Let’s make this very clear: we need to stop using the lower back to perform the functions of the hips and posterior muscle chain! When we forget how to use hip joints, a very common and potentially dangerous domino-effect occurs: muscles that are usually activated fall by the way side and weaken, but the range of motion must still be accounted for, and the lower back usually picks up the slack. This is bad because the lower back is already facing enough challenge trying to account for the weight of the upper body and a stabilizer for forces that transfer across the body. 

An example of this is how we use our backs to lift. Everyone has heard the maxim, “lift with your legs, not the back.” Despite this, most of us still bend at the waist and lift with the back. Instead, you are supposed to squat down to the object and then thrust forward with the hips to initiate the lifting motion. It’s no wonder that compromised range of motion in the hips is leading to lower back pain when the lumbar region is being asked to perform lifts and twists on a daily basis. 

So we can see that hip mobility is important. But how do we regain what was lost? At Associates in Chiropractic, we are here to help you with this challenge: whether by working on soft tissues to free them up from tension, realigning the vertebrae in the lower back to dispel nerve irritation, teaching you about proper body mechanics and how to apply them, healing pain or establishing stretching and strengthening to condition these muscles, we are your resource! 

Dr. Albert Stabile, D.C.