Functional movement patterns play an essential role in the performing of daily activities and how we perform these allows us to gauge how susceptible we may be to developing chronic pain.

These are day to day activities that are repeated regularly over the course of the day, over and over!

Correct functional movement patterns also play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and pain free movement, and living.

This comprehensive guide delves into how mastering specific functional movements can dramatically reduce, and eliminate chronic lower back pain, and prevent the occurrence of further injury.

Faulty functional movement patterns will also compound onto other joints, which is why we often see lower back pain sufferers with either knee, hip or shoulder pain, or a combination, that develops later down the track.

Heres a Detailed Breakdown of Essential Movements

Squat, Hinge, and Lunge Patterns:

  • Split Squat: Ideal for activities like tying your shoelaces, this movement enhances stability and reduces strain by evenly distributing your weight
  • Wide Squat: Perfect for picking up small objects from the ground, it helps maintain balance and minimises stress on the lower back
  • Hinge Movement: Used in exercises like the deadlift, this fundamental movement pattern is crucial for lifting larger objects safely, engaging the glutes and hamstrings to protect the lower back

Push, Pull, and Twist Patterns:

Building on the foundations of squat, hinge, and lunge, the push, pull, and twist movements are integral to daily function, strength and performance.

  • Push Pattern: Common in actions like opening doors, these movements strengthen the chest, shoulders, and triceps Enhancing these muscles alleviates lower back pressure by supporting proper posture and load distribution
  • Pull Pattern: Actions such as closing doors or pulling objects toward the body engage the upper back, biceps, and forearms. Developing these areas ensures better spinal stability and helps prevent lower back strain during lifting tasks
  • Twist or Rotation Pattern: This involves rotating the torso, such as when reaching for an item, activating the core, obliques, and hips.

Strengthening these muscles not only improves spinal mobility but also reduces stress on the lower back during rotational movements.

Implementing a Tailored Rehab Exercise Routine

Incorporating and correcting these functional movement patterns into a tailored rehab exercise routine is vital for those suffering from lower back pain, or other types of joint pain within the body.

It’s crucial to start with a light resistance, incorporating the use of Microbands, and progressively moving to more challenging exercises whilst increasing the resistance level on the Microband.

Always ensuring movements are controlled and pain free.

This approach helps to:

  • Regain function and mobility
  • Strengthen stabilising muscles
  • Improve posture
  • Enhance overall health and activity levels
  • Strengthen stabilising muscles
  • Regain quality of life and independence
  • Reduce pain, and prevent future occurrence of injuries

The Role of a Rehab Exercise Specialist

For individuals experiencing lower back pain or joint pain, seeking support from an experienced rehab exercise specialist is invaluable.

This specialist will provide a tailored exercise program specific to your unique body as a result of a comprehensive physical assessment, using digital posture screening.

In addition to guidance, ensuring that each movement pattern is executed correctly to avoid exacerbating pain and to promote effective healing and retraining of the physical body.

Utilising a rehab exercise specialist will also ensure accountability and consistency to the work, and that these patterns become habitual.

“A lack of accountability is the single biggest reason why people fail to rehabilitate their pain and injuries”.

Dan Henderson – Holistic Rehabilitation Founder and Head Exercise Specialist.

Successful holistic rehabilitation is now offered online, given these specialist should educate you, and provide all the self healing tools you need to take control of your pain and health for the long term.

In Summary…

Understanding and practicing these functional movement patterns, until they are second nature can transform your approach to daily activities and sports, turning sub-conscious actions that are performed quickly as a result of our fast based lives…

Into therapeutic exercises that strengthen your body, improve mobility, stability and more importantly reduce, and eliminate pain for the long term!

If you’re struggling with lower back pain, don’t settle for temporary fixes.

Invest in a holistic approach to rehabilitation that empowers you to lead a healthier, more active life.

The life that you came here to live!

This article is designed not just to provide valuable information, but to inspire action towards a more informed and healthier way of living, free from the constraints of lower back and joint pain.