Q as in
Quadratus Lumborum (QL)
The QL
muscle is renowned for being the prime cause of lower back pain. It brings the hips up and is important for
balancing postural distortion. It is
located deep in the abdomen and runs from the iliac crest to the 12th rib. It is close to many structures such as the
kidneys, the colon and the diaphragm, as well as nerves, abdominal muscles and
the spine. Needless to say, if this
muscle doesn’t work properly, a lot of problems could occur.
This muscle acts as a prime mover, a postural muscle and a respiratory
muscle. Some people with back pain also
experience discomfort when breathing because a cranky QL resists elevation of the rib
cage, and cramps up when pulling it down firmly on exhalation. Imagine the sense of relief when this is
resolved!
Overuse and strain of the quadratus lumborum are the major causes of chronic
pain in the lower back
One typical cause is the habit of sitting at the desk
using a reclined seat, which releases the intrinsic back muscles and weakens
them in the long term. The weak back
muscles must now be compensated by the quadratus
lumborum leading to painful tension and stiffening of the muscle. Other causes can be direct damage or any type
of imbalance of the pelvis or spine which forces the quadratus lumborum to stabilize them. An example of that type of imbalance is
unequal leg lengths.
If the gluteal muscle is weakened or overused (particularly the
gluteus medius), the QL will be excessively recruited in order to
stabilize the pelvis.
Very often, one side of our body is weaker. On that side, having problems with the QL will
most likely lead to chronic pain and tension in the mid and upper back and in
time it will cause a negative affect further down the kinetic chain (i.e. hip,
knee, shoulder, neck and head). Other
causes of problems can be accidents, a shorter leg, overuse or poor posture.
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