Relieve Low Back Pain
with This QL Stretch
Video by Dr. Antonio Flaquer
Quadratus Lumborum or QL Stretch:
This stretch is beneficial for people with low back and midback pain. The quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle is a muscle that attaches from the hip bones to the bottom of your last ribs. They also connect to each vertebrae of the lumbar spine which is why they play a big role on the low back. Stretching is an essential thing to do to help prevent injury but also to enhance your performance. The QL muscle is one of the reasons why we can bend side to side and twist our back. When this muscle is tight or not activating correctly, this can hinder us in those certain movements which means we don’t have full range of motion. This is where Hilton’s Law comes into play because as we discuss in the office, every joint has a nerve, muscle, tendon, and ligament that crosses the joint. When one of those are not functioning properly the joint is not going to act the way it should meaning inflammation will set in and pain always follows. This is why it’s so important to always continue to move and get some form of activity in our daily life. This is not only good for us physically, it’s also good for us mentally. Some exercises that can be done to help improve or strengthen this muscle are what are called “lateral chain exercises”. This can include simple but effective exercises such as a lateral plank. The goal is to activate the core enough to where the hip doesn’t drop towards the ground. You want to stay as straight as a stick and up off the floor. Remember to always stretch before and after your workouts. After workouts should be more of a cool down stretch meaning they are for a short amount of time and to help prevent injury. Before should be more of a enhance performance, and with these QL stretches you want to make sure you’re holding it for 15 secs twice on each side. Remember to always stay moving because movement is all about Hilton’s Law and how to stay out of pain!
Reference:
McNeal, J.R., Sands, W.A. Stretching for performance enhancement. Curr Sports Med Rep 5, 141–146 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11932-006-0017-0
Our Message
We know how important it is to find a Chiropractor near you that you can trust. At our McKinney location, near the corner of Eldorado Pkwy., and Stonebridge Rd., our Chiropractors make sure our patients get the best understanding of their pain and their health. Our Doctors want to get you out of pain without medication, usual medical procedures or expensive surgeries. We also take the time to teach you how live a lifestyle that will keep you out of pain.