Hi again everyone, and happy new year!
In part one we started to examine the critical areas involved in lower back pain, covering the first muscle on the list: the Psoas muscle (Hip Flexor). Today we'll cover the remaining 4 muscles:
Tensor Fascia Latte (TFL) or Hip rotator
Sacral-iliac joint (S.I. joint)
Hamstring
Lower back
The tensor fascia latte or TFL is commonly referred to as the hip rotator. If you were to straighten your leg out in from of you and move just your foot left and right you can feel the TFL flex ( located on the side of the hip). This is another very important muscle that contributes to a healthy lower back.
Recommend stretching: the TFL is sometimes a difficult muscle to stretch due to its positioning on the body. I tell many clients to use a foam roller over the area to loosen the muscle fibers. Now this can cause a great deal of discomfort. A modified version would be to use a tennis ball in your hand and gently roll it over the TFL a few times to achieve the same effect.
The sacral-iliac joint sits at the base of the spine and has an upside down triangle shape in appearance. (Note this isn’t a muscle like the others). The joint shifts very subtly and sometimes can cause a great deal of pain. The S.I. joint is surrounded by a dense cobweb like connective tissue that can get bunched together and restrict movement in the joint.
Recommend stretching: just like the TFL a foam roller can be used over the sacrum. However if it’s too intense a modified version would be to use a tennis ball or something similar to roll over the area.
The hamstrings are a powerhouse for the lower trunk of the body. It’s a series of 3 muscles that when are tight can dictate a great deal of pain and discomfort.
Recommend stretching: there are many variations to stretching your hamstrings, a common one is to (from a standing position) bend forward at the waist extending the hands down to the feet and holding for a minimum of 15 to 20 seconds and breathing deep during the hold. A modified version would be to to lie on your back and taking a strap or belt and wrapping it around your heel, lifting the leg up to a 90 degree and with both hands gently pull the leg back towards you holding and breathing. Note: because this is such a powerful muscle group, the longer the hold the more effective the stretch will be.
The lower back consists mostly of a muscle called the Quadratus Lumborum. It runs parallel to the spine in the lumbar region. This is one of the main supporters of keeping the spine erect.
Recommend stretching: standing tall with your arms above your head lower the right arm down to your side and bending at the waist laterally (sideways) as you continue to bend laterally take the left arm and reach as far as you comfortably can for 5 to 7 seconds and switch sides. A much more gentle approach would be to lie on your back and bring both knees up to your chest and hug your legs. Then with a gentle rocking motion rock from side to side.
Doing these simple stretches 3 times a week or nightly for more severe cases can improve your overall back health exponentially.
As always, if you have any questions please reach out to the Prana team - we're here to help you!
Mark
