I recently saw a 70-year-old man with acute lower back pain. The symptoms arose after chopping wood, which he believed was the result of a ‘wrong’ movement. However, he does this weekly, so why did it suddenly cause back problems now?
In my experience, complaints rarely arise without an underlying cause. In this case, too, there had to be an explanation.
During the physical examination, I noticed significant tension at the level of the diaphragm—the respiratory muscle that has strong connections with, among others, the vascular structures, the lumbar vertebrae, and the psoas musculature.
He told me that at the age of 16, he had suffered a breathtaking blow in a moped accident. But I was also curious if he had experienced anything ‘breathtaking’ recently. After a moment’s thought, he admitted that a week ago he had narrowly escaped a frightening situation. An English driver, traveling on the wrong side of the road, drove straight toward him—but fortunately saw him just in time.
Is it a coincidence that the back pain occurred precisely now, shortly after this frightening experience, while chopping wood? I think not.
In this case, the solution lies at the level of the diaphragm. Using a gentle ‘balanced membranous tension’ technique, we balance the tension in this area, optimally supporting the body’s self-healing capacity.
To be honest, without treatment, the acute back pain would likely recover on its own. However, I am convinced that this approach is essential to prevent the recurrence of (back) complaints in the future.
