Is Your Latissimus Dorsi the Hidden Cause of Your Lower Back Pain?

When people think of lower back pain, they usually blame their spine, hips, or poor posture. But there’s another muscle that often flies under the radar, yet has a major influence on back health - the latissimus dorsi.

At Essbee Myotherapy, we often see cases where a tight or overactive latissimus dorsi is contributing to, or even causing, ongoing lower back discomfort. Let’s unpack how and why this happens, and what we can do about it.

What Is the Latissimus Dorsi?

The latissimus dorsi (aka “lats”) is a large, flat muscle that spans from the upper arm down to the lower back. It:

• Originates from the lower thoracic spine (T7-T12), lumbar vertebrae, thoracolumbar fascia, iliac crest, and the lower ribs

• Inserts into the upper arm (humerus)

• Helps with shoulder extension, internal rotation, and adduction

That means your lats are involved in movements like pulling, lifting, reaching overhead, and stabilising the upper body. But here’s the catch: they’re also deeply connected to the lower back, especially through the thoracolumbar fascia.

Posterior view of of the human skeleton illustrating the Latissimus Dorsi muscle

How the Lats Affect the Lower Back

The thoracolumbar fascia is a thick connective tissue in your lower back. It acts as an anchor for the latissimus dorsi and several core and spinal muscles. When the lats are tight, overworked, or imbalanced, they can create tension and pull through this fascia, which directly impacts the lumbar spine.

Here’s how it plays out:

1. Excessive Tension: Overactive lats can pull downward on the spine and ribs, increasing compression and limiting spinal movement.

2. Postural Compensation: Tight lats round the shoulders and tilt the pelvis, affecting spinal alignment and putting strain on the lumbar vertebrae.

3. Inhibited Core Muscles: When lats dominate, core stabilisers like the transverse abdominis or glutes can become underactive, leading to poor pelvic and lumbar support.

4. Cross-Body Fascial Chains: The lats work in a diagonal pattern across the body, so dysfunction on one side can cause asymmetrical strain across the lower back and hips.

   
   

Common Causes of Overactive Lats

• Repetitive pulling exercises (e.g., rows, pull-ups, heavy lifting)

• Poor posture (rounded shoulders, forward head)

• Weak core and glute muscles

• Compensating for shoulder or thoracic mobility restrictions

• Sedentary lifestyle or incorrect exercise technique

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How We Assess Latissimus Dorsi in Myotherapy

At Essbee Myotherapy, we take a holistic look at your posture, movement, and pain patterns. When assessing low back pain, we often look for signs that the lats are contributing, such as:

• Limited overhead shoulder mobility

• Visible rounding or elevation of the shoulders

• Tightness or tenderness along the lower back and side ribs

• Imbalance between the lats and opposing muscles (like the lower traps and rhomboids)

We also test how the lats respond during active movements and functional tasks like bending, lifting, and twisting.

Treatment Approach: Releasing the Lats for Back Pain Relief

Our goal is not just to reduce pain, but to restore proper muscle balance and movement. Here’s how we treat an overactive latissimus dorsi when it's contributing to lower back pain:

1. Myofascial Release & Dry Needling

We use hands-on techniques to release tension in the lats and surrounding fascia, and dry needling to target deep trigger points that cause referred pain.

2. Thoracic & Shoulder Mobility Work

Improving the mobility of the upper back and shoulders takes pressure off the lats and helps restore natural posture.

3. Core & Glute Activation

We integrate corrective exercises to reactivate the muscles that should be supporting your back, like your glutes, deep core, and lower traps.

4. Postural & Movement Retraining

Teaching you how to move more efficiently (especially during lifting or overhead movements) helps keep the lats balanced and your lower back protected.

Conclusion:

If you’ve been treating low back pain and it keeps coming back, or nothing seems to stick, it might be time to look beyond the spine itself.

Your latissimus dorsi could be doing too much, pulling on the wrong areas, and throwing off the balance your lower back depends on. At Essbee Myotherapy, we can help you get to the root cause and not just chase symptoms.

Ready to Feel the Difference?

Book your next session with Shaun at Essbee Myotherapy in Botanic Ridge and find out if your lats are the missing piece to a pain-free back and better movement.