When experiencing back pain or shooting pain from the spine to the legs, arms, neck, and head, you can help and alleviate these problems through proper and healthy walking. By walking correctly and stabilizing the back muscles, you can even prevent spine surgery. Unfortunately, our medical field still holds an outdated view on degenerative spinal conditions, most commonly known as “slipped disc.” Initially, pain is suppressed through medication, and then rehabilitation is prescribed to the patient, which causes pain in the acute stage. Often, the pain itself subsides initially, but over time, the back relapses due to the underlying cause not being addressed. This gradually leads to neurological disorders and eventually, surgery for the “slipped disc.”
Back pain arises from spinal muscle instability, specifically from weak internal back muscles that cannot be strengthened through weightlifting. The lost ability for intervertebral disc regeneration leads to degeneration and rupture. The back muscles shorten, resulting in insufficient blood flow and limited spine mobility. The intervertebral discs and joint surfaces wear down further and further.
For proper back muscle function, it is necessary to understand the fundamental posture while walking. In this basic, correct, and healthy posture, many details are important, such as the position of the feet, knees, pelvis, abdomen, shoulders, and head. This includes the movement of the arms from the shoulders, as well as working with the muscles under and between the shoulder blades, etc.
To practice and automate the correct and healthy posture, poles are necessary, which “pull” us upwards and encourage an upright forward movement. We have directly approached Dr. Richard Smíšek, the inventor, founder, and promoter of the Spiral Stabilization®, a set of exercises routine for keeping healthy back, for cooperation in the field for correct walking. The doctor is renowned worldwide, and his method is taught and reimbursed by insurance companies as a rehabilitation technique not only in Europe but also in distant Asia. Besides being an expert in the musculoskeletal system, he is also very friendly, and we are looking forward to our collaboration. Until recently, he claimed that Nordic Walking is rarely taught correctly. After getting to know us, having personal meetings, and watching our demonstrations and videos of Nordic Walking, he decided to collaborate with us. He even included a video with Nordic Walking featuring the Vice President of our USA Modern Nordic Walking Academy, on his instructional CD “Healthy Walking,” released at the beginning of 2017.
In conclusion:
Nordic Walking and the Spiral Stabilization® are ideal exercises for eliminating the causes of back pain, and with regular walking in the correct technique, they can even completely alleviate the problem. However, we would like to emphasize that both Nordic Walking and the Spiral Stabilization® need to be learned correctly under the supervision of qualified instructors.