Take These Steps When You Have Back Spasms
Back spasms are involuntary contractions of back muscles that fail to relax. Spasms can occur in any muscle in your body, and can cause sharp and intense pain.
Back spasm episodes may last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and when your muscle contracts, it may also feel hard to the touch or appear twisted under the skin.
From our expert at Premier Spine Institute, Dr. Bonaventure Ngu, here are the steps you should consider taking when trying to relieve your back spasms.
Understanding Lower Back Strain
Your back is supported by a large, complex group of muscles. Watch:Lower Back Strain Video
A common injury is a lower back strain, but its popularly referred to as a pulled muscle. The pain resulting from a lower back strain can be surprisingly severe, sending many patients to the emergency room.
If this type of injury has happened to you, heres what you need to know:
Treatment For Lower Back Strain
The healing process of strained muscles may take a few days to weeks. After an initial phase of inflammation, the muscle fibers begin to repair, regenerate, and mature.3
Common treatments that you can employ at home are:
- Mechanical stimulation. Soon after you strain your back, it may be advisable to rest for a day to prevent exacerbation of your pain.4 After this period, gentle stretching, walking, or other gentle movements massage therapy and/or manual manipulation can help effectively enhance the healing process.3 These techniques facilitate the passage of blood and healing nutrients to the muscle tissue. If you rest for too long, it can lead to stiffness and possibly the formation of scar tissue, preventing the regeneration of muscle fibers.4
- Topical pain relievers. Pain-relieving gels or creams containing methyl salicylate or menthol can be effective in controlling muscle pain. Avoid oral and/or injectable pain relievers because they can concentrate in your bloodstream and may prevent the normal healing process of the muscle tissue.4
Severe grade III injuries may require medical intervention or even surgical treatment.
See Pulled Back Muscle Treatment
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Potential Side Effects Of Electrotherapy Treatment
Skin irritation where electrodes are placed is the most common side effect of electrotherapy. Certain electrotherapy patients have developed eczematous lesions due to this skin irritation .
Summary
Most conservative treatments for upper back pain are relatively safe, though you should be careful to follow your doctor’s instructions to ensure proper risk management.
Inhale Slowly And Deeply For A Count Of 5 Seconds Pause 1 Second And Exhale 3
Visualization will help by imagining a tight knot being unraveled as you inhale. Picture the muscles extending as you inhale to stretch your rib cage fully.
As the muscles are contracting intensely, they are also over contracting, making it counter-productive.
Since you have already stopped moving, you are now trying to shut off the muscles need also to do this. Breathing deeply is key to relaxing a muscle which is becoming progressively shorter and more painful.
As you try to relax, avoid any movements that allow the muscle to shorten
Because of the intensity, duration and source of the injury, it is natural to react and to contract your body further. Even unwillingly.
To avoid this, focus on slowly inhaling while at the same time minimizing your movements. When in contraction, the reduced circulation and the build up of lactic acid makes you feel much worse.
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What Signs Should I Look For That Can Indicate A Back Spasm
If youve ever felt that your muscles in your lower back are tight or contracting, had a dull ache in your back when you moved, or a sharp pain in a specific area of your back, you likely experienced a muscle spasm. Lower back spasms can range from being mildly bothersome to intensely painful.
While some people feel a muscle spasm in a concentrated area of their backs, others find that their discomfort radiates to other nearby areas, including their hips or legs.
Specific symptoms signaling you could be having a back spasm include:
- Tension and tightness in your lower back
- Intermittent cramping in your lower back
- Intense pain in the lower back that comes on suddenly
- Lower back muscle weakness
- Difficulty moving after picking up an object or bending over
- Tightness in the back after standing, sitting, or driving for extended periods.
Underlying Issues With Your Spinal Anatomy
If you notice that your back spasms arent getting better, or if they repeatedly happen in the same area of your back, you may have an underlying issue with your spine, such as a disc herniation, spinal stenosis, arthritis, or other degenerative disc conditions. In cases where there is an underlying anatomical issue, the muscles of your back react to the pain and inflammation by going into spasm.
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Stretch For Neck Spasms
You can perform shoulder rolls anywhere, while sitting in a car, at a desk, or if youre standing in line somewhere waiting.
Shop for stretching accessories
Stretching is great for you, and adding extras like resistance bands and foam rollers may give you faster relief from muscle spasms.
Carefully Move To A Bed Or Comfortable Flat Surface To Remain Temporarilyimmobile
That spasm that you have is a nasty but very clear warning sign that you must not continue to move. Your body is literally locking up to guard you against injuring another part of your back that is weakened or injured.
