Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when we are discussing good health. In an industrialised western culture, back pain is one of the most common complaints. Back pain and it’s origin is usually shaped by working and living situations of those affected, but also by personal behaviour and medical systems. The affected person adopts a different posture to relieve pain. A one-sided posture leads to immobility in the joints and muscles. Overloading the nerves and adopting a relieving posture leads to a reduction in the pain threshold and the pain is reinforced.
A closer look…
A healthy spine is a double S shape. It is made of lordosis at the neck and the lower back, and the kyphosis in the chest. In addition to these curvatures, the vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx are connected to a rigid bone plate. The spine is stabilised by a system of ligaments and intervertebral discs to protect it from overloading; on the other hand its movement is restricted particularly in terms of forward and backwards.
Around 70% of all back pain occurs in the lumbar (lower back) where the highest loads act on the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies. This can lead to small tears and even a slipped disc. The resulting pain is transmitted by the pain receptors along the spinal cord and to the brain.
In order to break out of this circle of pain, wear and tear, the best remedy against back pain is a strong muscle corset to support and stabilise the spine. The posture, stability and mobility of the spine are determined by the musculature of the torso (abdominals and back). If the muscles are well trained, the load on the muscles is lessened and the wear of the vertebral joints is less.
How EMS training can help?
EMS training activities take away the behaviour and negative reinforcements that causes poor posture and back pain. The body becomes better conditioned and regenerates and sleeping patterns normalise. High load intensities during EMS training cause pain reduction within a short period of time up to complete freedom from pain. Below are a few proven effects on back training of EMS in studies:
- 88% of participants significantly reduced their level of back pain
- After using EMS for 2 weeks the intensity of the pain fell by 60% and 87% after 6 weeks
- 40% of participants had chronic back pain before beginning training, after 6 weeks this was just 9%. In 44% of the chronic patients the pain had completely gone.
Many of our clients here at fu/nis EMS training have also experienced a reduction in back pain and improvement in overall posture. Contact us to see how EMS can work for you or check our current offer to experience EMS training today.
Source: “EMS Consulting and Training Manual: Worldwide Standard for the EMS Market, Jens Vatter, Sebastian Authenrieth and Stephan Muller, 2016”
