Why Does My Back Hurt?
Uncovering the Source, Informing Playing
I am going to be totally transparent here. My back has hurt every morning when I wake up for over 2 years. Why?! Why?! Why?!
I have had massages, I have taken oodles of movement classes, I have mapped, and I practice integrative movement every damn day. So why do I have this? Oh yeah, I should add that I even changed my mattress.
The good thing is that after I do my daily movement practice it goes away completely every day.
Pain is annoying, it is scary (what have I done to myself?), it is tiring, it is discouraging among other things. Sometimes I wonder if this is an injury I just have to live with. (Maybe I shouldn’t have taken so many trapeze classes? or I shouldn’t be doing Parkour?)
As you can imagine from my posts over the last few months, none of these ideas satisfies me, and I am absolutely not going to stop taking Parkour or Trapeze unless there is a physical injury
So I have pondered this pain over and over and over. It shows up on the left side of my body. Then I remembered, I always hold the dog leash in my left hand, and when I hold the dog leash the natural arm movements of my legs arm that are part of gait completely stop! Yes, they stop! I walk my dog virtually every day for anywhere from 1 - 3 miles. This is a lot of time and distance.
Hmmm?? If the muscles in the upper left quadrant of my torso are stopped when i walk him what does that mean for breathing? Spine movement? Leg movement? Foot mobility? Does my arm resume its natural movement when I don’t have the dog leash in hand?
You guessed it, the holding in my left arm inhibits the whole left side of my body to some degree. I realized that I always tear a hole in the toe of my left sneaker. Do you think the block in my left arm has something to do with this? I DO!
I tell you this story because, sometimes, let me correct that, oftentimes we need to take a snapshot of all that we do to find a resolution to pain and discomfort. As musicians (and humans) movement is at the very foundation of all that we do. Looking holistically at how we move through the entire day allows daily activities to inform our artistry and visa versa.
The way you sit to eat impacts how you sit to play.
The way you position your head to look at your phone or your laptop informs the way your head relates to your body as you play.
The way you breathe when you are under pressure informs how you breathe on stage or in an audition.
Taking snapshots of daily activities provides a clearer picture of your habits and informs how you can undo the ones that don’t serve your music-making, your art, your writing. Recalibrating movement so that all facets of your life serve your passion and purpose is a game-changer. Your technique, sound, and poise will all benefit!
Be curious…
How to take snapshots…
Pause a notice where your body is in space.
Tune into the quality of movement you use. Does it feel awkward or fluid?
What do you look like in a selfie or picture? Anything look awkward or uncomfortable?
Take a short video of yourself doing something and watch.
P.S. Once I discovered the source of my pain, I made adjustments to how I walk the dog. Switching hands on the leash, having someone else hold the leash, and guess what?! The pain is dissipating, and all of my movement is even better!