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How To Fix Lower Back Muscle Pain

What Stretches Are Good For Lower Back Pain

How to Fix âLow Backâ? Pain (INSTANTLY!)

There are many stretches that can help with lower back pain. One example is the seated twist. Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your arms outstretched to either side of your body.

Lean back to the right, keeping your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Then lean back to the left, pulling your left knee in towards you and extending your right leg straight out in front of you.

Pulled Back Muscle Treatment

Learn about muscle anatomy and the symptoms of lower back strain. WatchLower Back Strain Video

Aggressive chiropractic manipulation should be avoided at the onset of treatment. It is best to restore health in a very gradual and dedicated process, watching for worsening symptoms versus improvement.

Ultimately, the severity of a muscle injury will determine what kind of treatment is necessary.

What Are The Most Common Lower Back Surgery Procedures

Spine surgery is not necessary for most people who have lower back pain. If you do need it, your doctor will recommend an appropriate procedure to address your specific symptoms and medical situation. Common spine surgeries include:

Spinal Fusion. Two or more vertebrae are permanently fused together to limit excess spinal motion. Your surgeon will use a combination of bone, bonelike material, screws, plates and rods to hold the vertebrae together so they can heal into a single unit. Spinal fusion may be done to correct spinal deformities or to increase the spines stability in severe cases of spinal osteoarthritis or herniated discs.

Laminectomy and laminotomy. Laminectomy is a surgery in which your surgeon removes the back portion of one or more vertebrae to create more space for the spinal cord or other nerves. In people with severe arthritis, bone spurs within the spinal canal can grow large enough to press on the spinal cord, causing pain and limiting mobility. In a similar surgery known as laminotomy, your surgeon will remove a small piece of bone called the lamina from the back of the vertebra.

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What Can I Do About Acute Back Or Neck Pain

The key to recovering from acute back or neck pain is restricting your activity and taking over the counter medications, because most back pain is related to muscle strain. In most cases, acute back pain will go away on its own over a period of days. Here are some tips that will help you recover:

1. Take it easy If you think you’ve hurt your back, ease up on the pressure you’re putting on your back. Many people actually have little choice in the mattertheir back pain will force them to drop to their knees or “freeze” in a bent-over position. Others will be able to function somewhat normally, but with uncomfortable pain. Contrary to popular belief, studies on acute back pain actually show that a few days of restricting your activity, and taking the appropriate over-the-counter medication, is all that many people really need to allow the strained muscles to relax and unbind. However, it is important to talk with your health care provider before taking any medication, especially if you are taking other medications or have a chronic medical condition.

2. Ice, then heat Remember this rule: “Ice first for 48 hours, then heat.” Ice and heat can alleviate local pain that comes from muscle and ligament strain. Ice slows swelling and inflammation and acts as a local anesthetic, but after 48 hours, it loses its effect. Using heat afterwards increases blood flow to the deep tissues and relaxes muscle spasms.

Where Can I Get More Information

Fix Low Back Pain (AND IMPROVE PERFORMANCE!)

For more information on neurological disorders or research programs funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, contact the Institute’s Brain Resources and Information Network at:

Office of Communications and Public LiaisonNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeNational Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD 20892

NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history.

All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.

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Apply Cold To The Pulled Back Muscle

You should apply ice to your injury as soon as possible. The sooner you apply the ice the more it will help.

The cold will cause nearby blood vessels to constrict and also help minimize swelling and painful inflammation.

The cold also stimulates your body to rush more oxygen-rich blood full of antibodies and vital nutrients to repair the injury and carry away waste products as it attempts to warm the area.

Use an ice pack, a Ziploc bag of crushed ice, or even a bag of frozen vegetables in a pinch.

Apply the cold pack in a circular massaging motion to prevent the ice from resting in one place too long.

Be sure to place a thin towel between the compress and your skin to help prevent frostbite.

Ice can be applied up to 20 minutes at a time. Repeat over the course of the first few days, or after flare-ups.

When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider

  • Youre unable to stand or walk.
  • You have a temperature over 101.0°F
  • You have frequent, painful, or bloody urination.
  • You have severe abdominal pain.
  • You have a sharp, stabbing pain.
  • Your pain is constant.
  • You have pain or numbness in your leg.
  • You feel pain in a new area of your back.
  • You notice that the pain isnt decreasing after more than a week.

Contact your healthcare provider immediately for the following:

  • Pain radiating down the leg
  • Pain that is accompanied by fever, weakness in the leg, or loss of control of the bladder or bowels

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How To Strengthen Your Lower Back

Lower back strength is crucial for long-term health. One way to improve your lower back muscles is to perform a modified plank exercise. Heres how:

To achieve the correct form, lie facedown on a mat. Place your elbows under your shoulders and bend them so that theyre in line with each other, palms flat on the ground.

