Postural deviations are often a primary source of injuries and can result in unilateral asymmetries, abnormal bony skeletal alignments, or poor mechanics of movement. Because so many sports and athletic activities are unilateral in nature, there is often a greater requirement for muscular contraction from one side of the body than the other, or between opposing muscle groups. Such is the case with racquet sports, throwing events in track, baseball, football, or any other activity where the athlete relies primarily on one side of his or her body.

Likewise, athletes in running and jumping sports often develop imbalances in hamstring and quadriceps strength which ultimately leads to poor performance and even injury. Muscular imbalances forces the body to compensate to regain its center of gravity. Such skeletal or muscular imbalance between opposing muscular groups or between the right and left side of the body can drastically hinder proper exercise form and result in faulty performance and set the stage for injury.

Common Cause of Back Problems

One of the more common aspects of the structural imbalance that causes back problems involves the relationship or angle of the pelvis to the other structures of the lumbar spine. This is generally referred to as the pelvic angle or pelvic tilt.

Disorders of pelvic tilt involve a misalignment of the pelvis either forward or backward, and can create unnatural stress to the entire lower back. An excess pelvic tilt will cause an increase in the normal lumbar curve or lordosis, causing what is commonly termed a swayback condition. On the other hand, a decrease in the normal pelvic tilt will result in a straightening of the normal lumbar curve. Either condition can result in abnormal stress and strains on the lower back.

The primary source of lower back pain produced by faulty biomechanics generally occurs at the joint surfaces (known as facet joints) between two or more adjacent vertebrae. The normally smooth gliding movement of one pair of facets over the other becomes impaired, and when an athlete continues pushing past the point where the activity produces pain, those spinal joints can be driven together and impacted. The results: acute pain, deep joint inflammation, swelling and a severely limited range of motion. This condition is commonly termed facet syndrome, facet impingement, or frozen facets.

The major contributing factors leading to faulty lumbar biomechanics include: underdeveloped hamstring muscles in relation to the quadriceps muscle group, weak lumbar extensor muscles, overly tight and inflexible hip and lumbar flexor muscles, and weak abdominal muscles. Each of these conditions by itself or in combination with another can affect the normal angle of the pelvis and create biomechanical instability. During athletic competition, exercise, or for that matter, during any physical activity, an excess pelvic tilt and its associated lumbar instability can result in disabling lumbar and/or sacroiliac pain.

Another common injury, the classic pulled hamstring muscle, has been found to be associated with biomechanical instability. Overdeveloped psoas muscles, which act as the primary hip flexors, can cause a forward pelvic tilt. As a result, the muscles that make up the hamstring group are in a constant state of stretch. When put in a position where they must forcibly undergo a further stretch, such as in running or jumping, the muscles tear. Not only are these muscles injured, but now the pelvis is allowed to be pulled forward even more, creating additional problems in the form of lower lumbar pain.

Corrective Exercises

Correcting and preventing pelvic tilt, along with stabilization of the lumbar spine and prevention of future lower back and associated injuries, can be achieved through a program of corrective exercises. The primary goal should be to include sufficient bilateral exercises to ensure against any undesirable excessive unilateral muscular development.

It is important to remember that development of the antagonistic muscle groups (stabilizing muscles) is necessary to offset and counter forces exerted by the agonistic muscles (the muscles responsible for the primary movement) and establish stability as well as assist in the development of proper muscular balance.

This involves a combination of strength and flexibility work. Specifically, the muscles that should be emphasized for lower back stability include: abdominal, lumbar extensor, lumbar flexor, as well as the hamstring and quadriceps muscle groups. Be sure to exercise each area equally and bilaterally. Concentrate on developing each muscle group to its fullest potential. This way, you reduce your chances of overdeveloping one muscle at the expense of another. Work each exercise from a position of complete extension to complete flexion and back to complete extension to avoid a strength deficiency anywhere throughout the range of motion.

It is equally important to select the most effective exercises. Some of the old abdominal standbys, such as the straight leg raise and straight legs sit-up, can create or aggravate a lumbar instability. These two exercises exert a strong pulling and shortening effect upon the muscles responsible for hip flexion, which can result in a forward pelvic tilt and an undesirable increase in the lumbar curve. For this reason, all abdominal exercise should be performed with the knees bent.

Lat but not least, don't forget flexibility exercises. Hamstrings, quadriceps and lower back stretches should be included during each training session. Incorporating these simple steps in your training routine will help prevent a leading contributor to lower back pain: pelvic instability.

By taking these positive steps to ensure that your training program is not responsible for creating unilateral strength imbalances, undesirable strength ratios between opposing muscle groups, or hindering flexibility, you can minimize your chances of suffering from biomechanical induced lower back pain and lost training time.