Pain Relief for the Low Back

Body Region:	Lumbar Region (low back)
Conditions Associated with TPs:	Sudden back pain, Sprain / Strain, Spasms, many varied organ referred pain patterns.
General Symptoms:	Slow to sudden onset of mild to severe low back pain. Stiffness, especially in the morning or after resting or driving.
Common Causal Activities:	Overuse or Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) or following trauma
Anatomy Picture:	. . . . . .. Paraspinal muscles . . . . . Deep Lumbar muscles
Self Care:	Tennis ball therapy works well. Using a hooked tool on the TP while pulling toward the front works well. See Detailed Instructions.
Therapist Care:	Because there are two distinct type of muscle regions they each are treated differently. The paraspinals are treated as in the thoracic spine. The lumbosacral muscles (those outside the paraspinals) are deep muscles and need a deep penetrating tool. With the hands use a double thumb post. If you are using a pointed tool make sure you are using a broad tip and letting the patient direct the amount of pressure you are using.
Special Notes:	Because the body has to work with ALL the muscles surrounding the trunk in order to balance and because the Psoas muscles are so important to walking they are often part of the low back syndrome. They will feel as low back pain but must be approached from the front of the spine. *Always make sure you check for Psoas muscles involvement.*
Click here for more detailed instructions