Keep your abs engaged and legs extended straight behind you, toes pointed down towards the ground. If you dont feel confident that you can hold this form, try it first with your knees over your toes.

Once youre comfortable with this position, lift your hips off the floor. This will add resistance to the movement, which will help you to achieve good form.

Keep your abs engaged and lift your hips off the ground. Hold this position for as long as you can. When you feel that you cant lift your hips any longer, slowly lower your hips back to the ground. Repeat the exercise as many times as you like.

Exercises For Low Back Muscle Pain

How To Fix Chronic Low Back Pain || Simple Lower Back Stretches

Exercises for low back muscle pain include strengthening your core, working on upper body strength to improve posture, taking care of your spine by stretching out the back, learning to lift properly, and not lifting weight that is too heavy.

For example, you can strengthen your core by doing plank exercises or yoga poses. You can also work on posture by practicing good habits like sitting up straight and standing tall. Stretching out the muscles in your lower back can help relieve pain.

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What Are Some Common Lower Back Pain Causes

The causes of lower back pain are sometimes viewed as being mechanical, organic or idiopathic. Sometimes spinal conditions are congenital or acquired meaning the disorder develops later in life.

  • Mechanical lower back pain is often triggered by spinal movement and involves spinal structures, such as the facet joints, intervertebral discs, vertebral bodies , ligaments, muscles or soft tissues.
  • Organic lower back pain is attributed to disease, such as spinal cancer.
  • Idiopathic refers to an unknown cause.

These are some of the things your doctor might look for or rule out when you schedule a visit for back pain.

The common symptoms of lower back pain.

Sprains and strains. Ligament sprains and muscle or tendon strains are the most common causes of lower back pain. Theyre often related to overuse.

Degenerative disc disease. While the name sounds worrisome, it just means you have a damaged disc causing pain. Over time, discs become thinner and flatter due to wear and tear. That leaves them less able to cushion the vertebrae and more likely to tear .

Herniated disc. The protective covering on intervertebral discs can tear over time. When this happens, the soft inner disc tissue may push through the outer layer. A disc that bulges or slips out of place is known as a herniated disc, bulging disc, or slipped disc. The herniation may press on nerve roots, leading to symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in the area that the nerve serves

Stretch #2 Prayer Stretch

Starting with prayer stretch is a great way to gauge your range of motion, pain sensation, and still get benefits of a stretch. It is important when dealing with low back pain to move slowly and purposefully to avoid positions and movements that reproduce symptoms dramatically.

For this exercise you will want to start out on your hands and knees with your eyes looking down at the floor. A straight line from your glutes to the top of your head for proper spinal alignment.

Once in that position, take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth slowly releasing the air as you sit your hips back on your heels. The lower you can get the better, drop your chest and head down as you fully exhale and hold the position for 30 seconds.

This stretch targets the low back specifically but also helps get the pelvis into a more favorable position to stretch the back muscles entirely in a safe manner. Repeat this stretch and attempt to get lower each time until your hips can comfortably sit on your heels. This is a great stretch to start or end the day.

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How To Treat A Pulled Back Muscle In 8 Steps

A pulled back muscle can begin as a sudden, sharp pain when lifting or bending. Or it may appear gradually, getting progressively worse over several days. This common injury ranges from a minor inconvenience to an intense source of pain. It can take several weeks, and in some cases a few months, to heal.1

A pulled muscle is the common term for a strained muscle.2 A strain is a muscle or tendon injury that happens when the tissue stretches or tears. When a ligament stretches or tears, its called a sprain. Back pain, often due to a pulled muscle, is one of the most common issues health professionals treat.2 In most cases, you can manage and treat symptoms at home. But if the pain is unbearable or makes it difficult to move, see a doctor.

A Recent Study On Chiropractic Care For Low Back Pain

How To Fix Your Lower Back Pain

A 2018 study published in JAMA Network Open is among the latest to weigh in on the pros and cons of chiropractic care for treating low back pain. Researchers enrolled 750 active-duty military personnel who complained of back pain. Half were randomly assigned to receive usual care while the other half received usual care plus up to 12 chiropractic treatments.

After six weeks of treatment, those assigned to receive chiropractic care:

  • reported less pain intensity
  • experienced less disability and more improvement in function
  • reported higher satisfaction with their treatment
  • needed less pain medicine.

While no serious side effects were reported, about 10% of those receiving chiropractic care described adverse effects . Five percent of those receiving usual care had similar complaints.

