Kinesiology THURSDAY – A Dumbbell Fix for Low Back Pain

Person carrying a cardboard box in a room.

I had a patient recently complain of lower back pain primarily when she carried something in front, like a box or laundry basket. I decided to do the dumbbell carry test.

I had her walk 20 feet while holding a 5# dumbbell in her right hand. This reproduced her low back pain. Then I had her repeat the test while holding the dumbbell in her left hand, of which she was able to complete without lower back pain.

So, I had her walk 80 feet while holding the dumbbell in her left hand, THEN I had her re-try walking 40 feet with the dumbbell in her right hand, and she was able to perform the latter without lower back pain.

Why did that work?!

The dumbbell carry test is a test for gluteus medius weakness.

When you walk and pick up one leg, the gluteus medius of your standing leg prevents your pelvis from tipping to the opposite side. In the picture below, her left gluteus medius is helping stabilize her pelvis.

One Leg Stand Static Balance Test

Holding a weight in right hand would create more work for the left gluteus medius, while holding a weight in the left hand would assist the left gluteus medius. In the picture below, the left gluteus medius is working harder than the right to stabilize the pelvis while walking.

Person walking with mesh grocery bag of fruit.

In the case of my patient, she displayed left gluteus medius weakness (low back pain with dumbbell carry on the right). By walking with the dumbbell in her left hand, she was able to assist the left gluteus medius, allowing it to work against less resistance. Once the left gluteus medius was activated, she tolerated holding the dumbbell in her right hand.

Here’s the amazing thing…

Usually, it takes several weeks for a muscle to display improved strength, but her muscles adapted within on session. Sometimes muscles aren’t weak, they are just neurologically inhibited. In this case, the simple dumbbell carry was enough to wake up the left gluteus medius and eliminate low back pain.

If you have a patient who experiences back pain with carrying objects, do the dumbbell carry test.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…