Quadratus Lumborum Stretch

‘QL’ is short for Quadratus Lumborum – a deep muscle of the low-back. QL spans from the top of the hips to the last rib, connecting the hips to the spine.

QL is often a source of low-back pain.  QL provides lateral core stability and it often both tight and weak.  “Desk jockeys” that sit with the ribcage shifted to one side are setting up a potential QL imbalance.

QL provides the same stabilizing function as the lateral line (image courtesy of Tom Myers – www.AnatomyTrains.com) at a deeper ‘core’ level – giving support to the front & back of the body.

Many runners and athletes that train exclusively in frontal plane movements (running, lunging) are lacking lateral core stability – anti-lateral flexion endurance and could benefit from incorporating side-planks into their warm-up.

Whether stretching or strengthening QL – the important consideration is side-to-side differences.  A strength/endurance difference of greater than 5% in the side-plank, for example, has been shown to be correlated with low-back pain.

Quadratus Lumborum Strengthening

– Kevin Kula, “The Flexibility Coach”, Creator of FlexibilityRx™

Tags: Core-Four lower, lateral line, low-back pain, QL stretch, quadratus lumborum stretch