SITTING

 My mom has been sick and I've been sitting a lot. This made me realize no matter what we're doing these days, we're likely doing some of it on the computer. Whether we're researching medicines and illnesses, or gathering information on how to care for a new plant variety, or posting pictures of the garden on the internet, we're sitting while we do it. And while it's been so hot, I'm guessing many are spending more time indoors than usual.  I just posted this on my website and thought it might have some usefulness here as well:

On any given week new people  come to me seeking relief from low back pain.  And while the lower lumbar region is the area of their discomfort, it is typically a result of tight hamstrings, gluteals (buttocks), psoas and quads (hip flexors). 
 More and more people are spending more time at their computers and all this sitting keeps the low back under constant attack from tight hamstrings and shortened hip flexors.

Envision the Hamstrings as a continuation of the spinal muscles that run along each side of the spinal vertebrae. And the hip flexors a continuation of the spinal muscles that run deep in the front of the spine. As an individual sits for longer periods, these muscles remain shortened and cause corresponding lengthening of the spinal muscles in the back. The stiffness most folks experience upon standing is due to this situation where the length: tension ratio of these partner muscles is out of proportion, therefore not allowing the joints of the low back to properly move. 

So to compensate for this temporary dysfunction, the body recruits other muscles to help pick up the pelvic girdle and allow the hip joint to properly function. This recruitment pattern in movement exposes the low back's vulnerability to strain. 

We need to address the specific muscles involved in different ways - stretching the shortened and strengthening the elongated ones. If your anatomy and physiology is rusty, find a qualified therapist to help you remedy the imbalances. At Nashville Neuromuscular Center, our multidisciplinary approach addresses these imbalances by balancing the tension on all the skeltal structures, reinforcing proper movement patterns and strengthening the postural muscles to accommodate the proper tension necessary.