Three types of back muscles that help spinal function are the:

• Extensor muscles.

These are attached to the back of the spine. These muscles permit us to stand and to lift objects. These include the large muscles in the lower back (erector spinae), which help hold up the spine, and gluteal muscles. (Glutes)

• Oblique muscles.

These are attached to the sides of the spine. They help us rotate the spine and maintain proper posture.

• Flexor muscles.

Attached to the front of the spine, these muscles include the abdominal muscles. They allow us to flex, bend forward, lift and arch the lower back. When the abdominal muscles are weak, the muscles that allow us to bend at the hip get tighter, increasing the curve at the lower back.

Causes of Back Pain:

The facet joints or other bony parts of the spine become injured or inflamed, which can cause those bigger muscles of the back to contract involuntarily. That’s called a spasm… an acute involuntary contraction of muscles resulting in pain, and restricting function.

Persistent stress can causes the muscles to tighten up, consuming energy that is required to hold the spine erect.

Tight muscles in the back of the thighs can cause changes in the position of the pelvis, affecting movements of the spine.

You will remember at school you learned that for every action there is a reaction. It’s the same with muscles.

Each muscle in your body has an opposing muscle.  A competent massage therapist keeps this in mind when restoring balance to the muscle groups of the back.

If you are experiencing back pain, make the call and arrange an appointment.  You’ll be surprised how beneficial Remedial Massage can be.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

I’m not referring to your nagging wife or lazy husband.  This is all about pain in that muscle tucked in behind the Glutes… the Piriformis, and someone in the world of the wise has named it the Piriformis syndrome.

The Piriformis Syndrome effects countless numbers of people daily, and doctors refer to it as neuropathic entrapment.  That means that a muscle deep under the gluteal area called the Piriformis is tight or inflamed which decreases the performance or flow of the largest nerve in the body (the sciatic), which passes behind it.  Sometimes, it goes through the muscle.  Tightness in the Piriformis  will cause pain can be in or around the muscle, and along  the sciatic nerve, usually in the back of the thigh, and possibly all the way down into the foot. Shooting pain along the sciatic nerve distribution is called sciatica.  Pain can also be referred up into the lower back region.

If you have pain walking uphill or up stairs, along with pain after prolonged periods of sitting, it’s quite possible you have a dicky Piriformis.

Where is it?

The origin of the muscle is the front the sacrum.  The sacrum is that triangular shaped bone at the base of the spine between the two hip bones, forming the pelvic girdle. The Piriformis Muscle then goes through the greater sciatic foramen (that’s a hole in the pelvis) before it blends into its tendon and inserts onto the top of the Femur at the Greater Trochanter ( hip bone).

The sciatic nerve travels through the greater sciatic foramen (that hole I told you about) behind the Piriformis Muscle.  In about 15% of the population, the sciatic nerve goes through the Piriformis muscle. It’s no surprise then that those within that 15% would be much more likely to experience Piriformis syndrome. Regardless, a tight and/or inflamedPiriformis will eventually lead to a condition known as Sciatica.

Function?

The function of the Piriformis is to abduct and laterally or externally rotate the femur. Abduction of the thigh means to move the leg out to the side away from the body. Lateral (a.k.a. external) rotation means to rotate the hip such that your toes are pointed out to the side instead of forward.

Runners, cyclists, and weightlifters usually experience the condition. Another cause is sitting for prolonged periods with the hips abducted and externally rotated. This can occur at one’s desk, but it is also very common while driving for long periods of time.

Treatment:

Stretching is good.  Deep tissue massage is  also invaluable in treating Piriformis Syndrome.  Undoubtedly, the best  technique is an active release. It’s a very precise technique that’s used to remove any adhesions that might have formed within the Piriformis or between it and the Sciatic Nerve.

A deep tissue massage can help if the therapist is familiar with the anatomy of the deep gluteal muscles.  If you’re experiencing the symptoms of Piriformis Syndrome or tight Gluteal muscles, make a booking and feel the difference Remedial Massage can make.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

The Gluteal group of muscles consists of three  muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus.  “Gluteus” is from the Greek and means rump.  “Maximus” is the largest of the muscles and “Minimus” the smallest.  The role of the Gluteus Maximus is different from the Medius and Minimus muscles because of their attachment points.

The Gluteus Maximus is the largest and most posterior of the group, and is the big overlaying muscle in the buttocks.  It originates at the posterior Sacrum, Ilium and the superior gluteal line of the ilium, and attaches to the gluteal tuberosity of the femur and the iliotibial tract.  This muscle contracts to swing the upper leg backward, and is heavily used during swimming and squatting.

