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PODCAST

Back In Shape Podcast

This podcast is dedicated to providing you with the help you need to fix your lower back pain and sciatica. From specific diagnoses, myths and injuries to the low back, to strategies to recover, we"re here to help get your Back In Shape. This podcast is an extension of the Back In Shape Program, an online back rehabilitation program that helps members from all over the world. Created by the founders of The Mayfair Clinic, a specialist back and neck pain clinic in central London and winner of the

health & fitness

All Episodes

01:02:04

Dead Bug vs Bird Dog: Which Is Better for Back Pain?

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2026/01/09

In this live Q&A session, we dive deep into the practicalities of recovering from a herniated disc and managing chronic sciatica. A major theme of this discussion is the critical difference between simply "doing exercises" and following a structured rehabilitation strategy. We explore why random strengthening efforts often fail and how to properly sequence movements—starting with foundational stability work like the dead bug and progressing to loaded functional movements like the squat

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01:07:17

Why Sciatica Persists & The Problem With Passive...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2026/01/07

One of the most common mistakes we see in lower back injury recovery is the tendency to chase symptoms rather than addressing the underlying injury. When you focus entirely on relieving the immediate pain—whether that is sciatica down the leg or a sharp catch in the lumbar spine—you often end up relying on passive modalities that offer temporary relief but no long-term solution. True recovery requires shifting your mindset from "fixing the pain" to "healing the tissue." This

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01:13:25

Is Flattening Your Back During Core Exercises Dangerous?

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2026/01/05

There is a pervasive myth in the fitness and rehabilitation world that you must flatten your lower back—often called a "posterior pelvic tilt"—to engage your core properly during exercises like the dead bug. While this might make the exercise feel easier or safer in a Pilates class setting, it creates a significant problem for those recovering from a herniated disc or sciatica. Your lumbar spine is designed to have a natural curve (lordosis). By forcibly flattening this curve, you are

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00:58:37

Herniated Disc & Sciatica Rehabilitation: How to...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2026/01/02

In this session, we deep-dive into the reality of recovering from a herniated disc and the associated sciatica that often drives people to seek help. Many individuals struggle for years because they focus entirely on managing symptoms rather than rehabilitating the actual injury. Whether you have been diagnosed with a disc protrusion, extrusion, or a minor disc bulge, the fundamental requirement remains the same: you must move beyond temporary relief and begin a structured programme designed to

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01:17:47

Why Your Back Feels Tight (And Why Stretching Isn't...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/30

One of the most common complaints during recovery from a herniated disc or chronic sciatica is a persistent feeling of tightness in the lumbar spine. It is natural to assume that this tension requires stretching, but in the context of an injury, this tightness is often a protective mechanism deployed by your nervous system to splint an unstable area. In this session, we explore why simply stretching this tension away can be counterproductive and how building stability is the true long-term

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01:08:06

Lower Back X-Ray Analysis: Retrolisthesis & The Flaws...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/24

In this Christmas Eve edition of the Back In Shape Podcast, we dive into a live clinical review of a subscriber's case to demonstrate why a physical examination alone is often insufficient for diagnosing chronic back pain. We discuss why standard orthopaedic tests (reflexes, strength, dermatomes) are designed to provoke pain rather than identify the underlying structural cause, often leading to vague diagnoses like "mechanical back pain" that offer no solution.We then move to the X-ray

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01:07:25

Is Your Back Actually Tight? Measuring True Lumbar...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/22

Many sciatica and back pain sufferers feel a constant urge to "stretch out" a tight lower back. However, using clinical tools like a dual inclinometer reveals a critical misunderstanding of spinal mechanics. When you perform a toe touch or a forward bend, the vast majority of that movement comes from your hips, not your lumbar spine. The lumbar spine has a finite range of flexion at specific segments. Attempting to push past this biological limit does not help muscles; it strains the

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01:13:20

Is the Roman Chair Safe for Herniated Discs?

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/19

The Roman Chair (or 45-degree back extension) is one of the most effective tools for strengthening the posterior chain, yet it is often performed incorrectly by those recovering from a herniated disc or sciatica. In this session, we break down the two most common errors: rounding the spine (flexion) and instability at the top of the movement. We explain why your goal during rehab is to cultivate "torso stiffness" rather than flexibility, ensuring the load remains on the glutes and

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01:05:18

Are Your Back Pain Exercises Making You Worse? (And...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/17

One of the most common frustrations in recovery is the belief that rehabilitation exercises are causing more pain. In this session, we dissect the difference between genuine exercise-induced aggravation and the natural daily fluctuation of symptoms. Often, pain worsens towards the evening due to the cumulative load of the day, leading patients to falsely blame their afternoon workout. We explain how to conduct a "fair evaluation" of your daily pattern to determine if your technique is

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01:30:25

IDD Therapy Strategy, Creatine for Recovery &...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/16

In this session, we address a critical strategic error many patients make when undergoing spinal decompression treatments like IDD therapy. It is common for clinics to advise pausing rehabilitation exercises during the initial weeks of treatment. However, we argue that building spinal stability and strength should happen concurrently—or even beforehand—to protect the spine during the travel to and from the clinic. We discuss how to strategically schedule decompression sessions, ideally placing them

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01:21:01

Kettlebell Swings for Back Pain: Rehab Tool or Risk?

