The Stretch that Doesn't Work

Have you ever had back pain that was really sharp when you tried to stand up after sitting for a while? You bend over, rub your back, and it feels better for a minute - until you try to stand up again! You are rubbing in the wrong place.

As I mentioned in the last message, the main muscle that causes low back pain will enable you to bend at your hip (ie: taking a step &/or sitting down folds you where your trunk meets with your upper leg, at your hip). As that muscle gets tight, you can't stand up without pulling hard on your lumbar vertebre. When you lean over to release the pain, what you are actually doing is again bringing "point A closer to point B" and you are again shortening the muscle, just as it was when you were sitting down. Rubbing your low back doesn't help at all, it just feels good for the minute.

The only time rubbing your low back will help is when a muscle called "quadratus lumborum" is contracted. Also called the "QL," this muscle is responsible for lifting your hip when you take a step or sit down. If it goes into a spasm it holds your hip in the lifted position. But, in order for you to stand up straight, your hip needs to come down, so the muscle is pulling on the bone.

There are good pictures that explain this in The Pain-Free Triathlete but unfortunately I can't get those pictures into this blog. I only wish I could understands computers as clearly as I understand why muscles are causing pain....oh well, thank heaven for "techie's" :-)

Wishing you well,
Julie