Let’s Talk About Sex!

There are three areas of conversation that we are told too avoid at all cost while in the treatment room; sex, politics and religion. These subjects are clearly based upon ones personal opinions and beliefs and are rarely needed to provide sound clinical outcomes in massage therapy.

Today, I am making an exception. New research has been revealed that can help thousands of patients who routinely suffer from low back pain during sex. Over my 20 plus years in the industry, I have seen many patients who complain of pain during sex. Not wanting to abstain from what is commonly considered to be a pleasurable experience, I am often asked what the best position is for avoiding the occurrence of back pain during sex. Until now, my answer has been the same as the majority of health care professionals, “spooning”.

“If you survey the primary care physicians around the world, they will tell you that they are absolutely lost when a couple comes to them and says that ‘sex causes back pain and in fact we are now abstinent or celibate because we’re knackered for two month afterwards’,” says McGill.

But alas, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Stuart McGill, one of the foremost authorities in low back pain and PhD candidate, Natalie Sidorkewicz at Waterloo University, they have conclude that spooning may in fact be one of the worst positions to avoid back pain during sex.

“Before now, spooning was often recommended by physicians as the one position that fit all. But as we’ve discovered, that is not the case,” said Natalie Sidorkewicz, a PhD candidate at Waterloo and lead author on the paper. “Sex positions that are suitable for one type of back pain aren’t appropriate for another kind of pain.”

sex back pain best positionMcGill and Sidorkewicz set out to build an evidenced based practical ‘atlas’ matching sexual positions and styles with potential back pain triggers. Ten healthy couples were recruited and filmed using motion capture and infra-red technology while they had sex. The researchers were in a separate room where they could hear, but not see, the participants. Electrodes were used to record muscle activity in certain parts of the body to get an idea of force.

In the end, the results of the study have provided health care professionals with a general ‘atlas’ of how to best limit the degree of back pain one may experience during sex by providing suggested positions based upon the specific movements that elicit back pain. The most significant of which was that more hinging that takes place at the hips and the less hinging of the spine, the better off their back is.

I encourage you to watch the video below to learn more about the results of the study. Regardless of whether or not you currently experience back pain during sex, this study will likely come in handy at some point in your present of future experiences considering that 85% of us will experience debilitating back pain at some point in our lives.

Until next month, Feel Better!

Link to full article:

https://uwaterloo.ca/news/news/back-pain-killing-your-sex-life-groundbreaking-study-reveals

Ready to #feelbetter?

You're just a click away from a wicked good massage!

Book Now!

Change the Angle of Your Stretch!

Change the Angle of Your Stretch! We have all heard time and again that stretching is a great way to reduce the risk of injury as well as aid in recovery from a work out. So why is it that we still get injuries and our bodies feel sluggish, even when we stretch? The broad…

Read More

6 Stretches to Reduce Back Pain

6 Stretches to Reduce Back Pain At some point or another, we all have experienced some form of back pain. As I have explained in some of my previous posts, the degree or level of pain that is experienced is subjective to the individual based solely on their own neuro-signature. Simply put, no two people…

Read More

Life Hack: Under Pressure

Life Hack: Under Pressure When we think of a “hack” to something, we typically envision some unique way of doing something better and more efficiently than normal. However, some hacks can simply be a means of saving money, not just time. Last winter, we added some new construction to our home of 15 years. The…

Read More

Just Keep Moving

Just Keep Moving If you are sitting at your desk right now reading this, you may be wondering how it’s already September and summer is (un)officially over. The kids are back in school. Students from all over the globe have reentered our neighborhoods and roadways. The traffic suddenly seems to be more packed. Alas, another…

Read More

Have A Dose

Have A Dose The readers of this newsletter are all patients of The Boston Bodyworker, so there is no reason to try and “sell” you on the benefits of massage therapy. However, often we hear our guests struggle over expressing why they get a massage on a regular basis. It is our responsibility to not…

Read More

Life Hack: Wall Angels

Life Hack: Wall Angels So, while your boss is away, and the office is emptying out earlier and earlier as we reach the apex of summer time in Boston, you’re still grinding away making the most of this opportunity to get ahead. But wait, what is that pain you’re starting to feel between your shoulder…

Read More

Actions Triumph Words

Actions Triumph Words Over the years, we have all found certain quotes or guidance to motivate, lift and energize our spirit and those of others. I have so many favorites, but there are three in particular that I have been repeating to myself, my kids and even the kids I coach, more than any others…

Read More

Preach; Calories In vs. Calories Out

Preach; Calories In vs. Calories Out Summer time is the time of year when we typically want to look our best. Let’s face it, despite the fact that we live in a world that is openly less critical of body types and encourages us to see each other for what we do and how we…

Read More

Life Hack: 4th of July!

Life Hack: 4th of July! With the fourth of July just around the corner, we though you might enjoy some Red-White & Blue Homestyle life hacks that are fun, crafty and some are even edible! Check out these life hacks from our friends at BuzzFeed. My personal favorite is #16. Send us your creation if…

Read More

Why Run When You Can Sprint?

Why Run When You Can Sprint? Time and again, I hear from so many that the reason why they don’t work out more is because they don’t have time. Well, what If I told you that you can achieve the same health benefits of a 30-minute run in less than 60 seconds? REALLY! As the…

Read More