If you sit for long hours, then really you need to be stretching and twisting during your day.
Image: Essential Anatomy
These muscles are called your quadratus lumborum (QL) and are often involved in lower back pain.
This muscle helps you twist and bend, it also hikes up your hip. If you feel like one leg is longer than the other, then it is likely your QL is involved.
If you’ve been sitting for long periods of time and your spinal erectors are no longer doing the support work, your QL will often take on the role of supporting your spine, becoming rigid and inflexible.
Bending and twisting will become difficult, simple things like bending over to tie your shoe lace will bring discomfort and you may feel pain or spasms in your lower back.
Your hip may also end up stuck in a hiked position causing your hips and glutes to ache, maybe even your shoulder too.
If you hip is hiked, you could end up with a wonky pelvis which throws your whole body out of alignment.
How Can you get your QL Muscles functioning properly and prevent a wonky pelvis?
If your you have only started to feel stiff recently, gentle side bends may ease the tension.
If you’ve been in discomfort, stiff and you suffer from various aches in your lower back or glute area, soft tissue treatment can affectively free your muscles and have you moving freely again.
As a soft tissue therapist and movement coach, I integrate my skills to help my clients get better long term outcomes. Blending remedial massage techniques, along with Emmett technique and neuromuscular stretching, clients feel lighter, looser and move much more freely after just one session, this allows you to then go on to learn better, healthier movements straight away.
Lower back pain is an extremely common issue clients request help with and for many, the QL muscles are involved. If side stretching and gentle twists aren’t helping you and you’re feeling tightness or discomfort, a soft tissue treatment will be highly beneficial for you.
I am Sabrina Qua - Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Coach and Personal Trainer based in Worcester Park, Epsom, who helps people resolve or significantly reduce their muscular aches and pains through an integrative approach, so they can live active, enjoyable lives. More tips and information available in my Facebook group Reduce Pain and Move Better.