The Gluteus Maximus extends the femur at the hip and laterally rotates the extended hip. The Gluteus Maximus is used mostly for power as in going upstairs, jumping, rising from a sitting position, climbing or running.  I think it’s one of the hardest working muscles of the body.

The Gluteus Medius and Minimus muscles are located below the Maximus, and all three are referred to as ‘the Glutes’.

When these and other butt muscles are tight and visually pleasing to the opposite sex, there is the possibility of adverse effects on the body elsewhere in the body.

Sciatic Pain:

The Piriformis is often involved in Sciatic pain.

The   Piriformis  Muscle is a short, small muscle that is located deep in the buttock region. It functions to rotate the thigh, and helps to stabilise the hip joint during walking. This muscle lies next to a major nerve (the Sciatic Nerve) and blood vessels.

The Sciatic Nerve starts at the Lumbar vertebrae 4 and 5, (L4 and L5) passes through a notch in the hipbone under the Piriformis muscle and travels down the leg.

In most people, it passes under the Piriformis Muscle, and in others, it passes right through it.

If the Piriformis is tight for whatever reason, it can compress the Sciatic nerve causing pain to the lower back, buttocks or the legs.  This is a condition known as Sciatica.

Pills may provide temporary relief but they don’t address the cause.

Often, a simple remedial massage technique can make the symptoms of sciatic pain just disappear without the need for anti-inflammatory tablets or other treatments.

If you’ve ever visited a remedial therapist and mentioned that you have a sore back, sore legs, sore knees and or feet and he or she doesn’t at least mention working on or releasing your butt muscles, then question their qualifications.

The therapist may have to consider that the patient has limited time, but those muscles are very significant.

If the therapist doesn’t understand their implications for the rest of the body, he or she may not be as qualified as you think.

For obvious reasons, some people are dubious or uncomfortable about having their buttocks massaged.  Other people will say it’s “just magic” because if it’s done professionally with no embarrassment ,they’ll only feel the tight spots disappearing and realise how much better they are going to feel later.

At the end of the day however, whether or not you want the therapist to massage your buttocks is up to you.  Just bear in mind, your “nice tight butt” is not just something you sit on.  It’s a range of vital muscles that can have various impacts on the rest of your body.

Not massaging the buttocks… in other words, just massaging a sore back means the therapist may just be treating the symptom of the problem, not the cause or an important contributing factor.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

The Psoas is perhaps the single most involved muscle, and it is the cause of most grief in the low back, neck, shoulders and especially the hip joint.  Often, the patient will complain of feeling sore in the groin.

A contracted Psoas will significently reduce performance in athletes and accident victims and has a detrimental affect on our ability to function properly at work.  When it is released, it gives a profound feeling of relief, and is likened to a heavy weight being removed from their hips and lower back.

The psoas major plays an important role in maintaining the lumbar lordosis.  Contractures of one or both psoas (major and minor) through over use or muscular imbalances will definitely affect pelvis rotation.

In most back and hip pain complaints, the cause is often the psoas muscle which is one of the most important muscles in the body. Problems related to the Psoas include: low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, and menstruation pain. The list can also include pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancies, lumbar lordosis and kyphosis

Primarily, the Psoas flexes the hip and the spinal column with an average length of 400 millimeters. It’s a very powerful muscle, and runs down the lower mid spine beginning at the 12th rib connecting with the vertebral bodies, discs and transverse processes down the lumbar vertebrae.  Then it passes across the pelvis to attach on the inside top of the leg at the lesser trochanter.

The lower portion combines with fibres from the iliacus muscle, which sits inside the surface of the pelvis and sacrum, to become the Iliopsoas muscle as it curves over the pubic bone and inserts on the lesser trochanter.

What is the function of the Psoas?

The psoas functions as a hip and thigh flexor, which makes it the major walking muscle.
If the legs are stationary, its action is to bend the spine forward.  If sitting, it stabilises the trunk.  The lower psoas brings the lumbar vertebrae forward and downward to create pelvic tilt.

When we think of smooth, elegant and graceful movement in dancers and athletes we are looking at the psoas functioning at its optimum. It requires that the psoas maintains the pelvis in a dynamically neutral orientation that can move easily and retain structural integrity. This creates positions of the spine that require the least muscular effort.

Common Ailments

Sore back, shoulders and knees are common complaints of people who lead a full and active live. Let’s face it, there are many occupations that are not kind to muscles.

