7 Core Principles of healing pain and injury with Joyful Movement

1.      Joyful Movement focuses on micro-movements and dynamic movements rather than just static stretching and strengthening.

2.       The specific order of exercises is very important to recover from injury and prevent future injuries.

3.      Taking short breaks and rests during movement sequences is integral to healing back pain and other injuries

4.      Moderation at all times. Too much intense movement without the correct focus creates stress and tension in the body, typically the neck, shoulders and back.

5.      Move mindfully — Learn and understand how to engage the deep core muscles and other muscles rather than just checking out .

6.      Standing and sitting is hard work! Finding a good posture and strengthening the muscles used for standing and sitting is key.

7.      Continual, daily practice is essential. A daily home program will keep you injury free.

The Joyful Movement Program for healing back pain focuses mostly on micro-movements and dynamic movements, rather than static stretches and strengthening. If we have an injury, we have to first solve that critical problem, and the most effective way to do that is with micro-movements and dynamic movements. Believe it or not, when injured, static stretching and strengthening can actually keep you in pain, or create new pain patterns. Check out our “Wake up Warm Up” on YouTube to get started, and also review our extensive library of online videos to hear more about this practice of healing back and spinal injuries at www.joyfulmovement.com.

Taking breaks in between movements, and following a specific order of movement, is key to injury recovery. Staying in neutral planes of movement and skipping extreme stretching and strengthening is a key component to success. If we over-do, we actually create MORE tension in the body, rather than less.

After some tension release and micro-movements, we want to understand where our deep core muscles are located, and how to access them, not only for strength, but also pain reduction. Most people sit and stand for a large part of their day – this is hard work! We need to understand how we can support our bodies in these positions most effectively, without putting strain on the back.

Unfortunately all of this takes time and focus, and is a continual practice, not just something you can jump in and out of. But with time and focus and the right program, you can see progress and you can heal your back pain.