Back pain is one of the most common reasons for a visit to the doctor, chiropractor, physiotherapist or chiropractioner. To support you in understanding your back pain and to help you address it, we have created this four-part series. Here we give you simple and effective tools that you can start using on your own. Unfortunately, an accurate diagnosis and holistic analysis of your body and condition is not possible even with the best articles. For this purpose, we offer our 45-minute initial appointments, during which you will be examined and treated holistically by our chiropractors – experts for joints, muscles and nerves. Get in touch with us!
Frequency of Back Pain
Back pain is part of everyday life for most of us, up to 80% of Germans suffer from it, 15% even daily. It is widely known that lack of exercise, prolonged sitting and poor posture are important factors contributing to this widespread issue.
Sources:
- https://de.statista.com/themen/1364/rueckenschmerzen/
- https://bomedus.com/wissen/leitartikel/112_volkskrankheit-rueckenschmerzen-eine-krankheit-in-zahlen/
Causes of Back Pain
Discover valuable tips and learn more about various causes of back pain here, so that back pain does not become your constant companion.
The Psoas Muscle
Muscle imbalances are one of the main causes of back pain. Many people have heard that their lower back muscles are simply too weak or that they should train their abdominal muscles to stop their daily problems.
There is a grain of truth in both points, but the actual cause of many muscle imbalances lies much deeper, below the abdominal muscles. The psoas muscle starts at the front of the spine, deep in the abdomen, runs through the pelvis, over the hip and ends at the upper aspect of the leg.
It is a very strong muscle whose function it is to bend our leg at the hip. To perform this action, the muscle contracts. This shortening of the muscle also happens when we sit. Since it is nowadays common to sit for eight or more hours a day, our psoas muscle in many cases shortens over time and can quickly become irritated.
‘Sitting shortens the psoas muscle’
As this muscle attaches to the front of the spine, chronic tension can then quickly lead to tension in the lower back.
The back muscles act like a rope at the back and hold the vertebrae upright and on top of each other. The psoas is at the front and acts in the opposite direction.
If the tension increases in one direction, the counteracting structure must also bear a greater load to create overall balance. This simplified illustration explains why the back muscles are often perceived as too weak. However, it is often overlooked that they have to constantly counteract a very strong muscle in order to protect us from worse injuries than a strained back.
‘Tense back muscles protect our back’
If the back muscles give way when the psoas muscle is very tight, the forward curvature of the lumbar spine increases significantly and leads to a painful hollow back. Thus, a muscle deep in the abdomen leads to an enormous amount of back pain. This pain is particularly noticeable after long periods of sitting and characterised by uncomfortable pressure in the hips, either on one or both sides.
3 Tips for a Relaxed Psoas Muscle
- Avoid sitting for longer than an hour at a time. Even taking a short trip to the coffee machine helps.
- Make sure your knees are lower than your hips when you sit.
- Stretch your psoas muscle regularly.
When stretching, pay attention to the following:
- Start with the back leg on the floor. Later, it can be pulled towards the buttocks to increase the intensity of the stretch.
- Avoid falling into a hollow back. To help with that, pull your stomach in very slightly before you start the exercise.
- The stretch should be felt particularly in the thigh or hip.
- There should be no pain in your back when stretching. If pain does occur, stop stretching and ask us for advice.
How Can Chronic Back Pain Be Treated?
When treating chronic back pain, a thorough examination and a holistic approach are just as important as an actively engaged patient. You and your chiropractor should be a team that stands together against your pain. Our aim is always to achieve long-term results as quickly as possible. To accomplish this, we require not only our expertise but also your active involvement.
- A well-planned treatment plan provides the framework and is always customised to your individual needs.
- The equalisation of a pelvic obliquity (also called: pelvic tilt) to enable a more even load is often a central pillar of the treatment.
- Adjusting the spine has a harmonising effect on your entire body.
- Specialized stretching techniques and trigger point therapy are frequently incorporated into the treatment.
- Optimising the interaction of the kinematic chain (foot, knee, hip, pelvis, spine) creates long-lasting results.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796950/
https://www.yoganatomy.com/psoas-resources/
https://thebalanceguru.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/the-proper-care-and-feeding-of-your-psoas-muscle/
http://kdbodywork.com/muscle-spotlight-psoas/
Author: Arne Stephenson
