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International Journal of Physiotherapy Research and Clinical Practice

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Rebalancing the Spine: A Novel Approach to Managing Quadratus Lumborum Dysfunction and Improving Spinal Mobility- A Case Report
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International Journal of Physiotherapy Research and Clinical Practice

DOI: 10.54839/ijprcp.v3i4.36

Year: 2024, Volume: 3, Issue: 4, Pages: 5-10

Case Report

Rebalancing the Spine: A Novel Approach to Managing Quadratus Lumborum Dysfunction and Improving Spinal Mobility- A Case Report

Routhu Hari Guruvulu1,∗, Suman Kumar Tadagonda2, Tejaswini Damerla1

1Spine physiotherapist, nSure Healthy Spine, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
2Sports medicine physician, nSure Healthy Spine, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

*Corresponding Author
Email: [email protected]

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Low back pain is a prevalent global health issue affecting millions of people, causing significant disability and economic burden. This condition encompasses nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain, and compensatory patterns sometimes often resulting from modern lifestyle factors such as prolonged sitting and reduced physical activity. Particularly in sitting professionals, musculoskeletal issues like quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle dysfunction can contribute to chronic lower back discomfort. A 31-year-old male software professional presenting with right-sided lower back pain underwent a comprehensive treatment protocol. The intervention included pain management, muscle energy techniques (MET), and a tailored seven-day exercise program focusing on the quadratus lumborum and iliopsoas muscles and deep segment muscles. Outcome measures included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Modified Schober's Test. Post-intervention assessment revealed significant improvements: VAS pain score reduced from 9 to 1, ODI score decreased from 32 to 11, and lumbar mobility (Schober's Test) increased from 12 to 20. The patient demonstrated enhanced muscular symmetry and corrected spinal alignment.

Keywords: Low back pain, Quadratus lumborum, Muscle energy technique, Myofascial release, Rehabilitation

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Copyright

© 2024 Published by Krupanidhi College of Physiotherapy. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

  • 19 February 2025

Year: 2024, Volume: 3, Issue: 4


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