Expert: Dr. Man Tran, Ph.D., D.C., L.Ac. - 1/22/2009

Question
I have an intermittent pain on my right side above my hip bone, below the ribs, in the soft tissue area. It feels as it is near the surface, in the muscle. Sometimes it feels like it moves lower to my hip bone area, not the joint. It seems to be worse while seated, pressing on it or standing seems to help relieve it.  I have had it for about a year.  I strained my lower right back shoveling snow last year, and seems to have happened since then. It is a fairly mild discomfort.    

Thanks for your help.  

Answer
Hi Kevin,

From what you described, you may have strained your quadratus lumborum or QL.  It is the muscle on the side of your body going from the side of the ribs to the side of the hip.  The snow shoveling activities may have strained it and continued to be irritated without proper treatment.  

Have you tried bending your body to the side while standing up right?  In your case, bend away from the side of pain to stretch out the tight and painful muscle.  Massage can also help too since you do have relief when pressing on it.