Flexibility at the hip joint and low back or lumbar segment of the spinal column are important measurements of range of motion individually but are also intimately related as they must work together in the motion of forward bending. Inadequate hip flexion range of motion, due to inflexibility of the hamstring muscles, is associated with low back pain. When a person bends down to pick up an object, movement takes place at both joints. However, if the hamstring muscles are tight and limit hip flexion, then that absent range of motion is made up at the lumbar segments (leading to lumbar hypermobility) which puts undue stress on the lumbar joint joints, spinal ligaments and fascia, and lumbar extensor muscle group and is one of the primary causes of low back pain.
Low back pain is one of the main reasons people go to the doctor and it is reported that 80 percent of adults will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Further, low back pain is a leading cause of disability and a primary reason for people missing work.
Proper flexibility of the hamstring and low back muscle groups is also associated with athletic performance and is often used to screen for insufficient flexibility in determining risk for injury in sports where good flexibility of these joints is extremely important to performance.
The sit and reach test is the primary assessment protocol for measuring the combined flexibility of the lower back and hamstring muscle groups. The standard sit and reach box is the tool for administering the test.
How to Use the Baseline Sit n’ Reach Test Box
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