Low back pain and multifidus

  Lower back pain is one of the most common diseases that plague humans today. Epidemiological surveys have shown that as many as 2/3 of people have experienced lower back pain in their lifetime, making it the second most common reason for patients to seek medical care, and the cost of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and resulting loss of labor for patients with low back pain can be enormous. Recent studies have found that the occurrence of lower back pain is related to the dysfunction of the paravertebral multifidus muscle.  The paravertebral multifidus muscle is the majority of the small muscle bundle that is part of the deep intermediate layer and stops across 2-4 vertebrae, starting at the mastoid process and ending at the inferior border of the superior 2-3 spinous process in the lumbar region. The multifidus is the dorsal extensor of the spine and can increase the anterior lumbar convexity.