Myofascial origins of low back pain

Abstract

Trigger points (TPs) in muscles of the lower torso associated with the spine are an important cause of low back pain. The quadratus lumborum is the muscle most commonly involved, but TPs located there are often overlooked because of inadequate physical examination techniques. TPs in the lower rectus abdominis refer pain horizontally across the low back, and those in the iliopsoas refer pain in a vertical pattern, parallel to the lumbosacral spine. The pain pattern of TPs in the serratus posterior inferior is noted in the region of the muscle itself.