In most cases, one of the major common denominators of these problems is imbalance in a muscle group known as the Iliopsoas aka Psoas Major, Psoas Minor and Iliacus muscles.

These are the hip flexor muscles and extend from along the side of the spine from about mid-torso down to the base of the spine then across the front of the hips to the top of the leg.

Most people are familiar with muscle names like quadriceps (quads), hamstrings, calves, “abs,” biceps, triceps, “lats,” etc because they deliberately exercise them.  But I doubt if even .001 per cent of the population knows they have this Iliopsoas muscle group let alone its actions and the musclar imbalances it can cause in the rest of the body.

Because Iliopsoas muscles flex the hip, they contract every time you walk, run, jog, climb, sit or bend. Think about how much and how often this happens every day!

They are also postural muscles – in other words, they help hold you upright while you are standing and sitting – and are designed to take a lot of hard work and punishment before they ever feel sore.

But that does not mean they are not tight. If they are, they can put all sorts of uneven pressures on the hip.

They are quite substantial muscles and pull the front of the hips downwards, causing muscles in the lower back and along the spine to tighten as the back of the hips tilt up (hence the back pain).
Among these lower back muscles is the Quadratus Lumborum from the top of the hip on an angle to the spine.  It acts like guy ropes for the spine, helping to stabilise it and keep it balanced.

If the Psoas muscles from one side of the spine pull tighter than the other, it tilts one side of the hips higher, putting uneven pressures along the back of the spine and on several major leg muscles which go across the hips and knee joint.

Because the Iliopsoas group can cause tightness in muscles controlling flexibility of the spine (including Quadratus Lumborum), they also can have a big impact on shoulder muscles.

When you start to raise your arm above your shoulders, at about 150 degrees the shoulder blade begins to rotate upwards and the spine flexes to accommodate this.

If the spine is too rigid from tight muscles, then the muscles moving the shoulder blades need to work harder and can fatigue or become sore.

Pain in your back, shoulders or knees is usually due to tight or strained muscles in those areas but, in fact, it is often the hip flexors that have caused those muscles to be tight in the first place.

Hopefully from the above, you will agree the reason for muscle and joint pain is not always what it seems and that the therapist should look at the bigger picture to give you the most effective treatment.

A good tip if you’re ringing around to find a remedial massage therapist is to ask the masseur, “Can you do a Psoas (pronounced so-as) Release?”
A qualified and competent therapist will know straight away what you are referring to.

Psoas Release

A Psoas Release is a technique used to help release tight hip flexor muscles across the front of the hip, to balance the hip and get it back in correct alignment.  This then helps reduce or remove some of the uneven pressures on other muscles in your back and legs.
It involves putting pressure from the fingertips into the Psoas muscles just above the hips and lowering and raising the leg against this pressure to stretch the muscle.

It can sometimes be quite uncomfortable or painful, depending on how tight the muscle is, but the results are well worth a possible few minutes of discomfort well within your normal pain tolerance.

Without this technique, therapists who only treat the areas you say are sore are often only doing half a job (if the hip flexors are part of the problem)

In reality, they may only be treating a symptom of the problem, rather than the probable cause as well.

Health care is expensive enough without having to make repeated visits for problems which often can be fixed or greatly relieved quickly when a Psoas release is included in the treatment.

If you haven’t tried massage therapy for a bad back or that pain in your hips, make a call today.  Make an appointment and experience the many benefits that massage has to offer.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

It’s good to know most muscle and ligament injuries are not all that serious. They might hurt a lot and feel serious, but they are not usually going to put you at risk for prolonged health problems. Some injuries are more significant than others though, so it’s important to recognise symptoms of a pulled back muscle and begin therapy as soon as possible to avoid further continuing problems.

Severe Pain:

Severe pain in one or more of your back muscles is a symptom of a pull. You might feel a sharp pain that drives you mad. Sometimes acute pain only occurs when you are in a certain position, and in more serious cases, it is continuous. This intense stabbing feeling indicates a serious strain in the muscle tissue.

Stiffness or Tightness:

A stiff back is also a sign of a pulled back muscle and tightness in your back demonstrates you might have strained one or more muscles. Limited motion and constricted flexibility is an indication you may have a pulled back muscle. The affected ligament will often resist movement and you could feel a pulling sensation, and demonstrates the muscle is not able to stretch normally.

Spasms:

A spasm is defined as an acute involuntary contracture of muscles resulting in pain and restricting function. A pulled back muscle can cause severe discomfort and spasms are incredibly painful, and should bet treated tas soon as possible to avoid further complications. Newly injured muscles sometimes go into spasm when the muscle contracts in a violent manner. This type of uncontrollable contraction can last for a few seconds, a few minutes or even hours. Back spasms are serious, so get to treatment as soon as possible.