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/15

The kettlebell swing is often praised as a powerhouse exercise for posterior chain development, but for those rehabilitating a lower back injury, it can be a double-edged sword. While it is fundamentally a hip hinge, the introduction of velocity and the need to rapidly decelerate a heavy load places immense demand on the lumbar spine1111. For someone recovering from sciatica or a herniated disc, attempting this dynamic movement before mastering a slow, controlled hip hinge with significant load

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01:13:50

Why You Don’t Need a Back Extension Machine for Recovery

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/12/01

In the world of back rehabilitation, the Roman Chair (or back extension machine) is often hailed as a must-have piece of equipment. However, for those recovering from L4/L5 or L5/S1 disc herniations and sciatica, this machine can often introduce unnecessary complexity, cost, and risk compared to the humble hip hinge. In this session, we break down exactly why the standing hip hinge is often superior for building spinal stability and posterior chain strength without the hassle of setup or the

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01:20:22

Healing Sciatica vs Healing The Disc: Why You Keep...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/28

Does your sciatica seem to vanish for a few days, giving you hope that you are finally "fixed," only to return with a vengeance the moment you try to resume your normal life? This cycle of relief followed by relapse is incredibly common and deeply frustrating. In this session, we explain the critical difference between symptom relief (the absence of pain) and structural healing (the repair of the tissue). Understanding this distinction is the key to breaking the cycle of recurring back

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01:18:29

Why Your Herniated Disc Is Spreading

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/26

Title: Why Your Herniated Disc Pain Feels Like It’s Spreading — Live Q&A In this live Back In Shape session, Mike explains why an L4/5 or L5/S1 herniated disc can start as “just” lower back or buttock pain and then seem to spread into hamstrings, tendons and other joints over time. He walks through how inactivity, deconditioning and disc thinning work together to make you more vulnerable, why most people simply don’t have much strength “in the bank” to lose, and how this leads to that familiar

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01:25:55

Protect Your Back With A Tight Core: Sciatica...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/24

Today’s livestream starts with a deep dive into what “engaging your core” really means when you’re rehabbing an L4/L5 or L5/S1 injury. Mike contrasts a lazy, bicycle-style dead bug with the properly braced version, shows how to use diaphragmatic breathing to brace without moving the spine, and explains why filming yourself from the side is essential to spot the tummy rising and then creeping back up as soon as the legs move. He stresses progressively tightening the brace as the legs travel further

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00:50:39

Why Stretching Is Making Sciatica Worse?

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/22

This live session dives into a common problem for people with sciatica and lower back pain: why hamstring stretching can sometimes make everything feel worse. Mike explains how long-standing nerve irritation at L5/S1 and L4/5 can drive powerful hamstring tightness, how that tightness forces the lower back to round during everyday movements and stretches, and why the real issue is often weakness and loss of control rather than the stretch itself. You’ll learn how to keep hamstring work

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01:04:38

Your Stiff Low Back Does NOT Need More Stretching!

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/14

Today we explain why a stiff, painful lower back doesn’t need more stretching (knee-hugs, Child’s Pose, cat-cow). Most disc problems bulge backwards, so repeated forward-bending keeps stressing the very tissues that need protection. We show what to do instead: learn neutral-spine control, practise real-life patterns (squat = stand up, hinge = pick up), and then build capacity. We also cover why imaging can be useful (for the clinician and planning), how years of sitting flatten your lumbar curve,

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01:05:07

Return To Lifting After Sciatica: Using Hip Hinges To...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/13

Today we show exactly how to get back to lifting safely when you’ve got sciatica or a lumbar disc issue—using the hip hinge to relearn hip motion while keeping the lumbar spine still. You’ll see how to set up with a chair, use hands-down-thighs to limit moment arms, test only aggravation-free ranges, and then progress loads without changing depth. We cover dumbbell → barbell transitions (why ~30 kg is a sensible swap point), why daily life already loads your spine, how to handle DOMS vs “tightness”,

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01:15:21

Herniated Disc Morning Stiffness: Actions For Relief

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/12

Why are herniated disc/sciatica symptoms so rough first thing in the morning—and what should you actually do? Today we explain the real reason (overnight congestion, not “bad sleep”), why knee-hugs/Child’s Pose and big twisting backfire, and the exact get-out-of-bed & first-15-minutes routine: roll to the side, sit, feet under → brace → stand, then potter about while the stiffness drains. We demo quick core engagement (“belly pop”), smart use of contrast bathing & towel/bed decompression,

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01:11:27

Return To Lifting After Sciatica: Using Hip Hinges To...

Back In Shape Podcast ·

2025/11/11

Today we show exactly how to get back to lifting safely when you’ve got sciatica or a lumbar disc issue—using the hip hinge to relearn hip motion while keeping the lumbar spine still. You’ll see how to set up with a chair, use hands-down-thighs to limit moment arms, test only aggravation-free ranges, and then progress loads without changing depth. We cover dumbbell → barbell transitions (why ~30 kg is a sensible swap point), why daily life already loads your spine, how to handle DOMS vs “tightness”,

en

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