Understanding Low Back Pain

Last Updated on April 4, 2024

Low back pain at the Iliac crest is a common condition.  

As Sports Medicine Acupuncturists® we are well equipped to diagnose and treat this type of back pain.

The iliac crest is the top of the ilium or “hip bone” in the low back.  It is the highest portion of the pelvis. It is the bone that your hands land on when you put your hands on your hips. Pain in this region is referred to as iliac crest syndrome.

There are several muscles and muscle groups in this region.  Two of the groups which are particularly important for treating this syndrome are the iliocostalis and the quadratus lumborum.

The iliocostalis is the more superficial of these two muscles. It is the most lateral of the erector spinea muscles. This muscle extends the back, the motion we do when arching backward.

The quadratus lumborum is a deeper muscle. It connects the iliac crest to the 12th rib, the lowest rib. This muscle bends the trunk to the side.

As you can see in the image both of these muscles are attached to the iliac crest.  They both also become pain-producing sites.

Hip imbalance is often involved with iliac crest syndrome. Hip imbalance occurs when the hips are tilted forward or backward increasing or decreasing the back arch. It could also mean the hips are unevenly rotated or elevated where one hip would be higher than the other hip.

When treating iliac crest syndrome, it is essential to treat the pain producing muscles but the muscles involved in hip imbalance muscle also be treated. Acupuncture and manual therapy, when correctly applied, are great treatments for this type of pain.

At Inner Gate Acupuncture we understand how to diagnose and treat this common type of low back pain.