Taking the Blame For Low Back Pain Everyday!

I'm going to finish up my series of commonly abused muscles today with this big one. As a massage therapist i get people on a daily basis who come and see me looking for relief from their low back pain. They want me to punish their low back because it hurts, and maybe if i'm mean enough and use enough pressure the pain wont come back, i'm here to say that almost never works! Especially long term!

So, today i'm going to talk about a big player in low back pain, it's called the Quadratus lumborum or affectionately, the QL.

The QL is a muscle of the low back that is located on either side of your spine. It's the muscle between your lowest rib and your hip bones or illiac crest and It attaches to lumbar vertebrae 1-4 in between.
The QL is a very important muscle in creating stability for your lower spine. It helps extend the spine as well as assists in lateral flexion or bending to the side. When the ribcage is fixed the QL also hikes the hip.

The QL gets blamed and abused all the time. Sometimes it is the problem, but not without a reason. A common problem i see is when the erector spinae muscles aren't working correctly. The erector spinae muscles are largely spine stabilizers, if they aren't pulling their share of the weight, the QL has to start working overtime to keep you upright.

Another very common problem is when the glutes decide to take a nap. With no stability in the hips, the QL will be forced to do the job that the much bigger and stronger glute muscles should be doing!

I love the QL muscles, especially when they are working correctly. Sometimes abusing these muscles isn't the answer for helping your body move the best way it can. Get assessed and find out whats going on before poking and stretching. :)