Can One Back Muscle Hold the Key?

There are numerous back muscles, as well as posture muscles that lend stability to the trunk. For most people, stability equals freedom from back pain.

According to at least one author, a very special back muscle may be the one holding the key to trunk stability. The multifidus lies deep under other back muscles and connects between individual vertebrae to help you stand upright. For people with no low back pain, the muscle contracts when you are fully upright, or, as some people phrase it "standing up straight". But for those with low back pain, researchers found that this muscle starts to max out well before upright posture is reached - 25 degrees forward of ideal alignment, as measured by a plumb line, in fact. Researchers also found that the multifidus seems to change in size according to posture, as well as any presence of disk herniation.

If you would like to learn more about this magical muscle, allow me to recommend a great book entitled The Multifidus Back Pain Solution Book. The book is based entirely on research, and the clinical experience of its author, a physical therapist, and is geared for the non-medical person who struggles with back pain.

| Multifidus Back Pain Solution | Causes of Poor Posture | Illustrated Guide to the Parts of the Spinal Bones |

_{Sources:
Danneels LA, Vanderstraeten GG, Cambier DC, Witvrouw EE, De Cuyper HJ. CT Imaging of Trunk Muscles in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients and Healthy Control Subjects Eur Spine J August 2000
Lee SW, Chan CK, Lam TS, Lam C, Lau NC, Lau RW, Chan ST. Relationship between low back pain and lumbar multifidus size at different postures. Spine 2006 Sep 1
Zhao WP, Kawaguchi Y, Matsui H, Kanamori M, Kimura T. Histochemistry and morphology of the multifidus muscle in lumbar disc herniation: comparative study between diseased and normal sides. Spine. 2000 Sep 1}