Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “low back”
So if we say that the cause of most low back pain is not understood, it should mean that we do not know what mechanism is causing the low back pain most of the time. But that is not true. We can often palpate tight myofascial tissue or a dysfunctional joint that is causing back pain.
When deep pressure is needed, it is important to be able to generate it with the least amount of effort and physical stress to your body. In essence, this blog post article is about learning how to employ proper body mechanics so that you work smart instead of working hard.
Make sure that the feet are not too far apart. A wide stance may feel more stable but creates a static position that makes it difficult to transfer weight from one foot to the other. With a narrower stance, it is easier to shift the center of weight of the body from one foot to the other as a stroke is done.
A common body mechanics error is for the therapist to stand above the face cradle at the head end of the table. Standing here only distances you from the client, causing you to lean over the client to reach the low back; this compromises body mechanics and does not allow for the efficient use of body weight.
Even more important than table width is table height. As a rule, when generating deep pressure, you want the table to be as low as possible so that you can more easily position your body above the client to take advantage of gravity and body weight.
No assessment procedure is more important to the manual therapist than bone and muscle (myofascial) palpation.
This blog post article is part of a series of articles on assessment of the low back and pelvis. Scroll to the end of this article to see the others in this series. Range of Motion Range of motion (ROM) …
Good posture is defined as a balanced posture that is symmetrical and does not place excessive stress on the tissues of the body.
If the test creates signs/symptoms, but not the signs/symptoms of the condition for which the test is designed, then the test is considered to be negative.
Treatment should never be administered without a diagnosis. In the world of manual therapy, treatment should only be performed if an assessment is made.
Feelings of back stiffness may be a subjective protective construct of the mind, rather than reflecting objective biomechanical properties of the back.
Sprains and strains are similar in nature. When a ligament or joint capsule is torn, it is termed a sprain; when a muscle is torn, it is termed a strain.
The SIJ is subjected to a great deal of physical stresses both from below and above. A sacroiliac joint injury can be inflammation, sprain, and/or strain.
Four of the most common causes of tight muscles of the low back (or anywhere in the body) are: overuse, splinting, adaptive shortening, and overstretching.
Manual therapy treatment for low back muscle tightness involves hot and cold hydrotherapy, soft tissue manipulation, stretching, and joint mobilization.
For a low back strain / sprain, because the muscles of the low back are so large and powerful, the first goal of manual therapy is to reduce the spasming.
A low back sprain and strain present a similar clinical picture. The client/patient will have low back spasming and pain, which will increase with motion.
The two most common causes for a low back sprain / strain are macrotrauma and repetitive microtraumas, often involving bending and lifting.
