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AN EMOTIONAL MUSCLE As infants, we go through a series of fascinating neurological changes as we advance through the stages of movement development. Two movements are inherent in each stage: pushing and reaching. The push must precede and support the reach; otherwise the reach becomes a fall. For example, when an infant learns to walk, she must push down hard into her little feet before a stable, vertical reach can occur. I think of the quadratus lumborum as a "push" muscle, which translates to qualities such as resourcefulness, stability, confidence, personal power, strength, and how supported we feel both internally and externally. The QL is a bridge tissue between the upper and lower body. It can become an emotional and energetic dumping site for our unmet needs, frustrations, anger, and grief around issues of support. It stores energies and emotions that need to flow through the pelvis, down the legs, and out the feet, instead of stagnating in our core. Unloading the QL and the spine by lying on the floor or on the ground has biomechanical benefits and delivers a powerful kinesthetic message of support: We can let down into a generous and abundant Mother Earth. Remember, the sturdy QL is one of the structures that stabilize the pelvis and lumbar spine so we can walk. The health of this muscle contributes to our ability to move forward in life with power and ease, both literally and metaphorically. Feeling trapped in a soul-numbing job or an unfulfilling relationship are two examples of energetic/emotional disturbances that could manifest in a locked quadratus lumborum. F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 85 Problems in the QL can also surface when we offer too much support to others and neglect ourselves. This hardy muscle has much to do with our personal sense of power. It reveals how good we are at taking care of ourselves in all aspects of our lives, and how often we ask for help when we need it. When we're in the victim vibe, we collapse and compress our vertebrae. In that situation, the QL shortens, losing its robust flexibility and strength. MUSCLE SWIMMING TO RELEASE THE QL We can release the stalwart QL using an approach I call "muscle swimming." Muscle swimming uses physiology to facilitate release of myofascial structures, allowing the therapist to work smarter and the client to have co- ownership of the session. You can use the following two strategies of muscle swimming in your work with the QL. Pin and Rock Our first encounter with a stressed myofascial unit should be gentle and nonthreatening. Passively shorten the muscle, gently pin it with multiple fingers for a broad, dispersed pressure, and add a slow, rhythmic rocking of the joint. Rocking stimulates a parasympathetic response. Be patient—wait for the tissue to soften and yield before moving to the Pin and Move protocol. Come back to this Pin and Rock maneuver when you sense guarding in your client. Pin and Move When you meet an area of dense fascia, trigger points, tender points, or just plain snarly tissue, integrate active movement. Active movement engages the brain by involving the central nervous system, creating longer-lasting results. Fascial layers and actin and myosin myofibrils glide across each other as the muscle goes through its shortened, neutral, and stretched states. 1. Place the muscle in a shortened state. 2. Pin the area at the first barrier you encounter. If it's a trigger point or tender point, use one finger, or appropriate tool for specificity, and work it from an oblique angle of 45 degrees. 3. Have your client perform a movement. Start with the main action the muscle performs, for example, flexion, abduction, extension, etc. Movement should be done at a slow to medium tempo. Two movement patterns I find helpful are the Pelvic Tilt and the Running Man, described on page 86. 4. Have client repeat the movement four to five times. 5. Ask, "Is there any change?" Using this language instead of "Is it better?" gives your client permission to tell the truth. If the clients says the area feels better, your next question is, "How much better?" If your client reports at least a 50 percent change for the better, then move to another area and repeat the above steps. 6. If your client reports no change, you have three options: • Add resistance to the current movement pattern. This loads the muscle and recruits more fibers, allowing you to swim through the tissue; 10–20 percent of resistance is usually all that is needed. • Try another movement pattern. This is where the work gets interesting; the trial and error of experimenting with different movements and levels of resistance develops our skills and intuition. • Ask your client for input. She may feel an urge to move the area in a certain way.