Is Lastics helpful for those with tightness in lower back/SIJ problems?

[Laura S.]

Originally Posted by Keepfitgirl

My lower back has been feeling really tight and knotted for the last month. I do have a recurring SIJ problem, though it's actually OK at the moment. I was just wondering if this DVD (or any others you can suggest) might ease up the tightness I'm feeling.

Thanks,

Emma

I had some lower back issues recently and I used Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips with Gary Kraftsow. It is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it is so very effective. He has done some work with NIH (the National Institutes of Health) and uses the moves that work for that area. I just did the lower back segment. There is also one for the hips.

[sundari]

Originally Posted by Laura S.

I had some lower back issues recently and I used Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips with Gary Kraftsow. It is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it is so very effective. He has done some work with NIH (the National Institutes of Health) and uses the moves that work for that area. I just did the lower back segment. There is also one for the hips.

Gary's DVD while not exciting is a must have for me. It has always helped me to feel better. I also like that it is chaptered and the segments are short.

[KarenH]

I have this DVD and didn't realize all the forward flexion in it. I have a bulging disc in my lower back and I have to watch the forward flexing as that is what causes a bulging disc. You spend alot of time in forward flexion and hardly any in extension and so I had to stop doing it as my lower back started to hurt. Now I am on to Foundation Training by Eric Goodman and that has really helped my lower back. No forward flexion and that has greatly helped my back.

[lucia]

Originally Posted by kitty12

In case anyone was interested, my comments (much shorter here) pointed out the instructions aren't always the best (as some others have commented) and there is no title menu. I mentioned these were only minor issues. I mentioned that she uses mostly active stretching as opposed to passive stretches. But then I mentioned that there are 25 minutes of back of the body stretches, mostly forward bends, and no backbends to balance them out. I ended up skipping her last few forward bends and doing back bends instead. I felt she did a great job of also hitting shoulders, hips, even wrists and hands but for me missing backbends was a large miss. The only front body stretches she included was a short odd backbend in the opening sequence (arch your upper back and stick your butt out) and a quad stretch. The workout seemed unbalanced to me. I should have copied the review here before I deleted it!!

I would have liked to seen the review, kitty12! It is good to read honest reviews. Can you (or anyone else) share what Donna's response was? I am trying to learn more about back pain and therapy.

Originally Posted by Laura S.

I had some lower back issues recently and I used Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips with Gary Kraftsow. It is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it is so very effective.

I agree...it is VERY gentle so I think if you are in pain, you can still do it. You may indeed be bored, however ...small price to pay, though.

Originally Posted by KarenH

I have this DVD and didn't realize all the forward flexion in it. I have a bulging disc in my lower back and I have to watch the forward flexing as that is what causes a bulging disc. You spend alot of time in forward flexion and hardly any in extension and so I had to stop doing it as my lower back started to hurt. Now I am on to Foundation Training by Eric Goodman and that has really helped my lower back. No forward flexion and that has greatly helped my back.

Can you tell us more about Foundation Training? I see the book on Amazon, but the dvd only on the website. Do you have the dvd? Anyone else ?

[KarenH]

If you go to youtube and type in Dr. Mercola and Dr. Eric Goodman, you will see his interview with Dr. Mercola on his Foundation exercises and why they are different and also just the segment on Mercola and Eric performing some of the exercises. He explains that we are always hunching forward-at the computer, sitting, texting, that is causing us to round forward and his exercises helps to get the curve back to your spine. You can also see some of the videos that Eric has on youtube that I used before he came out with the DVD. He says that he is writing another book and more DVDs will be coming out in the future.

[Lucky Star]

Originally Posted by lucia

I would have liked to see the review, kitty12! It is good to read honest reviews. Can you (or anyone else) share what Donna's response was? I am trying to learn more about back pain and therapy.

The review and comments appear to have been removed.

[Lucky Star]

Originally Posted by KarenH

Now I am on to Foundation Training by Eric Goodman and that has really helped my lower back. No forward flexion and that has greatly helped my back.

This looks very interesting! Thanks for sharing this info.

[kitty12]

Lucia - Donna mostly just pointed out that she had seen dancers injure themselves with backbends. I didn't really "get" the argument myself. Thinking about Karen's comments and sitting at your PC all day, I actually thought of that briefly while I was doing Lastics since it is so many forward bends. For me, I am just as tight across my hip flexors and really need that release there. I'll have to check out the Foundation exercises.

[kitty12]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I have this DVD and didn't realize all the forward flexion in it. I have a bulging disc in my lower back and I have to watch the forward flexing as that is what causes a bulging disc. You spend alot of time in forward flexion and hardly any in extension and so I had to stop doing it as my lower back started to hurt. Now I am on to Foundation Training by Eric Goodman and that has really helped my lower back. No forward flexion and that has greatly helped my back.

Yes, exactly Karen. That was my thoughts too. There was only one small backbend and then one quad stretch and that was it. She mentioned before I deleted my Amazon review that this was by design. For me, it just didn't make sense. I don't have any major back problems, but I also didn't really enjoy all the forward bends. I really need a release when I do them.

[lucia]

Thanks, KarenH and kitty12!