Low back pain affects virtually everybody at one point through out our life time. Research has suggested that most acute (<3 months) low back pain resolves itself, but returns intermittently with out cause. The root source….the almighty gluteus maximus. The glute is responsible for and foundation for maintaining an erect posture, something familiar to our bipedal culture. However, back pain has become more prominent with our increased sedentary and obese nature. The origination and insertion of the gluteals were designed for postural power, but instead we rely on our bony structures resulting in pain and dormant gluteals. There are two prominent reasons for dormant gluteals, sedentary lifestyle and inadequate training methods. In fact, more often poor exercise habits and techniques lead to deficient gluteal activation than sedentary movement. Our body has been Created to accept a tolerable amount of compensation, but eventually it will fail resulting substantial sacroiliac joint pain and spinal stress reactions. An article was just recently published by the Bleacher Report citing the inability of Tiger Woods to active his glutes causing back pain resulting in the dropping out of the recent PGA tournament. Tiger Woods has been a documented disciplinary in both exercise training and diet, however, he is unable to voluntarily active his gluteals when required to compete on the PGA. Try to blink your right eye…now left eye. Easy? Try to raise your right arm…left arm. Easy? Now try to activate your right glute (without hamstring activation) and left. Not so easy. Most likely, your gluteals are dormant, inactive or perhaps dead while your hamstrings are constantly activating working overtime. I will argue the root cause of our back pain is the lack of voluntary control and activation of the most powerful stabilizer known to mankind. The solution. Simply, look to how we developed the ability to voluntarily activate it in the beginning. Segmental rolling. Segmental rolling holds the power to unlock the postural potential locked inside the gluteals. It is a switch or reset to thrust your body back to cohesive movement and postural stabilization. Begin your day or next exercise session by turning back the clock and become a 3 month old, rolling your way to efficient “gluteus” harmony and restoring your pain free ability to move.
