I was talking to a physical therapist the other day about her own troubles with low back pain. While we agree, as do most, that the human body is a greatt feat of engineering, we both concluded that there are areas that could use some re-engineering, a 2.0 if you will. Unfortunately, evolution takes quite a bit of time, though it does seem to be working.
Our main focus would be the low back, specifically the quadratus lumborum and the piriformis or maybe a complete overhaul of the hip. You see low back pain is more related to the muscles of the hip than it is to the low back itself. Why? The muscles of the low back in a general sense, have issues because they are compensating for the lack of work that the hip and core muscles do on their own. The body is neverendingly trying to remain in balance. In order to stay upright, whether in a seated or standing position the muscles have to work well together.
Often, when people complain of low back issues and say things like, “Ireally need to strengthen my low back, do you have any recommendations?” My response is usually,”Really, what you need to strengthen is your CORE.” Instead of thinking of the body as segmented at the crest of the pelvis, really there’s about 6-8 inches more that should be thought of. Imagine the split just above the navel, instead of at the waist. THis then takes into account all of those core muscles and how they interact with the hip and low back in a much better way.
The pain information received from the low back is more from the strain of carrying all of the load, and therefore past the point where it needs to grow, what it needs really is for the other muscles that should be helping to start activating more and helping with some of the work. It’s like a tandem bike with one weak rider and one strong rider, eventually the stronger will fatigue and need rest, while if both riders are nearly equal in stamina and the amount of effort they put into the pedals, then the ride will last much longer and both will fatigue at a similar time. This is what the body wants, in essence, homeostasis, a balance between everything.
Instead of blaming the area that hurts, think of the other areas and how they could be helping. If you lived with 6 people and felt like you were the only one doing the dishes, would you do more dishes?
How massage helps… The goal of massage for the low back is to loosen the over-worked muscles and allow them to recover from the strain they have been under. Typically, a good massage therapist will work the low back as well as the hips and glutes. Strengthening of the core muscles is highly recommended and a personal trainer or physical therapist can make recommendations on this. There are also vids on YouTube like this one
The Best Pilates Core Workout Video it’s only six minutes, and really great info, all you need is a floor. Pilates is great for core work.