Weakness:

Weakness or abnormal strain are symptoms of a pulled back muscle. You might have difficulty lifting certain objects, bending over, sitting down or walking. This are signs your muscles are not functioning properly, while limited range of motion and your inability to go about your daily life can be really frustrating. If you have a back problem that prevents travel, you may need a Massage therapist who offers a mobile service.

Tingling:

This feeling can be similar to what happens when your hand falls asleep. Blood flow is cut off and when it starts up again, you feel pins-and-needles. The same concept applies to strained back muscles. Injured muscles might not be able to circulate blood efficiently, causing tingling in the affected area.

Dull Burning Pain:

A dull burning pain is often an indication a pulled back muscle. You might feel the sensation that your muscle is on fire. Swelling occurs when a muscle is impaired, and it is common to feel a unusual amount of heat in the area of the injury. Burning pain is not considered as severe as acute pain, but it can be very traumatic over a prolonged period.

Heat in the Muscle:

A pulled back muscle can sometimes feel hot to the touch. The affected area might get hot as the swelling from the injury causes increased blood flow to the area. Major swelling and excessive heat go together. Run your hand over the injured area to see if you detect swelling or excess heat. If you feel this, you’re dealing with a pulled muscle.

If muscle-related problems are the cause of your back pain as is often the case, massage treatments can be very effective and bring about significant relief. Sometimes just talking to a qualified, competent massage therapist who can explain aspects you never even considered about the interaction and effect of a range of muscles and how they influence back pain brings mental relief in itself.

With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight, and if you haven’t tried deep tissue massage therapy for your back problems,  make a call today.  Arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that deep tissue massage has to offer.

The back muscles are a complex set of muscles made up of three groups: superficial, intermediate, and deep back muscles. Some of the muscles are large and some are so small that they are hardly noticed. That is, until you “pull” one of them.

Back pain is due to strain on the muscles. The risk of strained back muscles can be reduced by learning what back muscles actually are and learning how to keep them strengthened and toned.

The superficial back muscles are the muscles closest to the outside of the body. This group works together to move the shoulders, arms, and neck.

From the Occipital Ridge and extending below the shoulder blades and out toward the shoulder, the Trapezius muscles (traps for short) works together with the Levator Scapulae (a neck muscle) to move the shoulders and neck.

These muscles also work in conjunction to bend and rotate the neck if the shoulder is held in a fixed position, or to raise the shoulder if the head is held in a fixed position.

The Trapezius muscle is one of the largest muscles in the body and pain from the it can refer to other parts of the body. Pain in the Trapezius muscle can be caused by tension, stress, extended periods seated or inactive, or simply lack of exercise.

The Rhomboid Minor and Major muscles connect the shoulders to the spinal column. These muscles work with the Trapezius muscle to raise, lower and rotate the shoulder. Long periods of repetitive movement of the arms can cause these muscles to ache.

The Latissimus Dorsi is the most powerful of the back muscles. The Latissimus Dorsi (lats for short) and literally the ‘broadest muscle of the back, covers much of the lower back, extending from the hip bone to a tendon that extends from the upper part of the humerus (upper arm bone).

The Latissimus Dorsi helps to extend and rotate the arms during exercises such as swimming, helps the Pectoral (pecs) and Abdominal muscles (abbs) to elevate the trunk during activities such as climbing, and helps the Serratus Posterior Inferior muscle to raise the lower ribs while breathing.

The group of intermediate back muscles work with the respiratory system. These muscles move the ribs during the breathing process. The Serratus Posterior Superior muscle is located behind the second to fifth ribs and is responsible for elevating the upper section of ribs.

The Serratus Posterior Inferior muscle is located behind the ninth to 12th ribs and is responsible for elevating the lower section of ribs.

The deep back muscles are the strongest group of back muscles and play an important part in keeping the body erect. This group of muscles work together with the abdominal muscles to keep the body erect and also to bend and rotate the head, neck and trunk.

The Erector Spinae is a deep muscle of the back and stems from a tendon attached to the crest of the sacrum… that part of the backbone at the level of the pelvis, formed of five fused vertebrae.

When it reaches the level of the small of the back, the erector divides into three columns, made up of three parts…. the spinalis most medially (next to the spine), the longissimus in the center, and iliocostalis laterally.

The spinalis is just next to the spine, and to work on this muscle you will need you use your fingertips or thumbs.

