Denise Mackinnon, RMT
Registered Massage Therapist
Registered Massage Therapist
Helping you achieve health and wellness through massage therapy, self help and other good for you tips and ideas.
Low Back Pain
Low Back Pain – Not Always a Disc to Blame!
Just a few muscular causes of low back pain
There are many causes of low back pain, so I will start by reminding you to see your doctor if you are experiencing sudden, severe or unusual pain the low back area (or anywhere for that matter). This article is focusing on one possible cause – muscular.
There are many reasons for the muscle around the low back to become unwell, leading to pain in and around them. Just a few examples are overuse, repetitive strain, guarding other injured tissues, sports injuries, and muscle imbalances. The most common problematic muscles producing low back pain are the gluteus medius, multifidi and iliopsoas muscles. These names might mean nothing to you right now, but you will have a better understanding of them soon!
Gluteus Medius
The gluteus medius muscle is located in your hip, running from the iliac crest down to the top of your femur (the upper leg bone). If you put your hands in your rear pockets you are pretty much over the gluteus medius muscle.
Gluteus medius helps to abduct your thigh (lift your leg laterally out to the side), and it also helps stabilize your pelvis when you are standing on one leg.
If you have trigger points in this muscle, pain is often felt in the low back area, along the iliac crest and sacrum, and in your gluteals. Pain is often felt with walking, lying on the problematic side, or on your back, and when slouching in a chair.
Here are a couple of tips to help alleviate gluteus medius trigger point pain:
* don’t cross your legs
* avoid sitting for long periods without moving
* sleep on the unaffected side with a pillow between your legs
* do not sit on a wallet.
* self massage the area by leaning into a tennis ball (either against the wall, or while lying on back or side) and gently roll over tight muscle fibres.
Iliopsoas
The iliopsoas, or hip flexor muscle, is a tricky one, as it is mostly hidden in the front of your pelvis. It runs from the sides of the lumbar vertebrae, along the inside of the iliac crest, and attaches in the inner thigh. It is actually two muscles, but for the purposes of this article we will discuss them as a single muscle.
The hip flexor muscle, for obvious reasons, helps to flex your hip (bring your knee up toward your nose), it is also used during a sit up, and it helps you stand upright!
Trigger points from iliopsoas can cause pain in the mid to low back (the pain kind of runs down your back – or up, depending on your perspective!), upper gluteal area, and front of the thigh and groin. Pain is often worse when standing, and lessened with lying down with support under your knees (slightly flexes the hips to take a bit of tension off the iliopsoas).
If you suffer from this type of pain, It is a good idea to avoid sitting for long periods, especially if your hips are flexed more than 90º, be cautious when embarking on a new abdominal workout, and try to reposition yourself if you tend to sleep in fetal position with your hips flexed tightly.
Multifidi
The multifidi muscles are part of the group know as the paraspinal muscles. These muscles run along your spine, as the name implies, and they refer pain along the spine as well.
The multifidi muscles help the other paraspinals to rotate and extend your spine, and are used when lifting objects, bending, stooping, and twisting. (They can therefore be injured doing these movements!)
Pain from trigger points in the multifidi is often described as a deep constant ache in the spine, no matter what position you are in.
Movements to avoid if you suspect multifidi problems include side bending, rotating and extending the spine. You should also avoid sitting for prolonged periods, and use care when lifting objects: hold the object as close to you as possible, and lift with your legs, keeping a straight back.
Did you notice the common theme with all three of the muscles just discussed? They are all exacerbated by prolonged sitting! A great reason to go for a lunchtime walk!
Massage therapy is very effective in releasing trigger points in these muscles, and I can also show you ways to treat them yourselves! Speaking of home care, warm buddies hot packs are perfect for warming up your muscles at home any time you need to ease those nasty trigger points! Check them out HERE!
Just a few muscular causes of low back pain
There are many causes of low back pain, so I will start by reminding you to see your doctor if you are experiencing sudden, severe or unusual pain the low back area (or anywhere for that matter). This article is focusing on one possible cause – muscular.There are many reasons for the muscle around the low back to become unwell, leading to pain in and around them. Just a few examples are overuse, repetitive strain, guarding other injured tissues, sports injuries, and muscle imbalances. The most common problematic muscles producing low back pain are the gluteus medius, multifidi and iliopsoas muscles. These names might mean nothing to you right now, but you will have a better understanding of them soon!
Gluteus Medius
The gluteus medius muscle is located in your hip, running from the iliac crest down to the top of your femur (the upper leg bone). If you put your hands in your rear pockets you are pretty much over the gluteus medius muscle.
Gluteus medius helps to abduct your thigh (lift your leg laterally out to the side), and it also helps stabilize your pelvis when you are standing on one leg.
If you have trigger points in this muscle, pain is often felt in the low back area, along the iliac crest and sacrum, and in your gluteals. Pain is often felt with walking, lying on the problematic side, or on your back, and when slouching in a chair.
Here are a couple of tips to help alleviate gluteus medius trigger point pain:
* don’t cross your legs
* avoid sitting for long periods without moving
* sleep on the unaffected side with a pillow between your legs
* do not sit on a wallet.
* self massage the area by leaning into a tennis ball (either against the wall, or while lying on back or side) and gently roll over tight muscle fibres.
Iliopsoas
The iliopsoas, or hip flexor muscle, is a tricky one, as it is mostly hidden in the front of your pelvis. It runs from the sides of the lumbar vertebrae, along the inside of the iliac crest, and attaches in the inner thigh. It is actually two muscles, but for the purposes of this article we will discuss them as a single muscle.
The hip flexor muscle, for obvious reasons, helps to flex your hip (bring your knee up toward your nose), it is also used during a sit up, and it helps you stand upright!
Trigger points from iliopsoas can cause pain in the mid to low back (the pain kind of runs down your back – or up, depending on your perspective!), upper gluteal area, and front of the thigh and groin. Pain is often worse when standing, and lessened with lying down with support under your knees (slightly flexes the hips to take a bit of tension off the iliopsoas).
If you suffer from this type of pain, It is a good idea to avoid sitting for long periods, especially if your hips are flexed more than 90º, be cautious when embarking on a new abdominal workout, and try to reposition yourself if you tend to sleep in fetal position with your hips flexed tightly.
Multifidi
The multifidi muscles are part of the group know as the paraspinal muscles. These muscles run along your spine, as the name implies, and they refer pain along the spine as well.
The multifidi muscles help the other paraspinals to rotate and extend your spine, and are used when lifting objects, bending, stooping, and twisting. (They can therefore be injured doing these movements!)
Pain from trigger points in the multifidi is often described as a deep constant ache in the spine, no matter what position you are in.
Movements to avoid if you suspect multifidi problems include side bending, rotating and extending the spine. You should also avoid sitting for prolonged periods, and use care when lifting objects: hold the object as close to you as possible, and lift with your legs, keeping a straight back.
Did you notice the common theme with all three of the muscles just discussed? They are all exacerbated by prolonged sitting! A great reason to go for a lunchtime walk!
Massage therapy is very effective in releasing trigger points in these muscles, and I can also show you ways to treat them yourselves! Speaking of home care, warm buddies hot packs are perfect for warming up your muscles at home any time you need to ease those nasty trigger points! Check them out HERE!
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Denise Mackinnon, RMT * 2174 Wren Place * Nanaimo, B.C. * V9R 6Y8
Phone: (250) 741-1033
Email: denise@denisemackinnon.com
Phone: (250) 741-1033
Email: denise@denisemackinnon.com