Stuart McGill Pt.1
Hi Guys! Aarvi here!
This is Part 1 of 3 Segment of my recent professional development course run by Stuart McGill.
These blog posts will be about my course that I attended over January 30th to February 2nd 2020. Highly recommend this course to any person that looks at or wants to know about back pain. https://www.backfitpro.com/ is where you can find more information!
So before I dig deeper into part 1, who or what is the McGill theory?.
Dr. Stuart McGill is a 30-year Professor Emeritus of University of Waterloo.
His laboratory and experimental research clinic studied issues related to all things back pain.
His advice is often sought by governments, corporations, legal experts, medical groups and elite athletes and professional sporting teams from around the world. Examples of these athletes include Brian Carroll (Powerlifting champ) and Georges St-Pierre (MMA legend).
His work has also produced over 240 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers, several textbooks, and many International awards.
Let me just say if you have back pain he is the person you want to see!
Most of his clients are people who have seen multiple practitioners and surgeons/doctors all around the world before they see Stuart and his team – the complicated cases that no one wants to touch!
During the education seminar he was supported by Dr Ed Cambridge who is an excellent Allied Health Professional with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree prior to his years working side-by-side seeing patients with Professor McGill in the University research clinic.
He has worked with Dr. McGill for the past 8 years.
Dr, McGill was also supported by Mr Joel Proskewitz who is an internationally acclaimed Strength Coach/Health and Fitness expert.
So that gives you a bit of a snapshot of who led this amazing course and accompanied by one of the best professionals in their field.
This Blog will go over the Foundation: For the Pain-Free Back!
The biggest take home message from this was to get a pain free back is to keep a neutral spine as best as possible.
As every little movement matters and everyday how much you do that movement can add up especially if it is an incorrect pattern that loads up your back incorrectly.
Imagine the bending movement. How many times would you do that in a day without thinking about it – picking up something from ground, taking gym plates off the floor, tying shoelaces, picking up a child or pet. Imagine how many times you do that in a day and times that by 365. That is a lot from just one movement pattern and if done incorrectly how much strain that can put on your lower back!
So I will give you the basic movement pattern that is advanced into everyday life, because with most transfers and movements you will have to know how to keep your spine straight whilst bending or sitting down etc .
Hip Hinge
This is the bread and butter! If you can do this well with a straight spine, all other movement patterns will replicate or take information out of this. It is pretty much the cricketer position who is in the outfield hands on knees
Here are the steps – it may vary person to person so always good to have a professional make sure it is being done correctly –
- Get feet into a comfortable stance and usually shoulder width can be adequate and encourage to really engage the whole foot by crunching your toes in keeping pressure on heels and gently spreading the floor.
- Always whenever doing any movement engage the front of the core bracing so pushing stomach out (intensity will depend on activity)
- Slide hands down like cricketer really focusing on driving back with hips so pushing your bottom back and looking straight ahead. Do not let your shoulders or neck roll forwards either.
- Once hands reach just above knees, grab the knees and squeeze hard then gently push knees out to the side. This is your bottom position
- To get back up drive the hips through by just using your bottom and squeezing it forward and pushing hips through
A quick tip – if you are unable to keep your back straight a dowel can be used with 3 points always touching through the whole movement. This will give you great feedback on what is not in line and where it is falling apart
- Back of head
- 2. Middle of back
3. Bottom (glutes)
So there you have it.
Something to practice with and I can shoot a short video explaining this in further detail so you can grasp the simple elements.
Have a good day and as always….
#MakingHealthySimple
– Aarvi