youtu.be/NTxZC_zimms?si=eKHFVWMy9kTbbfMZ

Low Back Pain When Leaning Forward
https://youtu.be/G8-_tmgeVbI?si=Ks9oT4z9x8bbtIVl