Two stretches for the back you’re probably not doing
The quadratus lumborum (QL) is the deepest abdominal muscle. It plays an essential role in stabilizing the pelvis when a person is upright and is one of the primary sources of low back pain. Stretching it is essential for easing that pain.
The anatomy of this muscle as well as how to release it is covered in a previous
blog post. This post will cover two different ways to effectively stretch these muscles to help eliminate tightness and relieve chronic ache.
Here are the stretches:
Stretch (standing)
Stand with your heels, buttocks, shoulders, and head against a wall
Your feet should be hip width apart
Slowly tilt your body to the right until there is a stretch felt on your left side and hold for 10 seconds
Grab the back of your right thigh with your right hand and try to tilt to the center and hold the contraction for 5 seconds
Relax the contraction and tilt to the right to a new stretch point and hold 10 seconds
Repeat steps 4 and 5 two more times
Slowly tilt to the center
Repeat to the left side
Tips:
Keep both feet flat on the floor
Keep all points of contact against the wall
Retest the pain-free range of motion using the flexibility test to see if improvement has been made.
Stretch (seated)
Sit tall on a firm chair with your feet flat on the ground and hip-width apart
Pull your belly button to your spine
Slowly lean to the right until you feel a stretch on the left side and hold 10 seconds
Grab the bottom of the chair with your right hand
Hold yourself in place with our arm as you try to lean to the left and hold 5 seconds
Release the contraction and slowly lean to the right to a new stretch point
Repeat steps 4 and 5 two more times
Slowly tilt to the center
Repeat to the left
Tips:
Keep both buttocks on the chair
Use the opposite hand for balance and support
Retest the pain-free range of motion using the flexibility test to see if improvement has been made.
Either of these stretches can safely be performed daily.
Enjoy!