Fig. 01 · Blog

Back Again Blog

Practical, science-informed back pain tips, new resources, and occasional product updates. No spam.

Table 1 · 38 issues

  1. Oct 9, 2026Piriformis or a Disc? Why It Matters Less Than You ThinkBy Mitch Whittal, PhDPiriformis syndrome or sciatica? The answer might be less important than you think.Read issue ->
  2. Oct 2, 2026Your MRI Says Bulging Disc. Should You Worry?By Mitch Whittal, PhDSo, you got your MRI back, and you see that you have a disc bulge. What now? This week the post trending on the back pain subreddit was about MRI findings in people with no back pain. That caught my eye because spinal…Read issue ->
  3. Sep 25, 2026Is It Bad to Crack Your Own Back?By Mitch Whittal, PhDLast week we talked about posture. This week, we’ll talk about something that many people swear by for relief: cracking their back. At this point I'm sure you've all seen the crazy viral videos of chiropractors bending…Read issue ->
  4. Sep 18, 2026Is Bad Posture Really Causing Your Back Pain?By Mitch Whittal, PhDLast week we talked about weak glutes and the week before that it was tight hip flexors. This week we're going to move away from the hips and talk about something that everyone’s heard of: posture.Read issue ->
  5. Sep 11, 2026Are Weak Glutes Really Causing Your Back Pain?By Mitch Whittal, PhDLest week we talked about hip flexors and back pain. This week we’re staying around the hips but moving to the back of the pelvis. Videos with millions of views say your glutes are "asleep" and your lower back has been…Read issue ->
  6. Sep 4, 2026Do Tight Hip Flexors Cause Back Pain?By Mitch Whittal, PhDThere's a whole genre of videos right now telling you that one tight muscle is the reason your back hurts. They say releasing tension in the psoas muscle will make your back pain go away. I regularly see posts pointing…Read issue ->
  7. Aug 28, 2026Do SI Joint "Release" Exercises Actually Work?By Mitch Whittal, PhDVideos with millions of views on how to self-release your SI joint, or safely pop it back into place are everywhere right now. There is real utility to relief exercises and I recommend some for other aspects of back…Read issue ->
  8. Aug 21, 2026Do Dead Hangs Actually Decompress Your Spine?By Mitch Whittal, PhDHanging from a bar is having a moment. Some claim that it can decompress your spine and undo whatever the day did to it.Read issue ->
  9. Aug 14, 2026Ice or Heat for Low Back Pain?By Mitch Whittal, PhDMost people’s instinct is to reach for ice when something is sore. I get it. It's already in the freezer and you feel it doing something within about a minute. Find out below why it's usually the wrong first move.Read issue ->
  10. Aug 6, 2026The Best Core Exercises for Lower Back PainBy Mitch Whittal, PhDEvery core routine for back pain seems to start with crunches or sit-ups. The instinct isn't wrong. Your back hurts and you hear that a strong core is important for supporting the spine. The problem is two-fold:…Read issue ->
  11. Jul 30, 2026Does the Reverse Plank Undo a Day of Sitting?By Mitch Whittal, PhDI’m seeing a lot of hype about how the reverse plank is the antidote to sitting. The exercise is great, genuinely, but it isn’t the cure that it’s being marketed as. Find out why below!Read issue ->
  12. Jul 23, 2026Back Pain During Pregnancy: What Actually Helps and What to SkipBy Mitch Whittal, PhDMy daughter is now 9 months old. Crazy to think that she’s now been out in the world with us for as long as my wife was pregnant with her. That brings us to today’s topic: pregnancy back pain. If your low back hurt…Read issue ->
  13. Jul 16, 2026Does Stretching Help Sciatica?By Mitch Whittal, PhDHere's the thing with sciatica: somehow the sciatic nerve (or its nerve roots) has managed to become irritated. Let's say that you have a bulging disc and the compressed nerve root is generating radiating pain down your…Read issue ->
  14. Jul 9, 2026Back spasms are the symptom, not the causeBy Mitch Whittal, PhDHere’s what to do when your back is spasming: Stop the movement that set it off (for now). Get into a position that takes the load off your spine, usually lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Let the…Read issue ->
  15. Jul 2, 2026Fear of Movement and Chronic Back Pain: How Kinesiophobia Stalls RecoveryBy Mitch Whittal, PhDI get it. Back pain can be scary. I remember mornings from the final year of my undergrad where I would wake up in pain and carefully roll out of bed. I was afraid of making my back pain worse. I started avoiding…Read issue ->
  16. Jun 25, 2026The best sleeping positions for back painBy Mitch Whittal, PhDIf you’re wondering whether the position you sleep in impacts your back pain, here’s the short answer - yes. But first, here are a couple of terms to get out of the way before we start:Read issue ->
  17. Jun 18, 2026Breathing Exercises for Chronic Back PainBy Mitch Whittal, PhDLast week we talked about whether lifting weights is necessary to heal back pain. This week, something a little different.Read issue ->
  18. Jun 11, 2026Does Lifting Heavy Actually Help Your Back? What 13 Trials Say About LoadBy Mitch Whittal, PhDYou don’t need to lift weights to improve your back pain, but you can if you want to.Read issue ->
