Matt’s Story - Low Back Pain

Before Align

I was in a lot of pain before I came to Align. I couldn't run or hike anymore; I couldn't play much with my kids, and most of my life felt like it was put on hold. My only relief was lying down.

When the Pain Started

I’ve had on-and-off back issues for years. It started with a snowboarding accident as a teenager. I've tried all kinds of things over the years that have helped temporarily, but none of them seemed to address the underlying problem. My most recent relapse happened when I was climbing Mt. Shasta and pushed myself too hard. While it wasn't immediately debilitating, it started a two-month decline until the pain was so bad I could barely sleep at night.

I tried to find different solutions for my pain. I saw several different chiropractors, physical therapists, and more. I even followed the recommendations of social media influencers who specialize in back pain. Nothing seemed to help.

The Journey

When I first came to Align, I knew it was going to be a process. It took a few weeks to see much improvement, but it started happening. One of the biggest keys was learning how to calm my body down so I could sleep normally again and begin to recover.

It was really impressive how much the team at Align was able to tell me about what was going on in my body and how everything is connected. For example, how my big toes play a role in alignment all the way up to my back. They gave me more information and education than I had received from anyone else. They also gave me hope that I could recover from this and be better than before.

Life Now

Align has given me so much more hope for the future and opened up many possibilities for me to go on adventures, play with my kids, and take back my health. I've been able to get out hiking and splitboarding again. I'm also able to deadlift more than I ever could before without pain and injury.

Pass It On: What would you say to someone who is considering starting their Align journey? 

Stay diligent on the exercises and take ownership of your recovery. The more consistently you do them within the limits your coaches give you, the quicker you'll likely recover.

Coach Jamie’s Thoughts

When Matt first came to Align, I could tell how much it weighed on him that he wasn’t able to live without pain and be present for his kids. Still, he had a great perspective. He knew it would take some time to undo the compensating patterns on his body and that he had to trust the process. 

Matt is 6’5”. One thing I like to tell my clients is “With great height comes great responsibility.” Your bones are held together with muscles and connective tissue, and your muscle tissue has to help support you. If you are tall, your muscle tissue needs to be even stronger to support your longer frame through movement. Because of Matt’s height and desired activity level, he needed to build enough stability and strength in specific muscles. Before we could build his stability and strength, we had to restore mobility to his hamstrings and stability to his pelvis. 

He showed up, did his homework consistently, and got out of pain. We were able to build a solid foundation of strength and get him back to doing his favorite activities. Now he is able to enjoy time with his kids pain free!