Assess & Address	See Issue 111 Other Assess & Address Articles
Lumbar Muscle Strains by Whitney Lowe
Pathology Assessment & Evaluation Treatment Massage Techniques

Low-back pain is one of the primary reasons people seek the care of a massage therapist. It is estimated that 70 percent of Americans will experience at least one episode of low-back pain during their lifetime. For many, there will be recurrent episodes. In this article we look at one of the more common structural and functional problems, which is the lumbar muscle strain.

Accurately identifying the cause of low-back pain remains an obstacle to its treatment. Muscle strains are often used as a blanket diagnosis without fully evaluating the problem. There are other possible causes of low-back pain; for example, spinal stenosis (narrowing or constriction), herniated intervertebral discs, myofascial trigger points, spondylolysis, and structural, functional or psychogenic problems. It is increasingly clear that most back-pain problems are multidimensional, involving anatomy, physiology and biomechanics, as well as important psychosocial factors. However, the muscle strain is a more clear-cut problem.

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