Is Your Low Back Pain Only from Low Back Itself
Is your low back pain only from the lower back?? It may actually be from tightness of your leg muscles!
When we have low back pain (LBP), we tend to focus on lower back only as the main cause. However, many muscles and other tissues are connected to pelvis and spines, so some of those muscles could contribute to the cause of your symptoms. I found one interesting article about this topic.
In this research, 20 people with chronic low back pain (age range 20 to 40 years old) had a six-week physiotherapy session. The programs are stretching exercises for muscles of the back, iliopsoas, hamstrings and gastrocnemius, and strengthening exercises for the abdominal muscles three times per week. As outcome measures, pain level, functions of low back with questionnaire and range of motion of trunk flexion were assessed.
As a result, pain level was significantly decreased. Range of movement of spinal flexion and the functions of low back were also improved.
In our normal life, bending forward is one of the most common tasks. However, when we think about the movement anatomically, to bend your body forward, your spines of your low back and pelvis are required to move together smoothly. If alternative pattern of your back movements kick in, you feel more load on your back and it might be cause of your LBP. In addition, hamstrings are attached to pelvis. Sometimes tightness of hamstrings could be related to your LBP because tight hamstrings prevent anterior tilt of your pelvis when you bend forward. Moreover, hamstrings have connection with calf muscles, such as Gastrocnemius and Soleus. Thus, if your calf is tight, it might be influenced to your symptoms of your low back.
In total, we might need to think about broadly LBP, not only back itself. Gaining flexibility of your lower leg, in particular your hamstrings and calf could be also important for your recovery.
If you are currently suffering from LBP, you can start stretching your legs. However, it is very important for you to know what the main cause of your LBP is. So, if you are wondering how you can improve your condition, please make an appointment with us. Our physiotherapist will assess and tell you which treatment will be the best for your improvement. We will be happy to help you during your session.
Reference
Physical Therapy Program for the Management of Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain, Bull. Fac. Ph. Th. Cairo Univ., Vol. 18, No. (1) Jan. 2013
腰痛は腰だけから?もしかしたら足の筋肉の硬さも影響しているかも?
腰痛がある時、腰のみに注意が行きがちだと思います。でも、たくさんの筋肉をはじめとする組織が背骨や骨盤についていて、それらが原因で腰痛の症状を引き起こしていることも考えられます。このアイデアについて興味深い論文があったので紹介させていただきたいと思います。
この研究では、20歳から40歳の20名の腰痛を持った人が集められ、6週間の理学療法のセッションを受けました。その内容は、腰部、腸腰筋、ハムストリングス、腓腹筋のストレッチ、腹部の筋肉を強化するエクササイズを週3回行いました。また、変化を見る指標として、痛みのレベル、質問紙を使用した腰部の機能、体をどれくらい曲げれるかを調べました。
結果として、痛みは非常に改善され、体を曲げれる角度が増加し、腰の機能の改善もみられました。
普段の生活において、体を前に曲げるというのは一般的な動きだと思いますが、その動きを解剖学的に考えた時に、背骨と骨盤が一緒にスムーズに動くことが求められます。もし異なったパターンで動いた場合、腰に余計な負荷がかかり腰痛につながる可能性も考えられます。それに加えて、ハムストリングスは骨盤についており、前屈する時にハムストリングスが硬いと骨盤が上手く前に傾いてくれません。なおかつ、ハムストリングス はふくらはぎの筋肉ともつながりがあるため、ふくらはぎの硬さも腰痛に関連があるかもしれません。
総合して、腰痛を腰だけにフォーカスするのではなくて、広い目で見ていく必要があるかもしれません。特にハムストリングス やふくらはぎの柔軟性を得ることも腰痛の改善に関わってくる可能性があります。
もし今、あなたが腰痛を患っているのであれば、足の筋肉のストレッチも始めるのも一つの手かもしれません。しかし、あなたの腰痛がどこから来ているか知るというのが最も大切になってきます。ですので、もしどうしたら腰痛を改善できるのかと考えていらしたら、是非ご予約をお取りして相談にいらしてください。状態をチェックして、あなたに合ったトリートメントを提供できたら幸いです。
Related Posts
Pain Between the Shoulder Blades?
25 August 2016
Generally, symptoms of mid back pain or pain between the shoulder blades are caused by poor posture. The patient’s chest will normally be flat, if not concave and their shoulders will be pulled forward. You may also notice that they may also have a forward head carriage as shown in the photo below.…
0 Comments2 Minutes
Part 2. 요추 추간판 탈출증 (Lumbar Disc Herniation)
8 January 2021
척추뼈 사이사이에 위치해 있는 허리디스크(추간판)는 몸의 하중을 분산시키는 쿠션역할을 하고 허리를 잘 움직일 수 있도록 도와줍니다. 허리디스크는 젤리와 같은 수핵이 안쪽에 위치해 있고 그 수핵을 여러겹 감싸고 있는 더 단단한 섬유륜으로 구성 되어 있습니다. 잘못된 자세와 생활습관 등으로 인해 허리가 반복적으로 스트레스를 받게 되면 디스크 압력이 증가하고 디스크 내부는 사방으로 균일하게 하중을 분산시킬 수 없게됩니다.……
0 Comments4 Minutes