My Quadratus Lumborum
I must admit I am new to the pickleball world. A tennis diehard, I was not an early adapter to this exploding sport. I was a sideline critic watching tennis court after tennis court succumb to pickleballers. Fast forward to February this year when my girlfriends were signing up for lessons and loving it. The writing was on the wall – learn to play or be left out of the fun.
Now I’m playing pretty close to 6 hours a week – often in 2-hour increments. I suspect this will likely increase as I am now on 4 WhatsApp groups for pickleball players!
What’s interesting as an acupuncturist is hearing the number of women prior to their games complaining about their shoulder pain, hip pain, elbows, and knee pain. As we’re standing around waiting for our court, they’re rubbing their hips and massaging their shoulders. Is it stopping them from playing? Doesn’t seem to be but what amazes me is they’re not seeking treatment for it. Full disclosure – I do no stretch before or after my games – so no judgement here.
While I’m standing watching them rub their injured area, I can’t help but wonder why they’re not getting regular acupuncture. I know from personal experience if you treat a muscle when it’s sore you can relieve the pain almost immediately and stop it from getting worse just by needling the motor point to that muscle. If you apply electrical stimulation especially to hips, shoulders and arm you can release the pain from the entire areas. This works especially well for rotator cuffs yet time and time again people will say, “Oh I went to my physiotherapist, and they gave me some exercises.” Great but you still have sore tight muscles.
As I sit here writing this blog my back muscles, specifically my quadrates lumborum – low back muscle, is killing me. I’ve been feeling this muscle get tighter and tighter and I know if I ignore the deep dull ache much longer it’s going to go to sharp stabbing pain and I won’t be able to play pickleball until I get it resolved.
What’s the treatment I will seek – first moving cupping. It works the fascia layer of the muscle and does a good job of releasing tension. I think it’s more effective than just stationary cupping.
Next, I will get acupuncture targeting the motor point of the quadratus lumborum and once the needles have sent a nice electric jolt and I will then get electrical stimulation applied to the tip to the needles. After that a heat lamp on my low back while the needles do their magic. This 60 minute treatment will ensure that my low back pain doesn’t get any worse in fact it will turn this whole trajectory around so I’m pain free.
