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Support a Healthy Back

by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Published 01/13/10

Eighty percent of all Americans suffer with occasional or chronic back discomfort and stiffness at some point in their lives. I can sympathize, because I'm one of them. Whether it's caused by a hard day's work or a bad night's sleep, it can be pure misery.

The reason back problems are so common is a matter of mechanics. In four-legged animals, body weight is distributed horizontally over the spine. From strictly an engineering point of view, this is vastly superior to the upright human spine, which has a single cantilevered support at the hips. The spinal column is configured so the total weight of the body rests on two small joints, the sacroiliac joints, at the juncture of the hipbones (ilia) and sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine, just above the coccyx or tailbone).

As you can imagine, being erect places a great deal of stress on this area. A strong, healthy back is essential for day-to-day activities and maintaining quality of life. The exercise I'm about to share with you is a step towards this goal.

Keep Your Back in Shape with This Simple Maneuver

The Thompson Maneuver, named for orthopedist Alec Thompson, MD, simply brings the sacroiliac joints into their proper position. The key is to do it correctly-and do it often. Before beginning, identify on your own body the area this maneuver targets. Put your hands on your waist with your thumbs towards the front. Move your fingers down until you feel your tailbone. Now, walk a few steps and notice the motion there-these are your sacroiliac joints. (If you feel a clicking in one of the joints it's probably out of place.)

How to Do the Thompson Maneuver

Sitting up straight with shoulders back on the edge of a chair or bed, or lying on a flat surface, bend one leg at the knee and grab onto the ankle with the opposite hand (fingers on the front of the ankle, thumb circling and resting under the ankle). Hold the arm straight down to get the proper angle.

 Place the other hand on the bent knee with the thumb on the inside, the little finger on the outside and the three middle fingers on top of the knee. Let the bent knee drop naturally to the outside.

Elevate the elbow of the arm holding the knee to the level of the shoulder, so the shoulder and elbow are level. Moving the elbow straight back, pull the knee gently but firmly as far back as it will comfortably go. The lower leg and forearm should be in a more or less straight line. The sacroiliac joint is now in its proper place.

Hold this position for 10 seconds, then release and repeat the procedure with the opposite leg.

It's impossible to pull too far back-you cannot displace the hip by pulling back. If it's already in position, this is still a helpful exercise for increasing circulation and toning the area. If you've placed any type of stress on your back repeat this maneuver every hour, or as frequently as possible, for three to four minutes for the first four or five days. Continue to do it at least three times daily as a preventive measure to keep your back healthy.

Do's & Don'ts for a Healthy Back

Do walk briskly 30 to 45 minutes most days of the week to strengthen stretched-out sacroiliac ligaments and reduce them to their normal size and position so they will keep the joints in place.

Do ice the area. Ice reduces inflammation and relaxes muscles.

Don't rely on bed rest-the ligaments will further slacken from disuse.

Don't bring your knees to your chest, perform sit-ups, or bend over from the waist with your knees straight. All of these will displace the sacroiliac joint.

Don't use heat treatments after an injury to the back. Heat expands the ligaments, contributing to further instability.