  19. Jun 4, 2026Do You Need Surgery for Sciatica? What a 2026 Systematic Review FoundBy Mitch Whittal, PhDIf you or someone you know has sciatica and you’re wondering, is surgery the right choice? The answer may surprise you. Discectomy is still considered the gold standard when surgery is chosen. There are many varieties…Read issue ->
  20. May 29, 2026Do Herniated Discs Heal on Their Own?By Mitch Whittal, PhDThe scan that scared you may describe the kind of herniation most likely to fade on its own. Here's the evidence.Read issue ->
  21. May 21, 2026Back Pain From Sitting: Why the Standing Desk Alone Does Not Fix ItBy Mitch Whittal, PhDThe sitting-and-back-pain link is real, but the standing desk fix has a research problem most desk workers never hear about.Read issue ->
  22. May 15, 2026Why Your Back Is Stiff in the Morning (and When It Is Normal)By Mitch Whittal, PhDYour back is stiff in the morning because your spinal discs spent the night out drinking. While you slept, each disc absorbed fluid from surrounding tissues and swelled by 10-20% in height. That swelling makes the disc…Read issue ->
  23. May 7, 2026Your Diagnosis Doesn't Matter By Mitch Whittal, PhDYou finally got your MRI and the results are back. You waited months for it (thanks Canadian healthcare system) and now have a report in your hands with a report full of terms like "L4/5 disc bulge", or “lumbar facet…Read issue ->
  24. May 1, 2026Sciatica and Nerve-Related Pain: What to Avoid and What HelpsBy Mitch Whittal, PhDSciatica is irritation of the sciatic nerve. What to stop doing, what calms it short-term, and what builds long-term recovery.Read issue ->
  25. Apr 24, 2026Lifestyle Foundations for Back Pain (Part 2): Activity, Weight, and SmokingBy Mitch Whittal, PhDThree physical habits shape how your back feels. Part 2 of the lifestyle series covers activity, bodyweight, and smoking, plus a surprising truth about carbs.Read issue ->
  26. Apr 17, 2026Lifestyle Foundations for Back Pain (Part 1): Sleep and StressBy Mitch Whittal, PhDYour lifestyle shapes your back. Part 1 of a two-part series on the daily habits that matter most. Read issue ->
  27. Apr 10, 2026Your Mindset Matters More Than You ThinkBy Mitch Whittal, PhDYour mind and body share the same nervous system. This week: how beliefs, fear, and catastrophizing affect back pain.Read issue ->
  28. Apr 3, 2026Ergonomics That Actually Matter for Your BackBy Mitch Whittal, PhDYour chair isn't the whole story. This week: practical ergonomic tips for desk workers, people on their feet all day, and a quick sidebar on your neck.Ergonomics That Actually Matter for Your BackRead issue ->
  29. Mar 27, 2026Movement Skills and Tips That Make Back Pain More ManageableBy Mitch Whittal, PhDA practical set of movement skills and daily-life tips to help reduce unnecessary strain on your back. Movement Skills and Tips That Make Back Pain More ManageableRead issue ->
  30. Mar 20, 2026What to Do When Your Back Pain Flares UpBy Mitch Whittal, PhDA flare-up doesn't mean you've done damage. This week: a practical framework for responding to increased pain.Read issue ->
  31. Mar 13, 2026Walking & Unloading: The Most Underrated Tools for Back PainBy Mitch Whittal, PhDWalking is so important it gets its own post. This week we cover the biomechanical case for walking, how to actually do it when your back is flaring, and two simple decompression techniques to keep you moving.Read issue ->
  32. Mar 6, 2026The Spinal Stability SystemBy Mitch Whittal, PhDStability of the spinal system is imperative to its function and crucial to protect the spine from injury.Read issue ->
  33. Feb 27, 2026How Injuries Happen & Tissue Mechanics, Part 2By Mitch Whittal, PhDThis week, we’ll direct a more specific focus toward how the spine itself is loaded and cover a few injury types that you’ve likely heard of. Read issue ->
  34. Feb 20, 2026How Injuries Happen & Tissue Mechanics, Part 1By Mitch Whittal, PhDOur tissues are viscoelastic. Engineers and biomechanists like to describe these properties with “springs and dashpots”. I prefer simpler explanations. Read issue ->
  35. Feb 13, 2026The Anatomy of Back Pain By Mitch Whittal, PhDThe human spine is composed of vertebra-disc-vertebra segments for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions…Read issue ->
  36. Feb 6, 2026The Healthcare of Back Pain: Challenges and ProblemsBy Mitch Whittal, PhDImagine you’ve been dealing with debilitating back pain for a few weeks. You finally give in to the nagging from your family/partner/friend telling you that you should see a doctor.Read issue ->
  37. Jan 30, 2026Introduction to Back PainBy Mitch Whittal, PhDSince this is the first official issue of the Back Again newsletter, I figure we should begin with the basics. Revolutionary, I know. I think it’s worth zooming out to examine the scope of the problem.Read issue ->
  38. Jan 23, 2026Welcome to Back Again AssessmentsBy Mitch Whittal, PhDWelcome! My name is Dr. Mitch Whittal, and I founded Back Again Assessments. I’m sure you’re probably wondering… who is this guy, and what can he do for me? Dig in to find out.Welcome to Back Again AssessmentsRead issue ->

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