Do you suffer from lower back pain?
Do you stand or sit for long periods of time throughout the day? A common symptom I see clients exhibit is lower back and hip pain. Without variations of movement your body can experience postural problems which can affect the lumbar spine, sacral, hips and feet. Other problems that may occur are freezing or seizing of the hip joints, tense hamstring and in some cases tight quads.
Some of my clients come to me regarding lower back pain issues and a majority of those issues are a result of:
– Sitting or standing for long periods of time
– Poor posture
– Weak abdominal muscles
– Tension in the hips, glut’s, TFL, QL’ s and illioposas muscles in the lumbar
– Excessive weight
– Improper foot wear or support
Symptoms that may arise from tension in this area are
– Difficulty standing erect from a prolonged flexed (sitting or fetal) position
– Lumbar pain
– Hip joint pain
– Hip joint freezes when you try to stand
– Shooting pain and or numbness into the thigh, legs or feet
– Vertebral disc compression
A few muscle groups that can be affected are the QL’s (Quadratus Lumborum), Adductors and Abductors (muscles attached to the hips), TFL and the Posas muscles. Some of the pain in these muscles are usually caused from tension or lack of movement. The QL muscles for example are connected to the floating ribs, vertebra of the lumbar spine and the top of the iliac (pelvis) as depicted in the picture to the left. Tension in these muscle can affect the lumbar vertebra’s along the top of the pelvis and or mid back .
The Posas muscles depicted to the right connects from the lumbar vertebras to muscles in the pelvis and hip joints. Tension in these muscles can cause nerve impingement and imbalances in the pelvis and hip joints. Unchecked these imbalances can cause other muscular structures to lengthen or become tense further distorting the hips, for example – tight quads can cause a forward or anterior tilt in the pelvis creating an excessive curve in the spine known as lordosis. Tense hamstring muscles can cause the hips to tilt posteriorly or backward forcing the natural curve in the lower back to become straightened further compressing the vertebral discs.
There are some simple stretches that will help elongate the affected muscles releasing tension in the lower back and hips. I also recommend core exercises to stabilize these muscles for anyone who spends most of their day in a flexed (sitting) position. Provided below are a couple short videos with simple stretches to help release tension in your lower back and hips.
For people suffering with extensive lower back or hip issues another option is hydrotherapy stretches and exercises with modified stretching techniques to reduce stress on the lower lumbar and hip joints. Some of the stretches shown in the videos are not recommended to anyone with hip replacements. Please refer to a physical therapist or trainer who specializes in this area. For hydrotherapy lumbar stretches and exercises please click here.
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