RAD LOW-BACK RECOVERY GUIDE
Stiff Low Back? Start with These Two Muscles.
Dr. Alison Coffin Family and pediatric chiropractor
Your quads are the muscles at the front of your thighs. Your adductors run along the inside.
In this short video, Dr. Alison Coffin explains how tightness in these areas may contribute to low-back discomfort and demonstrates a simple routine with the RAD Rod and Recovery Rounds.
Watch the routine · 2:41
Follow along with Dr. Alison Coffin
1. Start with Your Quads
Dr. Coffin describes how tight quads can be associated with an anterior pelvic tilt, where the pelvis tips forward, and pressure in the low back.
RAD Rod · 0:17–1:23
Roll toward the front of your hip
- Rest your leg on a chair, couch or another stable support.
- Roll the front of your thigh upward toward your hip.
- Work across the quad, including its outer side.
- Keep it to no more than two minutes, then repeat on the other leg.
As Dr. Coffin points out, the quad is a broad muscle group. Give attention to more than one narrow strip.
2. Move to Your Inner Thighs
Next are the adductors: the muscles along the inside of your thighs, between the knee and groin.
RAD Rod · 1:24–1:59
Keep the strokes moving upward
- Support your raised leg with your knee straight.
- Place the Rod against the inner-thigh muscle.
- Roll upward toward the hip rather than back and forth.
- Start with about 30 seconds. Dr. Coffin suggests up to two minutes.
3. Try Recovery Rounds on Your Quads
Dr. Coffin also demonstrates another way to work on the front of your thighs using RAD Recovery Rounds.
Recovery Rounds · 2:00–2:25
Roll back and forth
- While standing, hold a Recovery Round against your quad and roll it back and forth.
- Or lie on a flat surface with the Round beneath your quad, as shown in the video.
- Use a small back-and-forth movement across the muscle.
The Two Tools in This Routine
Recovery Rounds
Use a Round for the back-and-forth quad technique demonstrated in the video.
Get to Know Your Body
Dr. Coffin's goal is to help you understand your body and have more ways to care for it at home. She also reminds viewers that feeling discomfort afterward does not automatically mean they did the routine incorrectly. Give your body time to respond.
RAD products support mobility, self-massage and recovery routines. They are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent injuries. Stop any activity that increases pain and consult a qualified healthcare professional when appropriate.
