The complexity of the lower back and where pain comes from is a complicated concept. Depending on the severity of your pain, the origin of your lower back pain can most likely be linked to weak surrounding spinal (multifidus) muscles. These surrounding muscles allow the spine to bend, arch, twist, and flex without adding too much stress on the spine. One of the most important muscle groups that plays a major role in stabilization is the multifidus. If you want to conquer this muscle and develop a bulletproof lower back, read on and learn how the multifidus muscle could be holding you back.
Why The Multifidus?
Anatomy: The multifidus muscle group is a group of connecting vertebrae that lines the outside base of the spine. The main function of the multifidus muscle is spine stabilization. The multifidus acts as a protection layer in keeping the spine stable while blocking any incoming pain. When the multifidus muscle becomes inactive or weak, the spine is left vulnerable, causing pain and tightness.
Activating and strengthening your multifidus muscle is a terrific way to protect your spine and reduce the future risk of pain.
Involvement of a multifidus muscle on either side produces midline tenderness over the adjacent spinous process [1.]. Dry needling to the lumbar multifidus muscle has also been shown to improve nociceptive sensitivity and increase the contraction of the multifidus muscle [1.].
If you are the type of person who regularly experiences pain in tight to your spine, there is a good chance your multifidus muscle is to blame. Whether it's strengthening the muscle or dry needling, activation of the multifidus can be a game changer.
Multifidus Exercise - Injury Prevention/Pain Relief:
The key to mastering the multifidus is through isolating the multifidus muscle. Being that the multifidus is long, skinny, and very close to the spine, it can be difficult to isolate it. The multifidus exercise below is a sure fire way to directly isolate the multifidus and build resilience in your lower back.
When completing the multifidus exercise below, it is important to stay stable and not overextend your legs or overarch your back. The moment you overextend, you are no longer isolating your multifidus and you also run the risk of hyperextension.
So grab a yoga ball and try out the multifidus exercise for yourself!
More Information On Lower Back Relief:
If you suffer from low back pain, a great way towards a pain free life is through stretching. Through trial and error I created the perfect low back stretching program that has helped me and many others cure years of debilitating back pain. Check out the video below for more details.
Flexible Back 2.0 - Lower Back Flexibility Program
Back Of Steel:
If you suffer from back pain and you want more exercises other than the multifidus exercise, you need the Back Of Steel strengthening program.
Back of Steel - Lower Back Strengthening Program
Back Of Steel is a supplemental workout program to improve strength and endurance in specific areas of the body to keep you out of lower back pain. In this program are the exact exercise and movements I used to set me free from 4 years of crippling back pain. To this day i live with a lower back that is bulletproof to any pain that may come my way.
[1] Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.
[2] Davies, Clair, and Amber Davies. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. 3rd ed., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2013.