Unforgiving Erectors

[Tara C]

I've worked on someone several times recently whose erectors can't release. He says it's been an issue for him since he was a kid. Each time I finish, he says I could have worked deeper, which is confounding since last time he was on the table I spent 30 minutes grinding into his back with frorearms and elbows.I also worked his hips, neck and scaps. The work on his shoulders was much more successful, but didn't seem to help with the erectors. I used a lot of rocking throughout the treatment which also didn't help.

The thought occurs that maybe TP or MFR might be helpful, but I'm not sure footed in either of those techniques. I did try some skin rolling and pincer technique (I think; getting a hunk of muscle and pulling it away from the bone).

Wondering about synergist/ aneforum.xxxonist muscles I might work?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[2010]

I wonder if there is anything going on on the front (anteriorly) that might be perpetuating the erector tightness (?).

 

[Rob C]

Is there something that he is doing frequently that keep his erectors in this state?

Is there a postural imbalance? Has he seen a Chiropractor?

Just some questions I thought I would throw out there.

 

[bored]

He tells me there is nothing he does to perpetuate the problem, it's just something that's been there a long time. I thought about abdominal work but am unsure about the potential results. The only ab work we've learned has been very superficial, more about the viscera than the muscles.

He hasn't seen a chiro at this point, and to my fairly untrained eye, there don't appear to be any dramatic postural issues. Last time I worked on him, he hyper-extended his back in order to talk to me and the things jumped out about 3 inches. I know he doesn't do any stretching or maintenance work, which I'm sure isn't helping. I suggested he try rolling against a wall with tennis balls in a sock; he kind of rolled his eyes and said yeah, maybe.

I suppose persuading him to go see a chiro might be a good thing to try next.

Thanks for the replies.

Greg

 

[anatomyteacher01]

Have you tried working the erectors while he's supine?

 

[Cienna]

I've tried fulcruming (rolling finger points up into the muscle and holding them there), and tractioning from the fulcrum. I thought that might be the answer, since the tendency would be to relax the back when supine. He never "melted" around the hold like I was hoping he would. I'm thinking maybe I didn't hold the fulcrum long enough...

 

[missbeans]

His glutes and hamstrings may be inhibited. Try applying an inhibitory pressure in to the errectors while stimulating the glutes at the same time. This is more of a neurologic approach. Perhaps he may respond better by letting his body do the work instead of the invasive grinding. Also have him walk backwards for a certain distance. This has been known to strengthen glutes. The key to this though is to make sure he doesn't look backwards while he's doing this, so have him set off a distance where he knows he will ot run into anything.

 

[The Dark Knight.]

i suffer from this same problem

I am a MT. I haveben suffering from this same thing for about 10 months. It is painful and exhausting to say the least.
My pain started while putting my bookbag (rolling luggage) in the car after student clinic one night./ I picked it up with the right hand turned, rotated my body towards the car and then lifted up to clear the door..and that is all she wrote. the ripping burning pain I felt was unbelieveable!!
I have been getting heat, stem, and attempted chiro.. nothing would release.. UNTIL>> my chiro thought that there might be a body system imbalalce.. so she started me on supplements. I take a multi vitamin, calcium lactate, and trac minerals.. all natural, chewable the GROSSEST thing to chew, so I now swollow them.. and after 2 weeks of supplements I finally got a release in the midback thoracics.. NOTHING moved for months and now I feel 100% better..
FULCRUM, HEAT, STEM, CHIRO, SUPPLEMENTS..
TRY SUPPLEMENTS.. I take a line of vitamins ONLY allowed to be distributed my doctors... called SP (standard process inc)
Hope this helps

 

[Law Man]

I would like to know a bit of info about his lifestyle. I'm curious what he does for a living. Does he sit in front of a computer all day? Does he work outdoors installing roofs? What types of hobbies -- cerebral or physical? Let's get some ideas on how he is using his body on a daily basis.

I would think stretching the psoas muscles would help to loosen his back. Do you have a large exercise ball that he can lie on in a supine position and help stretch out his abs? I know this greatly helps my back.

Also...I've dealt with a low back rotational injury that left my erectors hard as rocks. The only thing that helped get them released was sitting in one of those great massage chairs (while getting a pedicure) and locating the massage heads against my lumbar erectors in petrissage and percussive motions at their maximum settings. It took about twenty minutes of this type of intense work, alternating between the two settings but my erectors did release. It was a wonderful feeling. t041

 

[Nicholas]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, folks.
Intuit, he is a very cerebral person, and does spend a large amount of time in front of the computer. I will suggest he try an exercise ball next time I see him, and will even suggest a pedicure (although our school has one of those massaging chairs!! Maybe I"ll see about getting permission to use it.) I have to look into psoas stretches, as none come to mind.

Clear Intention, I like the sound of what you're suggesting, but need clarification. By inhibitory pressure, do you mean simply static pressure, or something else? And how much pressure? By "stimulating the glutes", I assume you mean massage? Or ROM?

 

[Mark the zoophylist]

Ahhh, he sits in front of a computer a lot.

One thing that might be helpful is to discuss ergonomics and how his work station is set up. ...talking about the type of chair he sits in, if there is lumbar support, if it is at the right height for him. Then move to the actual desk layout, monitor position and height, keyboard/mouse position and height. ...Whether he is using his ear and shoulder to hold the phone in place while he's working on the computer rather than using a headset.

All of these things are critical to his posture and will influence his erectors. This is important because if his lifestyle puts his body in the same strain patterns day-after-day, then no matter what great work you do he will continue to have this problem.

I would also want to know if he has (and uses) lumbar support in his vehicle for the same reasons.

One of the suggestions I make to clients who sit at a desk day-in and day-out is to start incorporating 2-3 minutes of stretching in the opposite direction into every hour they are sitting behind the desk. I often tell them to consider their posture and how gravity is constantly pulling on their body. The human body has a certain amount of cellular memory and if they are spending huge amounts of time in one position then their body starts to think that is the position/posture it is supposed to have. It doesn't take much to look around an office of people sitting behind computers all day to see how bad their postures are! It is necessary to break themselves out and away from sitting in that one position which is where the few minutes of stretching in the opposite direction comes in.

Here is one idea I use for psoas stretching: With client lying supine on the massage table close to the edge. Take the leg closest to the edge off of the table and allow it to gently (read controlled) drop down, off and away from the table. Once it is in this position you ask the client to gently lift their leg upwards -- as if bringing the leg back to the top of the table -- while you are gently resisting in a downward motion (your hands flat on the thigh just above the knee). Hold resistance for count of ten and release. The clients leg will drop down to the next level of resistance. Repeat stretch. Then have client slide to the other edge of table and repeat on other leg.

This stretch will help to loosen and lengthen the psoas muscle making it much easier to do abdominal work should you decide to venture into that arena.

A more advanced technique would have the practitioner gently palpating and working the psoas while it is in resistance. I strongly suggest caution with this work as it is possible for a very sensitive psoas to cramp.

Let me know if you get him to go get a pedicure! :

 

[AssCreamMa]

Also find out whether he sleeps on his back or not. Sleeping on the back straightens out the spine causing the erectors to be stretched out. Combine that with sitting down all day, probably slouching forcing them to contract for hours at a time, and there you go.

 

[sharkyincanada]

If he sits at his computer alot, his psoas may be very hypertonic, in which case due to lower-crossed syndrome, the errectors would be very tight as well. Try inhibbiting the psoas, or some stretches and that may reflexively relax the errectors!