Education / Medical · 2026-09-30
QL muscle pain — what it is and what helps
A 40-second guide to quadratus lumborum (QL) pain: why it feels like a deep knot on one side, four gentle ways to calm it, what to avoid, and the red flags that mean get assessed instead.
1×
0.75×
1.25×
1.5×
space play · ← → 5s · J L 10s
Chapters 01 If your lower back feels like there's a tight knot or small ball deep on one side, the quadratus lumborum, or QL muscle, may be irritated or in spasm. 0:00.7 02 The QL connects your pelvis to your lower ribs and helps stabilize your spine. 0:10.4 03 For mild muscular pain, try gentle heat, light walking, and a slow side stretch. 0:15.4 04 You can also use a tennis ball against a wall to apply gentle pressure to the tight area. 0:21.4 05 Avoid aggressive stretching or hard pressure. 0:26.6 06 If you have numbness, weakness, fever, urinary symptoms, or severe worsening pain, get medically assessed instead of treating it as a muscle knot. 0:30.0
Transcript 0:00.7 If your lower back feels like there's a tight knot or small ball deep on one side, the quadratus lumborum, or QL muscle, may be irritated or in spasm. 0:10.4 The QL connects your pelvis to your lower ribs and helps stabilize your spine. 0:15.4 For mild muscular pain, try gentle heat, light walking, and a slow side stretch. 0:21.4 You can also use a tennis ball against a wall to apply gentle pressure to the tight area. 0:26.6 Avoid aggressive stretching or hard pressure. 0:30.0 If you have numbness, weakness, fever, urinary symptoms, or severe worsening pain, get medically assessed instead of treating it as a muscle knot. A 40-second guide to quadratus lumborum (QL) pain: why it feels like a deep knot made with video-factory · more videos