The longissimus is the main meat of the erector group, and is palpated as a taught rope half an inch lateral to the spine.

The muscle system extends the length of the back and its function is to straighten the back and to rotate it side to side. Because of it’s lateral position, a tight iliocostalis can bring a hip up, or bring the ribcage down toward the hip.

The Splenius Capitis is found in the back of the neck, connecting the base of the skull to the spine. This muscle extends and rotates the head. The Splenius Capitis can be irritated by activities such as holding the neck bent awkwardly for long periods of time during activities such as reading, star gazing, bird watching (the feathered type), sleeping with an incorrect pillow, in the breeze by an open window or fan or doing school work.

The Splenius Cervicis is extends from the base of the skull to the mid-spine region. This muscle works with the Splenius Capitis to extend and rotate the head.

The Iliocostalis Muscles are a group of muscles that consists of three sub-groups: The lower Iliocostalis extends from the upper part of the hip bone to the lower ribs. The middle Iliocostalis stretches from the lower ribs to the upper ribs… and the Iliocostalis Cervicis from upper ribs to the neck. These aid in movements of the spinal column such as bending backwards, bending to the side, and rotating movements involving the spine.

The Longissimus group are made up of the Longissimus Capitus, Longissimus Cervicis, and the Longissimus Thoracis. The Longissimus Capitus is in the upper region of the back and helps to keep the head erect and move it from side to side.

The Longissimus Cervicis is located in the mid section of the back near the spine and extends the spinal column when bending to the side. The Longissimus Thoracis is also located in the middle section of the back and helps with extension and flexion and rotation of the ribs.

The muscles of your back can have enormous effect on your physical health. It’s important to maintain healthy back muscles because they are the most important muscles associated with posture. Back problems can be responsible for adverse conditions in other areas of the body, including the neck, hips, arms, legs, along with the respiratory system.

The causes of back pain include injury can be due to incorrect lifting methods, sports injuries, obesity, carrying large backpacks or heavy handbags for long periods of time, sudden and repetitive movements, mental or emotional stress, extended periods seated and childbirth.

Your back muscles are important postural muscles that keep your body erect and pain from these can be relieved by remedial or deep tissue massage.

If you haven’t tried deep tissue massage therapy make a call today.  Arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that deep tissue massage has to offer.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.

Back pain could be caused simply by muscle imbalances or by more complex issues related to disc and vertebral, spinal cord, facet joint, ligament, vascular, dural, inflammation and spinal canal problems.

There are many aspects of back pain I know little about but I do know there are many people suffering occasional or ongoing back pain who would find a remedial massage is all they need to greatly relieve their problem.

If muscle-related problems are the cause, which is often the case, massage treatments are relatively simple but very effective.

Many people put up with ongoing back pain rather than seeking help because they assume surgery or constant use of pain killing drugs are the only ways to find relief, and they don’t want to be cut open or become addicted to drugs.

Surgery may be necessary as a last resort, but it is certainly worth trying one or a few non-invasive, drug free remedial massages first to see if they offer a solution.

Sometimes just talking to a qualified, competent therapist who can explain aspects you never even considered about the interaction and effect of a range of muscles and how they influence back pain brings mental relief in itself.

Even where the original cause of the pain can be traced to, say, disc problems from wear and tear or an accident or injury, muscular imbalances on the left/right and/or front/back of the body can significantly aggravate the situation and cause even more pain.

A remedial massage can usually bring significant relief.

If muscles on one side of the spine are tighter than the other, or tight muscles cause the hip to tilt forward, backward up upwards, they can put undue pressure on inter-vertebral discs and cause even more pain.

A competent masseur would seek to not only balance up the muscles as much as possible but also work on factors making the muscles uneven in the first place.

Tight hip flexor muscles across the front of the hips or weak abdominal muscles often are a significant contributor to lower back pain. Muscle tightness in the chest often leads to pain in the neck, shoulders and mid back.

If you have suffered regular back pain and haven’t done anything about it, or tried other methods without success, give remedial massage a shot. It might not be what you need or a total solution to the problem, but it could be.

A couple of years ago I had a patient (a taxi driver) who had put up with pain for years trying other types of treatments all of which failed. On his first visit he was wearing a brace when he arrived. He left with it tucked under his arm. A couple of sessions over a couple of weeks was all he needed.

The answer to your back problems could be closer than you think.

If you haven’t tried deep tissue massage therapy make a call today.  Arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that deep tissue massage has to offer.  With any massage however, it’s advisable to wear comfortable underwear that’s not too tight.