Back pain… and the multifidus

Lower back pain and the multifidus

Lower back pain is a hot topic. It’s been a hot topic for too long. It is probably because it is so widespread. A number of techniques have been developed to manage the condition over the years.

We stretch, we activate, and we strengthen… Overall, the vast majority of these methods that have been developed target the muscular-skeletal system.

A recent study published in 2016 stipulates that the brain might be involved in cases where there is back pain and a loss of control of the multifidus muscle, a stabilizer of the spine.

11 individuals in pain and 13 that showed no symptoms were studied.

We asked of these individuals to contract their lumbar multifidus muscle. What was shown is that the individuals that suffered from chronic back pain would exhibit weaker contractions of the muscle in question.
In order to contract a muscle, the sensory system of the individual needs to function well. This is where Posturology can help. By calibrating an individual’s posture, from head to toe, the sensation that muscle receptors send to the brain is improved, which can help in developing motor control. What this study demonstrates is that if we contract our lumbar multifidus more efficiently, we risk less back pain. Along the same thought, it would make sense to think that if you can contract any muscle more efficiently, you will function optimally. Somehow, it’s always about control!