Do you remember that song when you were a child, “the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone”? Well, as simply stated as it is, it is 100% true. Bones connect to the bones above and below, meaning their alignment impacts the joint above and below it. The same goes for the musculature surrounding these bones. Each muscle has an origin and insertion, meaning it starts attaching to one bone and ends attaching to another bone. With this, each muscle must cross a joint to have an impact on that joint. So lets bring it back to the front of the hip impacting the back.
The hip flexor, medically called the psoas major, crosses the hip joint to allow for hip flexion, bringing the knee in towards the chest. But this muscle causes a much larger impact on the body than it’s designated action. As I’ve talked about before, the sitting disease is LITERALLY KILLING US. It not only contributes to the significant lack of activity adults experience with a sedentary 9am-5pm, 40+ hours/week job, but it has long-term impacts on posture leading to chronic issues such as low back pain. With a sedentary work life, the front of the hip becomes significantly tighter than designed. With this tightness, individuals tend to hunch forward slightly, in time causing the elderly to walk while looking at the floor. It also impacts the position on the low back.
This muscle (the psoas major) attaches up into the front of the lumbar spine (lower back). As it tightens, it pulls and tilts the hips forward, causing a larger curve in the back than is normal. We call this an increased lumbar lordosis. This lordotic posture contributes to narrowing of the spaces in the spine, causing symptoms that may be comparable to nerve impingement or achy arthritis. Arthritis occurs when there is decreased space between the joints, and in any joint it can be diagnosed by an x-ray. However, while these symptoms may be related to what appears to be lumbar stenosis (arthritis), mechanical inequalities and decreased tissue length resulting in an altered low back/hip position may be the primary contributing factors. A physical therapist can help diagnose an altered low back/hip position and provide educational stretches/postural awareness exercises to ensure that you can change what is in your control! Don’t let work control you 24/7 with the long-term impact a sedentary job can have on your life. Get up and move around as frequently as you can, and see a professional to help you stay on top of these muscular imbalances. You won’t be disappointed when you’re walking tall into your 80s and 90s!