RAD LOW BACK SELF-ASSESSMENT SERIES
When your lower back feels tight, the obvious instinct is to work on your back. But what if another area is influencing the way you move?
Dr. Claire Spec, PT, NCS Physical Therapist + Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist
Dr. Claire walks through a simple test, roll, retest approach to see whether your hamstrings may be contributing to how your low back feels when you bend forward.
This is not about diagnosing the source of pain. It is about testing one area at a time and seeing what changes.
Step 1: Test Your Movement
Start by bending forward and reaching toward your toes.
Do not force the stretch. Instead, notice:
- Do you feel the restriction mostly in the back of your legs?
- Do you feel it more in your lower back?
- How intense does the stiffness or discomfort feel from 0 to 10?
This gives you a baseline before doing anything with the RAD Helix.
The important part is not how far you reach. It is remembering how the movement feels.
WHY HAMSTRINGS?
One Area Worth Testing
Your hamstrings run along the backs of your thighs and attach to your pelvis.
Because your hips, pelvis and lower back all work together when you bend forward, stiffness in one area can influence how the overall movement feels.
That does not mean tight hamstrings are automatically the cause of your back pain. It simply makes them one useful area to test.
THE IDEA
01 TEST
How does the movement feel right now?
02 WORK
Focus on one area.
03 RETEST
Does anything change?
Step 2: Roll the Hamstrings
For this test, Dr. Claire uses the RAD Helix.
Position the Helix beneath one hamstring, starting around the middle of your thigh.
From there, slowly roll toward your knee and then back toward your glute.
You do not need to move quickly or aggressively. The goal is controlled pressure across the area.
PRESSURE CHECK
Find a Tender Spot? Do Less, Not More.
If you reach a particularly tender area, Dr. Claire recommends pausing rather than immediately pushing harder.
Pause. Breathe. Let the pressure settle.
More pressure is not always more productive. Sharp pain is not the goal.
Stop if you experience sharp pain, numbness or tingling.
WHY THE HELIX?
Broad Pressure You Can Control
The Helix allows you to work broadly along the hamstring while controlling the amount of pressure with your body position.
Step 3: Retest the Movement
Now stand back up and repeat the same forward bend you performed at the beginning.
Try not to intentionally reach farther. Instead, compare the experience.
- Can you reach farther comfortably?
- Does the back of your leg feel different?
- Does your lower back feel different?
- Does the movement feel easier?
- Does everything feel basically the same?
There is no required result.
If something changed, that is useful information. If nothing changed, that is useful information too.
THE RAD APPROACH
Test. Roll. Retest.
You are not trying to force a dramatic result. You are looking for a change in how the movement feels.
01 TEST
Establish how the movement currently feels.
02 ROLL
Work each hamstring with controlled pressure.
03 RETEST
Repeat the same forward bend.
04 COMPARE
Notice whether your range, stiffness or comfort feels different.
Your 3-Minute Hamstring Test
Want the short version? Here is the full sequence:
Bend forward and notice where you feel restriction.
Use the Helix on one hamstring for 45–60 seconds.
Repeat on the opposite hamstring.
Perform the same forward bend again.
Notice whether anything changed.
Test one area. Change one variable. Retest.
This content is intended for general educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose or treat a medical condition. Stop if you experience sharp pain, numbness, tingling or worsening symptoms, and consult a qualified healthcare professional when appropriate.
