Most people have suffered back pain and it will be worse at some times than others. While good posture and lifting technique will help prevent it, the cause is often left untreated. Tight hamstrings are very often neglected but can be a major reason back problems develop.
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What Causes Tight Hamstrings
Hamstrings are the muscles at the back of your upper leg. They start at the base of your hips, run behind the knee and connect to the bones of your lower leg. They are primarily responsible for bending your leg. But they also play a large part in keeping your pelvis in the correct position. Spending many hours sitting down, whether at desk, driving or watching TV, causes your hamstrings to shorten and become less flexible. As do activities like jogging, lifting weights, or anything else that involves using your hamstrings to bend your leg.
In contrast, bending at the waist with your legs straight will lengthen the hamstrings. Most people do this a few times a day at most however, so it does little to undo the hours spent sitting or running.
How Tight Hamstrings Cause Back Pain
The muscles of your upper leg connect to the lower parts of your pelvis and the muscles of your back the upper parts. Together they play a major role in its alignment during certain activities. For example, your pelvis has one position it would prefer to be in while standing upright and another it would prefer to be in while sitting down. Also, as you bend forward or do squats your pelvis tilts. This is why good technique involves all of the muscles connecting to it, including your hamstrings.
Unfortunately hamstrings that are tight or considerably weaker than the muscles of your thigh can prevent this. Sitting for long periods or standing with your pelvis in a poor position can allow your hamstrings to shorten. In turn this means it becomes difficult or in some cases impossible to have good posture, making the problem worse.
The constant pulling effect from tight or weak hamstrings can also lead to pain in the lower back(1).
How To Treat Tight Hamstrings
The ultimate goal when tight hamstrings are leading to back pain is to correct bad posture. This stars with your hamstrings becoming more flexible. There are various stretches for this which should be done every day to start with. As they loosen up the frequency can be decreased, but the best way to achieve this is with massage. In some cases back pain may prevent stretches being done at all, which is why it’s always best to consult a qualified massage therapist.
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