Lower back
Thursday Oct 29, 2009
One of the most common things people
come to me for is tightness or pain in the low back area. It is
usually in the lumbar spine or the junction with the sacrum.
In majority of these cases, the muscles that go along the spine are very well built up, sometimes on both sides and sometimes more on one side. These muscles, called the erector spinae, are tonic muscles that keep us upright. Tonic means that they provide postural support. When they are chronically tight, they are working overtime.
One thing I often notice with such tight erector spinae muscles is that two or more of the lumbar vertebrae are not aligned. One can feel it by palpating the sides of the vertebrae and comparing their pliability and suppleness in the grooves along the spine. If the rotation of the misaligned vertebra is big enough, a person may feel symptoms in certain movements or positions. This creates caution and guarding in the area to protect the low back from pain. The chronic anticipation of a pain creates more tightness and eventually, the guarding prevents movement from traveling through the spine. It becomes more rigid because movement doesn’t dissipate evenly.
When I work with such issues, I differentiate the fascia and loosen the muscles of the low back area. I work with the soft tissue around the misaligned vertebrae so that they can return to their optimal place.
The biggest piece is what we do in our every day life. I suggest to my clients to start allowing the low back to be soft while sitting, standing or moving. When the discomfort arrives, it’s more helpful to change the sensations by relaxing into it as opposed to tightening against it. As the area starts moving again, things continue to articulate better and blood flow increases. This decreases inflammation and health can return to the area.
Eventually the area can stay relaxed without anticipating the pain. We may have to change how we stand or sit by reminding ourselves of alignment but that’s a small price to pay for having a pain-free back. The more body awareness we have throughout the regular days, the easier it becomes to do this unconsciously. Now, let your lower back be soft!
In majority of these cases, the muscles that go along the spine are very well built up, sometimes on both sides and sometimes more on one side. These muscles, called the erector spinae, are tonic muscles that keep us upright. Tonic means that they provide postural support. When they are chronically tight, they are working overtime.
One thing I often notice with such tight erector spinae muscles is that two or more of the lumbar vertebrae are not aligned. One can feel it by palpating the sides of the vertebrae and comparing their pliability and suppleness in the grooves along the spine. If the rotation of the misaligned vertebra is big enough, a person may feel symptoms in certain movements or positions. This creates caution and guarding in the area to protect the low back from pain. The chronic anticipation of a pain creates more tightness and eventually, the guarding prevents movement from traveling through the spine. It becomes more rigid because movement doesn’t dissipate evenly.
When I work with such issues, I differentiate the fascia and loosen the muscles of the low back area. I work with the soft tissue around the misaligned vertebrae so that they can return to their optimal place.
The biggest piece is what we do in our every day life. I suggest to my clients to start allowing the low back to be soft while sitting, standing or moving. When the discomfort arrives, it’s more helpful to change the sensations by relaxing into it as opposed to tightening against it. As the area starts moving again, things continue to articulate better and blood flow increases. This decreases inflammation and health can return to the area.
Eventually the area can stay relaxed without anticipating the pain. We may have to change how we stand or sit by reminding ourselves of alignment but that’s a small price to pay for having a pain-free back. The more body awareness we have throughout the regular days, the easier it becomes to do this unconsciously. Now, let your lower back be soft!