Is today the day that you say “No More” to your lower back pain and muscle spasms? Have you been living with lower back pain and muscle spasms, but it’s now gotten to a point where it’s getting intolerable? You’ll be relieved to know that you are not alone.
Did you know that, according to the American Chiropractic Association, upwards of 80% of the American population will experience lower back pain or back spasms at some period in their lives? A back spasm is defined as the non-voluntary tensing or contracting of your lower back muscles.
The pain caused by lower back and muscle spasms can vary from mild aches and pains with occasional spasms to intense chronic pain that makes it a challenge to be mobile.
Many cases of back spasms can often be successfully treated without the need for surgery. However, if your pain is in your spine and is nerve-related, other interventions may be required.
What Are the Causes of Lower Back Spasms?
Lifting heavy objects repetitively is a common trigger for back pain and spasms. But sometimes, pain can be caused by injuries to your tendons, ligaments, and muscles in your back or other serious health disorders.
Outside of heavy lifting, you can injure your ligaments and lower back muscles with just about any repetitious movements that put excess pressure on your back. For instance, golf and football can trigger back spasms and pain due to the demand that those repetitive activities put on your back.
Unfortunately, if you have weak abdominal muscles, you are likely more susceptible to back pain. Stiff and weak muscles in your back tend to be easier to injure than flexible and stronger muscles.
Those who suffer from arthritis, or a ruptured spinal disc, are more likely to experience back spasms. When you suffer from arthritis in your lower back, it’s common to feel discomfort and pain due to spinal cord pressure. Another condition that can trigger back pain, including nerve pressure, is having a bulging or ruptured disc in your vertebrae.
How Are Back Spasms Diagnosed?
Your doctor will likely order X-rays, to see if there are any visible signs of a fracture, as well as look for any markers of arthritis. Other tests ordered may include computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check if any muscles or other soft tissues are damaged.
The doctor will also use these images to determine if there are any disturbances to your discs or the blood supply to the referred area. To assist your doctor with a quick and accurate diagnosis, be certain to tell your healthcare professional:
When did it start?
How severe is your back pain?
How frequently does it flare up?
What do you take for pain relief? What helps?
Did your spasms begin following a sports injury?
How Are Lower Back Spasms Treated?
If your back spasms have begun post-injury or are the result of distressed muscles, consider rotating hot and cold packs on your back. Heat is a great therapy for increasing blood flow, while ice therapy will reduce inflammation.
1. Prescription and OTC Pain Medication for back spasms are generally treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants. Research has shown that muscle relaxants may provide considerable relief from the discomfort of short-term muscle spasms. Medications can aid in relieving the discomfort while your muscles are healing.
2. Pain Relief Injections are also commonly recommended for muscle spasms that don’t seem to respond to oral pain medications. An injection works as an anti-inflammatory medication (cortisone) that can quickly provide a couple of months of relief, but remember that each person is different and will therefore have different results.
3. Chiropractic Care can be an option as well, once you’ve undergone a full physical and have been cleared by your primary care physician. Oftentimes, physical therapy is recommended to assist in strengthening your abdominal and back muscles, provided they are fit.
Can Back Spasm Be Prevented?
In most cases, yes. Just remember, when you take care of your back, your back will take care of you. What does that mean? It simply means that there are things that you can do to drastically reduce your chances of developing back spasms.
Being obese stresses your joints and spine. It’s advised to lose excess pounds.
If you spend the majority of your day sitting or in bed, this can cause back pain to escalate.
Flat or low-heeled shoes, and utilizing the correct posture, help with lower back pain.
Regular strengthening exercises focusing on your abdomen and back can also assist in keeping you mobile.
A specialist at Cawley Physical Therapy and Rehab can suggest which exercises are best for you and your condition.
What’s the Outlook for People With Back Spasms?
In most cases, back pain can be easily treated, so why struggle with lower back pain and muscle spasms, when you don’t have to?