Can My Hips Be Causing My Low Back Pain?
Do you have low back pain?
It’s kind of a trick question, because pretty much everyone has low back pain at some time.
It may not always be acute. But once you have it, it always feels like it’s lurking.
What causes it?
And how to get rid of it?
Those are million-dollar questions. But the answers may not be as complicated as you think.
Enter: the hips.
Illuminate me…
The hips and the low back aren’t just close to each other, they’re connected by lots of structures and soft tissue. So, even if a hip muscle isn’t connected directly to the low back, it’s connected to something that’s connected to the low back.
Many of the hip muscles can cause low back pain if they’re tight because of that close relationship.
One of the most common is the hamstrings. When they’re tight they tend to pull the pelvis into posterior tilt which puts stress on the vertebrae right above the pelvis (also known as the low back).
Stretching them can help. One of my favorites is the wide-leg rolldown.
Try it.
Stand with your back against the wall.
Spread your legs wider than hip distance with your feet slightly turned out.
Peel your spine away from the wall slowly, rounding down. Keep the back of your pelvis against the wall.
Keep your core active to help round your spine up and over your hips and elongate your low back.
If you can bring your fingertips to the ground, great. If not, have a block handy to rest your hands on. Let your head hang.
Take 3 breaths.
Reach both hands toward the outside of your right ankle, keeping both sides of the pelvis against the wall.
Take 3 breaths.
Reach both hands toward the outside of your left ankle, keeping both sides of the pelvis against the wall.
Take 3 breaths.
Bring the hands back to center.
Bend the knees and slowly round back up against the wall.
Repeat 2-3x.
There could be any number of reasons you have low back pain. Even if yours isn’t related to the hamstrings, keeping them long and strong is great for hip health and your body in general.
If you have low back pain, try this. Let us know how it works. We’d love to hear from you.