I hope you are doing well! I have seen a rise in clients seeking relief from lower back pain so I decided to start a blog series that outlines some of the causes and solutions to various forms of lower back pain. So keep an eye on this space in the next few months for more updates!
If you have been following my blog for a while now, you may recall an article I wrote a few years ago entitled "What Is A Muscle 'Knot'?". You have probably heard the terms trigger points before at some point in your life and this article give you a brief overview of what they are as well as how massage therapy can help. A large percentage of clients that seek massage therapy have some form of tigger point that is causing their symptoms. One of the main symptoms of a trigger point is a muscle spasm and a referral pain. These referral pain patterns can be very confusing as they can cause discomfort in other areas of the body. Sometimes when there is dysfunction in the hips, it can cause discomfort in the lower back so for the first article in this series we will be going over some of the common trigger point referral patterns for this area.
Gluteus Maximus:
The main muscle of the gluts, it attaches all along the ilium and down part of the femur. When irritated, the trigger point referral pattern is local in through the posterior hip.
Gluteus Medius:
Lying just below the gluteus Maximus is the medius muscle. It is about half the size and sits on the upper portion of the posterior pelvis. Referral pain for this muscle runs between the two sides of the pelvis, into the lower back and slightly down the outside part of the upper thigh.
Gluteus Minimus:
Deep to the medius is minimus, the smallest of the gluteal muscles. The shape is more like a slice of pizza and it primarily helps to keep the pelvis neutral when one leg is lifted. When trigger points are activated, it can cause a local pain in the hip but also traces down the outside part of the full leg.
Piriformis:
Sitting deep in the soft tissues of the posterior hip, this muscle is a long triangle shape and attaches the sacrum to part of the femur, helping with rotation of the thigh. Referral pain from trigger points is commonly local with radiating symptoms down the back of the leg.
Quadratus Lumborum:
In the lower back, this muscle runs along the lower ribs, down the lumbar spine and across the top of the pelvis, in a "C" like shape. Trigger points can refer pain both in the lower back but also the lower hip.
If you would like to learn more about trigger points and their referral patterns, please let me know !
Thank you for taking the time to read this message and I hope you have a great day!
Reference and Pictures from:
All muscles. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2021, from http://www.triggerpoints.net/all-muscles
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