So you stretch and still have tight hamstrings? here is why

Back Pain & Tight Hamstrings? If I had a dollar for every time someone tells me that their back pain is due to tight hamstrings I would be sitting on my own private island being served Pina Coladas right now. Yes, tight hamstrings play a role. rarely is the entire problem due to the biceps femoris and semitendinosus and semimembranosus. In case you were not aware of it these are the muscles that make up your hamstrings. Try and think of your leg as part of a whole unit that starts with your core stomach muscles and some little-known back muscles then into the pelvis and the gluteals before you get to the hamstrings. They make up what we call a motor unit. So backpain is rarely just due to the tightness in your hamstrings. The Erector Spinae muscle actually consists of three columns of muscles, the Iliocostalis, Longissimus, and Spinalis, each running parallel on either outer side of the vertebra and extending from the lower back of the skull all the way down to the Pelvis. The muscles that run parallel to the spine are called the multifidus muscles. Here lies a hidden gem when it comes to treating lower back pain, especially lower back pain that you might think of as tight hamstrings. I have yet to hear an orthopedic tell you that your problem could be due to a problem with your multifidus, maybe you have. I have been doing this for 30 years and am still waiting for an orthopedic to tell me this is the cause of lower back pain. The multifidus muscle is an important stabilizer of the lumbar spine. It functions together with transversus abdominis and pelvic floor muscles for spine stability. Multifidus muscle weakness and atrophy is associated with chronic low back pain. This muscle extends lengthwise down much of the spine and has 4 parts: Cervical (neck), thoracic (corresponding approximately with the upper and mid-back area), lumbar (your low back), and sacral (corresponding to the sacrum, which is below your low back. So if you overlook the importance of spinal stabilization you may never figure out your lower back problem. The multifidus extends the back, which is analogous to making an arching movement. These muscles also contribute to side bending (tilting) and rotation (aka twisting.) When both sides of the extensors (and the multifidus) contract, the result is back extension. When only one side contracts side bending and rotation motions are produced. Pretty important I would say. So if you are having a serious back problem that is not resolving the good news is that you may not have to live with chronic back pain especially if you find a practitioner who is educated enough to find the affected muscle groups and help fix them. Have a Question? Just AskThis podcast welcomes your feedback here are several ways to reach out to me. If you have a topic you would like to hear about send me a message.  I appreciate your listening. Dr. Brian Mc Kayhttps://twitter.com/DarienChiro/https://www.facebook.com/ChiropractorBrianMckayhttps://chiropractor-darien-dr-brian-mckay.business.sitehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-just-chiropractor-for-stamford-darien-norwalk-new/id1503674397?uo=4Core Health Darien-Dr.Brian Mc Kay 551 Post RoadDarien CT 06820203-656-363641.0833695 -73.46652073GMP+87 Darien, Connecticuthttps://youtu.be/WpA__dDF0O041.0834196 -73.46423349999999https://darienchiropractor.comhttps://darienchiropractor.com/darien/darien-ct-understanding-pain/Find us on Social Mediahttps://chiropractor-darien-dr-brian-mckay.business.site  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNHc0Hn85Iiet56oGUpX8rwhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nJ9wlvg2Tne8257paDkkIBEyIz-oZZYy/edit#gid=517721981https://goo.gl/maps/js6hGWvcwHKBGCZ88https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=Uhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/darienchiropractorhttps://www.facebook.com/ChiropractorBrianMckayhttps://sites.google.com/view/corehealthdarien/https://sites.google.com/view/corehealthdarien/home