3. The Lateral Line

     Ok! As promised, I'm going over the Lateral Line today.  This particular myofascial meridian assists in (you guessed it!) lateral flexion of the torso, as well as abduction at the hips and eversion of the foot.  It also functions posturally to balance the front and back, and bilaterally to balance left and right.

If you've ever had a health practitioner tell you your hips were off or one hip was high than the other, you can bet this line has some restriction somewhere.

I have several clients (and myself included) who struggle with low back pain due to tightness through the rib, lumbar, and hip segments of this line.

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The Lateral Line

Muscles within the Lateral Line:

Splenius capitis

Sternocleidomastoid

External + interal intercostals

Lateral abdominal obliques

The Abductor muscle group:

• Gluteus maximus
• Gluteus medius
• Gluteus minimus
• Tensor fasciae latae

The Fibulari muscle group:

• Peroneus longus
• Peroneus brevis
• Peroneus tertius

Connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, fascial sheets) that make up the remainder of the Lateral Line:

Iliotibial tract (IT band)

Anterior ligament of the head of the fibula

Bony landmarks that serve as anchors for the Lateral Line:

Occitpital ridge

Mastoid process

1st + 2nd ribs

Illiac crest

ASIS (Anterior superior iliac spine)

PSIS (Posterior superior iliac spine)

Lateral tibial condyle

Fibular head

1st + 5th metatarsal bases

 

Common postural deviations associated with the Lateral Line:

Ankle pronation/supination

Limited range of motion (particularly in dorsiflexion) of the ankle

Lumbar compression

Shoulder restriction due to over involvement with head stability (I.e. forward head posture)

 

Stretches for the LL:

 

Half moon pose



 

Triangle pose (+modified half moon pose)

 Gate pose

 

So, try these out if you have low back pain, stiffness in the ankles/shoulders, and as always:

 

Be good to yourselves. :)