Hey, do you have a lower back pain?
If your answer is a big NO, no need to read this this article anymore. go out and enjoy your day :)
Lower back pain is an increasing issue in our society dominated by poor posture, sedentary lifestyles, and chronic sitting patterns. do you think ever the reason of lower back pain?
The source of lower back pain can vary, but a great deal of these muscular dysfunctions emanate from the quadratus lumborum muscles. The normal working of QL can be restored from some basic, accessible stretches in Yoga. let's discuss about quadratus lumborum muscles in this article.
What is quadratus lumborum (QL)?
Most of us are quite familiar with the erector spinae muscles that travel from the hip crest/sacrum to various points up the vertebrae and ribs. These muscles function primarily as extensors of the back. The quadratus lumborum muscles are located deep to the erector spinae. The quadratus lumborum muscles sit on either side of the vertebrae. They originate on the iliac crest (hip bone) and insert on the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae and the 12th (last) rib.
One of the most important muscles stretched during a side-bend is the quadratus lumborum (QL). When it contracts, it pulls the bottom rib and the pelvis closer together. In standing, the left QL hikes the left pelvis and leg up away from the floor.
The QL can become short and stiff if you regularly spend long hours sitting in chairs, and it can become tight and painful, and even go into spasm, with lower-back and sacroiliac injuries.
Dysfunction and low back pain can settle into the quadratus lumborum under a few conditions:
- if the erector spinae are weak or inhibited (as they often are in chronic seated postures), the quadratus lumborum attempts to take up the slack and loading in back extension and spinal stabilization leading to overall muscle fatigue.
- if muscle imbalances build up across the pelvis (i.e. tight hip flexors), the lower vertebrae can shift into chronic excessive curvature (lordosis), which will shorten and weaken the quadratus lumborum and erector spinae.
- if poor posture and upper body muscle tension forms across the chest and shoulders, rounded-back posture (kyphosis) will pull the rib cage up and away from the hip crest. This places stress and drag on the quadratus lumborum and portions of the erector spinae.
- the deep gluteals (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) are responsible for hip abduction and pelvic stabilization in walking and other gait patterns. If these deep gluteal muscles are weak and inhibited, the quadratus lumborum and tensor fascia latae have to compensate to stabilize the pelvis.
- some physical experts have also found that tight hip adductor muscles (groin) can inhibit (through reciprocal inhibition) the gluteus medius muscles. As mentioned above, the quadratus lumborum muscle may compensate for the gluteus medius muscle’s lack of activity and pelvic stabilization.
Understanding that the dysfunction residing in the quadratus lumborum is often the result of dysfunction and tension imbalances coming from other muscles, here are some initial approaches to maintaining health of the quadratus lumborum:
- develop a strategy to maintain fluid balance in upper and lower body posture patterns to avoid chronic hip flexor tightness, back extensor tension, and loss of natural vertebral curvature and pelvic placement
- stretch the chest, front of the shoulders, hip flexors, groin, and lower back frequently
- strengthen back extensors and overall core stabilizers
- strengthen and stretch deep gluteals to unload unnecessary engage of the quadratus lumborum
- engage in proper therapeutic treatments when discomfort and pain develop
As i mentioned above, here are some basic, accessible stretches readily prescribed to restore and maintain flexibility in the quadratus lumborum muscles:1. Child’s Pose
2. Seated / Supported Side Bends 
3. Lying Bend Knee Twists
When aiming to stretch the quadratus lumborum muscles and other lower back musculature, avoid using forward bends like Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), Paschimottasana (Seated Two Leg Forward Bend) and other similar poses. Due to the nature of intervertebral disc compression in spinal flexion, these types of forward bends should actually involve engagement of the back extensors and transverse abdomen in order to extend the spine, shift the ‘flexion’ into the hips, unload the lower vertebrae and protect against disc compression. When you do Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) to the right, it is the strength of the left QL contracting to support the weight of your torso (pulling the left ribs and pelvis toward each other, minimizing side-bending to the right and keeping length in the right waist).
You can consult a Yoga teacher for any advice.
have a good health.
References: