Quadratus Lumborum strain - anyone else?

Training
1

Came out of nowhere on Saturday. No warning at all. Absolutely crippling.

Did a two hour productive endurance ride on the trainer the day before, and other than a little residual soreness from some deadlifting a week or so ago no issues at all with my back. Now I can hardly walk.

Intense pain in lower left back and into the outside of the hip and side/front of thigh. I’ve seen an osteopath but it just seems to be a case of waiting for it to go away.

Anyone else had this?

2

I used to get them all the time lifting weights. Physio worked best for me using some soft tissue work but they also prescribed some exercises

  • banded clam shells
  • banded deadbugs (keeping lower back flat to the floor)
  • banded bird dogs (slow as you can)

That’s it really unless you have some underlying imbalances or whatever. It goes quite quickly, I used to have to abandon the current session, but I was fine for the next. Makes you focus even more on keeping a good brace position when lifting. Belt or no belt.

Oh and I use heat packs or baths. Seems to help.

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Thanks will look at all of that when it eases.

I think the origins were the deadlifting but the soreness had practically gone when the QL struck. In fact before it struck I was planning some light deadlifting in the afternoon. Half an hour later I could barely dress myself. Bizarre.

4

Also, my wife suggested a hot bath but I fear I wouldn’t be able to get out of it again at the moment. Giving a hot water bottle a go and that seems to ease it up a bit.

5

Anecdotally, a lacrosse ball into whatever side the QL you’ve hurt is, will be a good relief. Even if it’s a placebo it works for me.

Likely just fatigued muscles.

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6

If the pain is referring into the front or side of your thigh it is unlikely it is a QL strain. That would be point tenderness to that area - pain side-bending away, and maybe pain with lumbar flexion - especially if you bend forward and to the opposite side.

Referring pain into the thigh is much more likely to be joint and spine related - especially with your mechanism of injury (deadlifting before hand).

Also, the “crippling” type of pain - less likely to be muscular in the spine than a lumbar “strain”.

I would get checked out by a competent and thorough PT/physio

7

Thanks all for the input. This has gradually eased thanks to a couple of osteopath sessions, rest and stretching. I also randomly found some helpful stretches via www.calispine.com

Peculiar how these things can suddenly come out of nowhere.

8

The best massage device.