Lower crossed (sore back) syndrome

Do you sit at a desk? Me too. For more time than I care to admit. How much time do you spend re-setting your posture or changing position or getting up for a stretch? Yeah, me neither. And I wonder why my back hurts. One thing that may be contributing to our discomfort is called lower crossed syndrome. Now, I'm not saying this is the only contributor, or even that it is contributing, for that you would need to be assessed properly. What I am saying is that this is a common issue with all us desk jockeys out there and it can be combatted with some simple moves that don't require a gym membership.

Let's first talk about what we are dealing with. Think of muscles like guy wires. Each joint has guy wires on each side of it that control how it moves (or doesn't move). In this case we are talking about the joints above and below your pelvis (lumbar spine and hips). Sitting in a typical "desk" posture can cause muscles in the lower back and others that flex your hips to become shortened and tight (sore). The muscles (guy wires) opposite them (abs and glutes) become long and weak. Over time, this imbalance can lead to whats called an anterior pelvic tilt; it just means your pelvis is tilted forward. It doesn't happen overnight, but it happens.

So, what to do? Well, we need to strengthen (shorten) the weak, long muscles and lengthen (stretch) the tight, short, grumpy muscles so we can be balanced again. Here are some exercises to get you started. 

Remember: these should not hurt. Feel the stretch, not pain. Only do what you can with proper form, the sets/reps given are a guideline only. Focus on your breathing and feeling the proper muscles involved. Quality of movement not quantity. Listen to your body.

Modified child's pose gets at the muscles affecting the lower back (erectors, quadratus lumborum, latissimus dorsi). Really reach across and try and feel/ create separation between your ribs and hip! 

This hip flexor stretch is awesome! Not only does it stretch a hard to get at muscle (ilio-psoas), it improves your hip and ankle mobility and gets your core stabilizers working. Feel like there is a cable attached to your belt above your down leg. It's pulling you forward while you maintain a vertical spine. The ilio-psoas pulls your knee toward your chest (hip-flexor) and is attached to your lumbar spine so when it is tight, lower back pain is often the symptom. 

Ahhh...glute bridges, everyones favourite. If you haven't figured it out, the gluteals are the muscles that make up your butt. Sitting for long periods can "de-activate" them. Let's get them firing again! If you are getting cramps in your hamstrings when you do these then you aren't concentrating on squeezing your butt hard enough. If they are too easy, try lifting one foot off the ground, bringing your knee toward your chest while keeping your pelvis level and your hip, knee, foot inline. Yeah, I thought so.

Dead bugs. Don't underestimate this one. Get into a rhythm with your breathing. You'll feel it. If you use a ball like I am in the picture, squeeze it between your hand and knee while you are reaching with the opposite hand and foot. "Bracing" means feel your core muscles engaged/ activated. If you need to reset your core between each rep, do it!

You can think of these in terms of sets and reps or you can do them for time, say 30s each set to start. I like to think in terms of breaths, 5 breaths is about 20s, you get the idea. When you can do them easily with proper form, add more time.

You can do these everyday- roll out of bed onto your yoga matt and give them a try, it won't hurt you and it just might reduce your low back pain. 

Enjoy! No really!