I’ve been a Shiatsu practitioner for over 10 years now and in that time I have seen a lot of lower back pain. As a result I have come to confirm a statement made by one of my Shiatsu teachers, that most lower back pain revolves around problems with the psoas muscles.
Now, that is not to say that other lower back muscles do not cause back pain. Rather, that a poor condition of the psoas usually leads to injuries in other back muscles.
What is the psoas I hear you say?
The psoas is a muscle that runs from the Lesser Trochanter, which is located on the inside of the upper leg, across the front of the pelvis, delving into the abdomen to attach to the lower back from the inside. It is a hip flexor and you may have heard of it as such. Other phrases that include the psoas within their meaning are “core muscles” and “core strength”.
Hip flexors do just that, flex your leg forward at the hip. However they also provide stability to the lower back. The hip flexors assist in posture and are a foundation to all movement. In particular the psoas helps control balance and works to keep our body weight running through our centre of gravity. When the psoas is poor at it’s job other muscles have to take an increased load and subsequently get injured.
The psoas can become week through poor posture. By slouching we cause the muscles to lose tone. Our poor posture can also result in straining the muscles. Most of us are repeatedly one-sided in our actions. This has the effect of creating an imbalance in the strength and flexibility of the muscles between one side of the body and the other. Often causing one side to be prone to injury.
Luckily our bodies tend to give us early warnings. In the case of the psoas, stiffness in the lower back. This is most often experienced upon waking, having sat for too long, stood for too long or felt while standing up.
Deep Shiatsu in the lower abdomen can help the condition of the hip flexors. Gentle exercise and stretching that focuses on relaxed movement can assist in improving tone and flexibility.
E.g. lie flat on your back, bring one knee up and cup it in your hands. Don’t pull your knee to your chest, rather, relax and let your arms extend. On the other side, as you breathe in, drag your heel along the floor towards your buttocks. Breathing out, slide your foot back along the floor till it’s straight again. Once straight, relax your leg completely (this is the most important part of the exercise, for most people the foot will fall outwards). Repeat up to 16 times each side, twice a day. This exercise can be done in bed, before you get up in the morning or when you go to bed a night. Another good time is when you get home from work.
Keep an eye out for habits that you maintain for long periods of time, like sitting or standing to one side, crossing you legs or slouching. Where possible bring your weight back to the centre. Take up Chi Gung, Pillates, Tai Chi or Yoga, all of which will improve your posture, core strength, muscle tone and flexibility, as well as improve your self awareness. You may wish to talk to the instructor about your back so they can keep an eye on you or adjust the exercises to suit you.
Get some play time, the difference between adults and children is that adults become very repetitive in how they move, were as children’s play is random, expressive and diverse.
Tags: Back Pain, Shiatsu by John
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