Muscles of the Day: Back Pain Killers!
There are 3 main muscles that can contribute to back pain. It is important to know about these so that you can take care in your everyday life to make sure you do not exacerbate any dysfunction. Something else to take into account is that you may not be able to do things in your everyday life differently, so you may need to add new things to your daily regimen in order to help with pain or discomfort.
Psoas, Quadratus Lumborum, and Transversus Abdominis
These are 3 muscles that can be locked short in most any daily activity. The main thing to know is what action they perform and how much strength they require to perform daily functions.
Psoas is a hip flexor. If you look at its shape above you will notice that it attaches to the spine and that it inserts into to inside of the femur (leg bone). When it contracts, it pulls the leg forward in space. However, it also is a muscle which assists in bending over. When femur is stable and psoas contracts you will find that the pelvis will tilt forward and you will be bent over in a flat back position. If you sit for long periods, if you are a runner, or if you are in the garden for extended hours then your psoas might need some stretching and perhaps some massage work. You have heard of runners stretch? Thats the way to do it.
Quadratus lumborum (QL) is a muscle of the spine, but it also attaches to the pevis and the bottom ribs. When both sides of the muscle contract, the spine moves backward in space. But QL is not the primary working muscle for this action. Therefore, you may need to strengthen QL if your lower spine is aching. Laying on your stomach and arching can help with this. Since you are contracting the muscle intentionally, you will find that stretching it will be easier as well. You will activate your awareness in this area when you are working it out. A lot of times, this is exactly what your body needs. A little strength training and then a little stretching.
Last on the list is transversus abdominis. This is a deep muscle which actually wraps around from the front of the body and attaches at the back. This muscle is the main muscle responsible in pulling the belly button toward the spine. Now this one can be injured and you might never know because the pain might be in your back. Definitely strengthen this muscle. Pull that belly button to spine during any contraction you make. Your back is a strong area, but injuring it may make it delicate.
