Every part of the human body is interconnected, and a dysfunction in one area can disrupt the function of another. Even a minor issue can cause pain, often in a different part of the body. This situation may happen in lower back and hip area.
Anatomically, the lumbar spine is designed to provide stability, with a limited range of motion. It allows for some flexion in the sagittal plane and even less lateral flexion. Unfortunately, the lumbar spine has very limited rotational ability, which decreases with age. [1] Rotational capability is essential for a healthy, pain- free body. However, when the body is in a good health and mobile, the limited range of rotation in the lower back is not a problem because the hips are very mobility.
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint, providing a substantial range of motion in every plane. [2]. There is extensive rotational capability. Primary function of the hip joint is to provide dynamic support the weight of the body while facilitating force and load transmission from the axial skeleton to the lower extremities, allowing mobility. [3] Hips, are excellent rotation providers, as they are governed by a bulk of muscles, spreading around the femur in a formation, that covers all possible force directions.
Unfortunately, when untrained, they stiffen, changing the hip into a fortress- strong, but immobile. Looking for an alternative way to achieve global rotation, human body will ask the lumbar region for help. In this case, it can be very mobile by default, but this comes at the cost of decreased stabilization. Erector spinae muscles will try to support this new demand for rotation, but they were not designed to do so, hence soon, they’ll be painfully overworked.
Of course, this is just one mechanism behind lower back pain. Hip stiffness can cause back pain, but the root cause may lie elsewhere.
- Nakanishi, Shigetaka, i in. „Reference values of lumbar spine range of motion by sex and age based on the assessment of supine trunk lateral bending-A preliminary study”. Fukushima Journal of Medical Science, t. 70, nr 1, 2024, s. 25–33. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.5387/fms.2023-24
- Mihcin, Senay, i in. „Wearable Motion Capture System Evaluation for Biomechanical Studies for Hip Joints”. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, t. 143, nr 4, april 2021, s. 044504. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4049199
- Gold, Maks, i in. „Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Hip Joint”. StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2024. PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470555