The Mysterious Quadratus Lumborum
Deep within the abdominal cavity, past the rectus abdominis, the transverse muscles and much further in, you’ll find a pair of unsuspecting muscles called the quadratus lumborum.
There they lie. They are not large or particularly interesting. They don’t garner the same attention as the gluteus maximus, the powerful biceps of the arm or the broad pectorals of the chest. No, these inconspicuous twins lie unannounced and unassuming working behind the scenes such as the subtle movements of your twelfth rib…no big deal, nothing to write home about. How about raising your pelvis, pish posh, again no extraordinary feat.
Ah, but here’s where its great accomplishment lies… in stabilizing your lower back (specifically an area called your lumbar spine) and allowing you to bend the upper half of your body from side to side.
In massage, this is one of the most overlooked and challenging muscles to release. Massage therapists can only reach certain parts of the muscle and thus limiting our reach, however all we need is the very area that we can access, the very side of the muscle.
The pain you feel when your quadrates lumborum (Q.L. for short) is extremely sharp. The muscle itself is small but powerful enough to send someone to their knees. When injured and with strong spasms the person normally has twisted their upper body around. Imagine you are handed a child from the side, as you twist your upper body, reach out both arms and carry the weight of the baby you could easily sprain your Q.L.
Let’s also explore this scenario; let’s say your sitting for long periods of time, ridiculous long. Guess who’s on the muscle team that’s holding you up? You got it, your Q.L. muscles. Either a twisted motion of your torso and extended sitting could possibly leave you injuring this area.
To treat it at home, there are QL stretches that can be done. Any video found online can help you but you must be specific and search for the exact muscle name. Don’t search lower back stretch. The Q.L. is not a lower back muscle, it is part of your abdominal and thoracic group.
If you can pin point the moment and feel the sharp pain in your lower back after a specific movement, you may place an ice pack on it for a few days. This will only relieve the inflammation, afterwards you must focus on recovering the muscle. Assuming there is not a tear or if the injury is a few weeks old it would safe to apply heat. You’ll want to apply it to the sides of your lower back a bit further out from the spine to get the best access.
Among many nerves associated with the Q.L. the ones which have the highest probability for pain and or numbness in the legs are L1,L2 and L3. Far reaching, these nerves can be compressed and irritated by the Q.L. muscle and thus possibly confusing the person as to where the pain is originating from. Often times, nerve pain in the legs can be traced to spasmed muscles of the lumbar area of the body.
I’ve treated many Q.L injuries successfully but I must say this, the recipient must be patient. Rest and refraining from sitting for so long will help on the road to recovery. In massage, this is a difficult muscle to access but it can be done.
Next time you feel lower back pain, have your Q.L. muscles inspected. That might be the cause of most of your discomfort and from there you can work towards relief.
