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Release the Internal Oblique with SMRT
Internal oblique originates from the anterior and lateral iliac crest, the inguinal ligament, and the thoracolumbar fascia. It inserts on ribs 9 through 12 and the linea alba. If internal oblique is hypertonic on one side, say the left side, it has the potential to pull the left iliac crest and the left lower ribcage toward one another. In addition to shortening the left side of the abdomen, tension in the left internal oblique can compress ribs 9 through 12 on the left side.
Let’s break this down:
- First, the shift of the left hip bone can contribute to misalignments in the sacroiliac joints and the iliofemoral joints.
- Second, inferior movement of the lower left ribcage, as well as a decrease in space between ribs 9 through 12, will create tension in the left quadratus lumborum. Tension that is also accentuated by the superior movement of the left iliac crest.
- Third, as the left internal oblique shortens and moves the hip and lower ribcage closer to one another, the left side of the lumbar vertebrae become compressed. This shortens the thoracolumbar fascia, which attaches to the spinous and transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae. The thoracolumbar fascia has three layers – anterior, middle, and posterior.
Quadratus lumborum sits between the anterior and middle layers, while iliocostalis lumborum sits between the middle and posterior layers. Tension in internal oblique is only one way to cause this particular postural imbalance. It could also be caused by hypertonicity in external oblique, iliopsoas, or latissimus dorsi, to name only a few muscles that effect this area.
Check out this youtube video to see how we release internal oblique with Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlSX3r0x7po ,and join us for the SMRT: Hips, Lower Back, & Abdomen course to learn to quickly and painlessly release and balance all of these muscles, https://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/