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Core Stability Pelvic Tilt

Lack of core control and stability is a key player in lower back pain. When the abdominal muscles are not performing, the muscles of the lumbar spine have to work harder to stabilize the body in balance. An excellent way to improve core stability is to lie flat with the knees bent up. Tighten abdominal muscles and press the small of the back into the floor. Hold this contraction for 10 seconds and repeat 10-20 times. You can either have your arms resting by your sides or behind your head, depending on whats more comfortable. With this stretch, it is important remember:

  • Keep your feet flat on the floor
  • Keep your shoulders pressed to the floor, but relaxed
  • Do not hold your breath as you perform this exercise

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While lower back pain is extremely common, it is not something you have to live with every day. Improving hip flexibility and core stability as well as lengthening the back muscles by stretching can help reduce the symptoms of lower back pain. However, if your back pain is chronic, the above stretches may help but additional treatment may be warranted.

Pulled Muscle In Lower Back Recovery Time

You should limit normal activity for the first few days after your injury but resume it as soon as you can after that time. Wait a few weeks before going back to an exercise regimen or sport.

Most people will be fully recovered within two weeks of the injury, but if the pain isnt getting better after a weeks time, see a doctor.

There are several things you can do to prevent straining your lower back, some that help strengthen it and others that are precautionary. These include:

  • stretching and strengthening exercises

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All Studies Have Limitations

And this one is no exception. While this study suggests that chiropractic care may be helpful for low back pain, some aspects of the study make it hard to be sure. For example:

If any of these factors had been different, the results might have been different. For example, its possible that if an older population of people with chronic low back pain had been studied, “usual care” might have been the better treatment.

How Is Low Back Pain Diagnosed

How to fix low back pain by stretching psoas

A complete medical history and physical exam can usually identify any serious conditions that may be causing the pain. Neurologic tests can help determine the cause of pain and appropriate treatment. Imaging tests are not needed in most cases but may be ordered to rule out specific causes of pain, including tumors and spinal stenosis. Occasionally the cause of chronic lower back pain is difficult to determine even after a thorough examination.

Tests include:

Blood tests are not routinely used to diagnose the cause of back pain but might be ordered to look for signs of inflammation, infection, cancer, and/or arthritis.

Bone scans can detect and monitor an infection, fracture, or bone disorder. A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the bloodstream and collects in the bones, particularly in areas with some abnormality. Scanner-generated images can identify specific areas of irregular bone metabolism or abnormal blood flow, as well as to measure levels of joint disease.

Discography involves injecting a contrast dye into a spinal disc thought to be causing low back pain. The fluids pressure in the disc will reproduce the persons symptoms if the disc is the cause. The dye helps to show the damaged areas on CT scans taken following the injection.

Electrodiagnostics can identify problems related to the nerves in the back and legs. The procedures include:

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Back Muscles That Cause The Most Back Pain

Bonus Content: The 7-Day Back Pain Cure

Back pain is one of the top reasons for missed work and second only to upper-respiratory infections for causing doctor visits.

Most of the time, back muscle pain is diagnosed then treated with little more than a prescription of rest, painkillers and muscle relaxants.

Follow this advice and youre taking one more step down the path to more serious back pain and possibly doctor-recommended back surgery to deal with it.

And its all because youve never been told why you have back muscle pain or how to get lasting relief by treating the cause rather than the symptoms.

That all ends today as we pull back the covers and see exactly what is going on why your back hurts which muscles are behind your back pain and most importantly, what you can do about it .

Symptoms Of A Pulled Back Muscle

Symptoms of a pulled back muscle depend on where the injury is. The spine is divided into three major sections: the neck, upper back and shoulders, and lower back.

For a pulled muscle in the neck, you might experience:3

  • Pain in the neck and upper back area
  • Limited range of motion in the neck
  • Stiffness in the neck
  • Pain radiating to the shoulders or arms
  • Headache

Pulled muscles in the shoulders and upper back may cause:

  • Pain in the area between the spine and shoulder blade
  • Muscle spasms in the upper back
  • Knots and tightness in the upper back and shoulders
  • Pain when moving the shoulders

In lower back strain injuries, many people experience symptoms such as:3

  • Aching and stiffness in lower back muscles
  • Pain that worsens with movement
  • Pain that radiates to the hips and legs
  • Limited range of motion
  • Muscle spasms in lower back area
  • Pain when sitting, standing, or walking

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Can I Prevent Lower Back Pain

You cant prevent lower back pain that results from disease or structural problems in the spine. But you can avoid injuries that cause back pain.

To reduce your risk of a back injury, you should:

  • Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight puts pressure on vertebrae and disks.
  • Strengthen your abdominal muscles: Pilates and other exercise programs strengthen core muscles that support the spine.
  • Lift the right way: To avoid injuries, lift with your legs . Hold heavy items close to your body. Try not to twist your torso while youre lifting.

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