Causes of Body Stress

 The jarring effects of accidents and falls may cause body stress to be stored in the lower back. Also, heavy or incorrect lifting or bending may strain ligaments and muscles, and compress the inter-vertebral discs. Incorrect, repetitive exercises involving twisting movements or repeated forward bending, may stress the spine. Another cause is poor posture, especially sitting in a slumped position.

Sitting like this may give temporary relief from the back pain, as it causes the joint spaces to open up at the back and reduces pressure on the spinal nerves. However, this builds up compression of the discs and over time the back walls of the discs may weaken and start to bulge (herniated or prolapsed disc).

 Effects of Body Stress

Body stress in the lower back irritates the spinal nerves and may result in back pain, at times referred along the nerve pathways into the abdomen, groin, hips, legs or feet. Numbness may also be experienced in any of these areas, as well as stiffness and muscle weakness. The compression in the lower back may become so severe that muscles lock up in a protective spasm, pulling the spine forwards or sideways.

While body stress remains stored in the lower back, the pressure on the nerves may disturb the normal functioning of the areas and organs that they supply. Thus body stress may lead to digestive problems, such as constipation or diarrhea, bladder complaints, sexual dysfunction etc. A very common complaint is severe menstrual cramps (dysmenorrheal) and pain which often cease when the lower-back compression is released.

Case study

A female client who is in her late thirties, a dancing teacher who is very active and regards herself as perfectly fit. Her back sent her a powerful message one morning: as she was waxing her legs, she bent to remove the wax strip and her back locked up. She remained doubled over, in intense pain. Her husband had to transport her to his BSR practitioner with her propped up between her two children on the back of his pick-up truck. As she could not lie down, the releases were carried out with her standing, bent over. Within a few minutes she was able to straighten up. Her lower back was extremely painful for a few days, as feeling flooded into areas that may have been compressed for years, but the pain disappeared after three sessions. Now if she feels an ache in her shoulder blade, she recognizes it as a sign that tension is building up in hr lower spine, and she goes for a BSR maintenance check.