Quadratus Lumborum trigger points can be extremely painful and physically restricting. The successful release of QL trigger points can relieve years of pain and help you walk around feeling looser, and lighter than ever. This post shows you how to determine if Quadratus Lumborum trigger points are a source of your pain, and more importantly how to release them [1].
*potential* Pain Caused By Quadratus Lumborum Trigger Points
The Quadratus Lumborum Muscle
The Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscle lies deep in the lower back and can bring a particularly debilitating, annoying pain to one's life. Quadratus Lumborum lies underneath two major back muscle groups - the Spinal Erectors (a.k.a. Erector Spinae) and the Latissimus Dorsi (a.k.a. Lats). Quadratus Lumborum is also sometimes referred to as the deepest abdominal muscle.
Quadratus Lumborum Muscle
Quadratus Lumborum primarily functions in spinal stability and side bending. Without Quadratus Lumborum, high-impact movements like lateral cuts on the soccer field would literally be back-breaking. During physical activities such as sports and lifting objects, Quadratus Lumborum is active to keep the spine strong and neutral. It is during these same activities that Quadratus Lumborum is subject to overuse, strain, and trigger points.
Quadratus Lumborum Trigger Point Symptoms
When investigating non-specific low back pain, Quadratus Lumborum trigger points should be at the top of the list [1]. Trigger points and muscle knots can be a primary cause of pain due to the constant muscle tension they maintain [2]. Constant muscle tension has the ability to tug on joints, create tightness, hinder flexibility, impinge nerves, and manifest pain in the body [2].
Quadratus Lumborum Referred Pain Patterns [1]
Quadratus Lumborum trigger points can cause a specific pain pattern in the body, as investigated by the great trigger point experts Travell and Simons [1]. in the image below, the bright red areas indicate where the Quadratus Lumborum muscle can refer pain on the body [1]. Shown below is pain depicted by the right Quadratus Lumborum muscle, but both sides are susceptible to the same pain chart.
Additional Quadratus Lumborum Trigger Point Symptoms:
- A feeling of instability, fragility, and weakness in the lower back
- Nagging pain that lasts 24 hours a day, regardless of position
- Weakness or inability to lift anything off the ground
Quadratus Lumborum Trigger Point Release
After Quadratus Lumborum Trigger Point Release
After effectively releasing Quadratus Lumborum trigger points, it is important to strengthen the muscle to ensure resilience, durability, and long-lasting pain relief in the future. It is important to release Quadratus Lumborum trigger points prior to strengthening the muscle because strengthening alone will not remove the constant muscle tension that can be causing pain. After thorough Quadratus Lumborum trigger point release, the next objective should be exercising the QL muscle to build strength and endurance in the low back.
Check out QL Claw and our article on Quadratus Lumborum strengthening exercises next!
Sources:
[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.