Category : Hamstrings

Lower Back Pain

Posted by admin at 5:06 pm

So a new friend of mine has two problems;
1. Lack of Flexibility
2. Lower Back Pain

I have blogged about this before. LOWER BACK PAIN is linked to FLEXIBILITY! People I cannot stress to you the importance of having good flexibility. A lot of the time lower back pain is caused by inflexibility. This is because the muscles of he hamstrings and gluets are connected to your lower back. If they are tight they are going to pull on your lower back  muscles and cause you pain!

The muscles of the posterior thigh are called the Hamstrings. The hamstrings are actually made up of three different muscles. The semitendinosus, semimembranosus and the biceps femoris.

Now when your hamstrings are tight they can limit your mobility and cause back pain as well. The reason is that tight hamstrings will tilt the pelvis backwards which flattens the lumbar curvature also known as the lordotic curve of the lower back.

Please click the link above to see some common stretches that you can do every day to relieve the pain and increase your flexibility.

Another thing about back pain is that it can also be caused by weak abdominal muscles. If your core is weak then you are more likely to suffer from back pain because your back muscles will be over compensating for your weak core. This means you need to do ab work.

I suggest these exercises to start with. They are all static to prevent from hurting your back more. Do these for 3 weeks to build up strength then you can move on to more abdominal work that requires movement.

Static Abdominal Crunch.
- Opposite arm to opposite leg
- Try holding for 30s and slowly increase time for each side

- Keep belly button pulled toward spine the entire time
- Creat a V with your body using your arms and legs
- Try holding for 30s and slowly increase

Static One Legged V-Sit

- Keep belly button pulled toward spine the entire time
- Creat a V with your body using your arms and legs while one leg is held 1 inch above the ground
- Try holding for 30s each leg and slowly increase the time each week.

THE POSTERIOR CHAIN!

Posted by admin at 1:17 pm

The muscles in the back of your body are what physiologists call the “Posterior Chain.” These muscles start at the ERECTOR SPINAE go to the GLUTES, HAMSTRINGS and down to the CALVES.

The erector spinae are a muscle that alighns the back of y our spine and go from the base of your skull down. Their structure is similar to that of a cable.

Your Glutes are usually referred to as your butt haha…but it should be known that the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body. There are two other muscles underlying the minimus and the medius glutes. The gluteus maximus generates the power to sit, stand and run, while the minimus and the medius keep you balanced and from going to the left or right i.e tipping over.

The hamstrings consists of three muscles the semitendonoisis, semimembranosis and the biceps femoris. These muscles run along the back of your legs and go from the inside of your sit bones to the outsides of your knees. The Hamstrings stabalize the hip and knee joints.

The calves are made up of the outer muscles and the inner muscles which is called the soleus. These muscles are used to lift your heels and to flex your knees which means they are very important for explosive power events…including sprints.

SOOOOOO KEEP the muscles of your POSTERIOR CHAIN in check! STRENGTHEN THEM AND WORK ON THEIR FLEXIBILITY!,,

Lower Back Pain/Tight Hamstrings

Posted by admin at 12:29 pm

When I was competing in Nova Scotia and at Dalhousie I suffered from back pain as many people do whether they are an athlete or not. However at that time my L5 sat posterior on my S1, so I went to physio and did a lot of core work and the problem was fixed. This isnt always the case for everyone though.

Some of you may not know but your back can be directly effected by the hamstrings! Yep I said it your hamstrings…those muscles in the back of your legs.

The muscles of the posterior thigh are called the Hamstrings. The hamstrings are actually made up of three different muscles. The semitendinosus, semimembranosus and the biceps femoris.

Now when your hamstrings are tight they can limit your mobility and cause back pain as well. The reason is that tight hamstrings will tilt the pelvis backwards which flattens the lumbar curvature also known as the lordotic curve of the lower back.

Trainers use tests to determine injuries or problematic areas. One such test is the leg raise test (lie supine, limbs horizontal, one heel is to be lifted and fez the hip joint with the knee extended.) Sometimes there is pain when this performed and it is commonly confused with siatic pain. When I was in Ottawa competing for the Ottawa Lions I think that I was misdiagnosed with the siatic vs hamstrings because I have had really tight hamstrings in the past and now that I stretch more I have less pain when running.

Also LADIES this lordotic curve that can be effected by tight hamstrings effects your booty…so if youre desiring a delicious booty dont just do squats and lunges till the cows come home work on your hamstring flexibility so you see that lordotic curvature in your back because it will help essentuate your booty!

Here are some hamstring stretches curtosey of The University Of Alberta:

Stretches should be held for 30-60secs and done on both sides Repeat stretches 2-3 times Stretches should be held at the point where a “good/comfortable” stretch is felt and runner should not be bouncing (this produces a counter effect)
Hamstring Stretch 1 Sit on the floor with left leg stretched out forward and your right leg bent Keep your back straight and slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch along the back of your thigh Keep your left toes pointing towards the ceiling
Hamstring Stretch 2 With a step/stool/chair placed in front of you Place your right heel on the step and keep your toes pulled towards you Keep your left leg straight and bend at the hips forward (back stays straight) You should feel the stretch along the back of the right thigh
Hamstring Stretch 3 Lying on the floor with your back flat on the ground, slowly raise your right leg up towards the ceiling Wrap hands around the right thigh and try to straighten your right knee until you feel a good stretch in back of the right thigh (note you may not be able to get the leg fully straight)
	Hamstring Stretch Region of Tension The highlighted area is where you should feel the above hamstring stretches Remember that stretching should not cause pain