A lot of people out there are using the massage ball as a release. They utilize the ball between yoga or training sessions to free up some tissue and provide some relief so that they can keep going. But what if I told you that you could have more sustainable change and not have to use the massage tool at all?

When people come to see me, two things are often present: pain and compensation. So often people are pushing themselves forcefully to try to make progress, not getting it and wondering why. When looking at improving range, we need to do so with ease, not force.

A lot of the time when you Google the motion of walking up stairs or an incline and then down again, a lot of the conversation is around the Hamstrings, Glutes, Quads, and Calves. Muscles that cause flection and extension are going to be the top of mind, because that’s the primary movement that’s being done. But most of the clients that come to see me are doing that work and still not getting out of pain.

Paying close attention to what’s going on in the body when they are experiencing back pain can help you guide your clients very effectively in supporting themselves in their recovery. And there are four key factors that I focus on when I help clients reduce and eradicate said pain.