With low back pain we alwayswant to check out the psoas, QL, diaphragm, and multifidus. Today we're gonna focus on the multifidus. The multifidus is one of the deep erector muscle groups (only superficial to the rotatores muscles) and plays a major role in stabilizing the whole spine, as it in found along the entire length of the back and even extends to the posterior region on the cervical spine. It can be divided into three parts: the multifidus colli, the superior portion; the multifidus thoracis, the middle portion; and the multifidus lomborum, the inferior portion. It arises from the Posterior superior iliac spine, the dorsal surface of sacrum, the mammillary processes of lumbar vertebrae, the transverse processes of thoracic vertebrae, and the articular processes of C4-C7 vertebrae. It attaches to the spinous processes of the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical vertebrae. It plays a part in extension of the spine and when found weak can lead to lower back instability and pain, making it important for us AK docs to be able to diagnose and facilitate any found weaknesses. In this video we found a jones type trigger point. To diagnose these using muscles testing we take a previous strong muscle and it should weaken to a three second maximal contraction. This lets us know we can dig in! We shorten the muscle to a point of least tenderness and have the patient hold their breath for 30 seconds as we treat the trigger point. Goodheart found that holding the breath on an inhale for flexors and exhale for extensors helps speeds up the process. Then we slowly return the muscle back to normal position being careful not to strain it. Will often be present in the synergist muscle of a weak one, and nutrition is folic acid (might have to be methylated).