Podcast #44: Back Pain with Will Morris DPT

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Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe

There is no such thing as "a pain-free life."

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Doc Holliday: There's no normal life, Wyatt, it's just life. Get on with it.

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Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe

D'Agostino.

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Thanks. I started a private conversation with Nick on the subject of PT school.

I'm given to understand you don't care for the profession.
Example: Starting Strength with Mark Rippetoe - Q&A 3 - YouTube

I'm interested in whether you - as a mentor to these coaches - tend to encourage or dissuade an SSC going into the field of PT.
I.e., do you encourage in order to saturate the field with smart people who know what they're talking about? Or do you dissuade in order to prevent them from learning silly bullshit like isolating muscles and how to administer an FMS? Or do you not provide any input on the matter at all?

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Originally Posted by ErwinM

You don't seem to have good sitting posture on quite a few of your podcasts.
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The correlation between sitting posture and back pain isn't particularly robust. From what I've seen Rip's lumbar is held the normal anatomical position when sitting anyway

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Originally Posted by ErwinM

McKenzie recommends some simple stretches to quickly relieve acute back pain and maintaining a good posture throughout the day to prevent back pain. You don't seem to have good sitting posture on quite a few of your podcasts.

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When in "good posture" the back muscles are contracted in order to straighten the spine.

When in "bad posture" the back muscles are relaxed and the spine is no longer straight.

When stretching the back, the muscles are relaxed and the spine is no longer straight.

How can "bad posture" be considered wrong, but stretching be considered correct when they are both performing the same function?

I think the answer is that bad posture and stretching are both not the answer to a healthy back; rather, that strength training will naturally strengthen and tighten the muscles that supports the spine into a good posture.

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Originally Posted by Chris Lippke

Thanks. I started a private conversation with Nick on the subject of PT school.

I'm given to understand you don't care for the profession.
Example: Starting Strength with Mark Rippetoe - Q&A 3 - YouTube

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Oh, it's much worse than that: Is Physical Therapy Fraud? | Mark Rippetoe

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I'm interested in whether you - as a mentor to these coaches - tend to encourage or dissuade an SSC going into the field of PT.
I.e., do you encourage in order to saturate the field with smart people who know what they're talking about? Or do you dissuade in order to prevent them from learning silly bullshit like isolating muscles and how to administer an FMS? Or do you not provide any input on the matter at all?

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I hope that as many qualified people with the ability to think for themselves enter the Physical Therapy profession as possible. It desperately needs to be rescued from its current academic paradigm.

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Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe

I hope that as many qualified people with the ability to think for themselves enter the Physical Therapy profession as possible. It desperately needs to be rescued from its current academic paradigm.

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Far out. Thanks Rip.

Also, this exchange took place today. Timely and sad.

Attachment 5477

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Originally Posted by JohnW

The correlation between sitting posture and back pain isn't particularly robust. From what I've seen Rip's lumbar is held the normal anatomical position when sitting anyway

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I didn’t look up the research. My back feels better after keeping a good sitting posture in and out of the office; that’s enough proof for me.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

When in "good posture" the back muscles are contracted in order to straighten the spine.
When in "bad posture" the back muscles are relaxed and the spine is no longer straight.
When stretching the back, the muscles are relaxed and the spine is no longer straight.
How can "bad posture" be considered wrong, but stretching be considered correct when they are both performing the same function?
I think the answer is that bad posture and stretching are both not the answer to a healthy back; rather, that strength training will naturally strengthen and tighten the muscles that supports the spine into a good posture.

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Mckenzie explains the reason for good posture in his book. In summary, bad posture will flatten the lower back (loss of lordosis), which leads to back pain.

A day after surfing and doing hill sprints, my back hurt enough that I couldn’t surf a second day in a row (most likely due to bad posture that evening or while sleeping). I found the McKenzie book online, got a free download, did the recommended exercises and my back felt fine in 2 days. My previous bout of back pain took a week of swimming and hot tubs to relieve the pain. I’ve since stopped the hill sprints after starting on the SS program.

If despite the squats and deadlifts, you experience back pain, try the Mckenzie exercises for 2 minutes.

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Originally Posted by ErwinM

I didn’t look up the research. My back feels better after keeping a good sitting posture in and out of the office; that’s enough proof for me.

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That's enough proof for any thinking man, Erwin.

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Originally Posted by ErwinM

I didn’t look up the research. My back feels better after keeping a good sitting posture in and out of the office; that’s enough proof for me.


Mckenzie explains the reason for good posture in his book. In summary, bad posture will flatten the lower back (loss of lordosis), which leads to back pain.

A day after surfing and doing hill sprints, my back hurt enough that I couldn’t surf a second day in a row (most likely due to bad posture that evening or while sleeping). I found the McKenzie book online, got a free download, did the recommended exercises and my back felt fine in 2 days. My previous bout of back pain took a week of swimming and hot tubs to relieve the pain. I’ve since stopped the hill sprints after starting on the SS program.

If despite the squats and deadlifts, you experience back pain, try the Mckenzie exercises for 2 minutes.

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I wouldn't know anything about McKenzie. I surely wouldn't know that postural pain is but one of a number of possible pain generators identified using the McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment method. Surely, the contractile, dysfunction, and derangement disorders are purely a figment of my imagination. I most certainly didn't use some McKenzie principles when delivering my lecture at the SSCAC meeting last year.

great series, will!

and topped off with a podcast - it just doesn't get better!

after a back injury, would accompanying back spasms generally decrease/cease as the injury heals? so that cessation of spasms would indicate that recovery is complete?

and by extension, if spasms continue, even though the back feels fine, is healing still taking place?