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Beware the "hipster" jean and how it can give you lower back pain

In the last 5 years or so physical therapists have seen an unprecedented increase in a formerly unusual condition with a ridiculously difficult ancient Greek name; meralgia paraesthetica. It literally means pain and changed sensation of the thigh.

With the advent of low cut hipster jeans came this unpleasant condition. The waistband sits on the hip bones where a small nerve runs, which supplies sensation to the upper outer thigh.

Its symptoms can be on a spectrum of complete loss of sensation to a large patch of skin over the thigh to a nastier burning, tingling sensation which can even present as just a deep ache over the front of the pelvic bone. When it occurs on both sides, it has been described as a 'headache' in the pelvis. The position of the waistband is made worse by wearing a belt that tightens it over the nerve.

Previously, this problem had been confined to men with big bellies who wore their belted trousers down round and under their belly.

Skinny jeans too have been targeted as causers of low back pain. It is not so much due to their tightness, as to the fact that many women may be slim of thigh but the tightness around the buttocks and being too tight in the groin area limits their ability to take a proper stride. Particularly if to do so means they have to keep hitching their trousers. Pain-firing trigger points can develop in your glutes (buttock muscles). I am afraid girls, you may just have to accept either you have to be selective in how often you wear them or even that skinnies are not for you.

High heels too, so often worn with skinnies, produce shortening in the calf muscles and strain on the low back.

Use the bakpro tools to release these points and their build up as well as the stretches to stop muscle shortening.