Although this locked up muscle may hurt as it tightens, it is not usually the source of the injury.
By laying down, you can help to stop triggering these muscles and can reduce the intensity and duration of the pain.
You can lie on the floor using cushions and pillows as a support and just be patient. Its better for you to focus on being somewhere calm so you can make yourself the priority.
Remember though that this is only a temporary measure as prolonged immobility could make things worse.
Did your contraction happen while reaching for, or lifting something? Did it happen just out of the blue and during a very simple activity? If so, you should follow this One Simple Rule to help reduce your chances of back spasms.
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How To Prevent Back Spasms
Common tips to prevent back spasms may include
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Ensuring that you maintain proper posture and using ergonomic aids when needed to provide the stability and strength that your back needs. This may minimize the risk of back spasms.
- Engaging in a stretching and strengthening program for your back and core muscles, as well as regularly participating in some form of cardiovascular activity to keep back muscles healthy.
- Properly warming up and cooling down before and after exercise can help prevent muscles from becoming fatigued, strained or injured.
- Staying hydrated, eating a proper diet and getting adequate sleep are recommended.
Use Ice Or Heat Packs On Sensitive Muscles
Heat relaxes muscles and can be beneficial if you deal with pain, tightness or cramping. Attempt applying heat to areas where you regularly get convulsions by using a warmed towel or heating pad. Lay the hot compress on tense or tight muscles while you massage them, or attempt using a steam room or sauna for all-over heat possibly even an infrared sauna.
You can do the same using an ice pack used to swollen or painful areas numerous times per day.
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What Causes Back Spasms
“The most common cause is a strained muscle in your back. A sore muscle can go into spasms,” Dr. Cornett says. “Another cause in older adults is wear-and-tear arthritis of the spine that causes tiny tears in the outer parts of the discs that separate the spinal bones. These tears can be very painful. Your back muscles can become fatigued and go into spasms trying to guard against the pain.”
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that most low back pain is acute low back pain. That means it tends to get better on its own within several days, without any long-term symptoms. Back pain that lasts more than 12 weeks is called chronic back pain and is more likely to require treatment from a health care provider.
How To Get Rid Of Back Spasm
As the muscles tighten, pain from back spasm can suddenly bring your life to a halt. Spasms can be triggered by simple muscle overuse or more serious underlying issues. For the more innocent variety of back spasm, the road to feeling better often includes medications for pain and inflammation, rest, ice, heat, massage and exercise. Occasionally, however, back spasms can signal spinal injuries and other illnesses that require medical attention.
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How Are Muscle Spasms Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will need to know, in addition to your medical history and medications, information about:
- How bad the pain is.
- When do the muscle spasms happen .
- How long the cramps last.
- What the muscle spasms feel like.
- When the muscle spasms started.
- Any other symptoms youre experiencing.
Living With Lumbar Strain
Cold reduces swelling. Both cold and heat can reduce pain. Protect your skin by placing a towel between your body and the ice or heat source.
- For the first few days, apply an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes .
- After the first few days, try heat for 15 minutes at a time to ease pain. Never sleep on a heating pad.
- Over-the-counter medicines can help control pain and swelling. Try aspirin or ibuprofen.
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Home Remedies For Back Spasms 7 Effective Ways To Treat
This type of home remedies for back spasms definitely works to decrease major aching.
How to use?
- When you move, roll or try to get up you must place all your fingers or tips of the fingers closer to the spine and over the spasm and start pressing down.
- Press harder and harder while you moving your fingers. In case if you have stood completely try and wait for a few seconds. This method certainly works great
Heating Pads To Reduce Back Spasm
Heating pads are as effective as the cold compresses. Heating pads are known to bring relief from pain and spasm in the affected area. Some people use cold and heat application alternatively upon the affected area. The physical therapist can render much help as well as personal suitability and choice regarding this type of alternate cold and hot therapy for back spasm.
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Avoid Prolonged Static Posture
It is important to pay attention to the joints and muscles of your spine and hip. Prevent fatigue and stresses on these joints by following simple tips, such as:
- Avoid excessive sitting or consider using a standing desk while you work. When you sit for a long duration, the pressure on your spinal discs increase. Aim to get up every hour and walk a short distance to take the load off your discs.
When you have a flare-up of symptoms, consider less exertive activities, such as reading a book, listening to music, or crafting. These activities can help divert your mind from the pain and let your back rest at the same time.
Treating Lower Back Spasms
If your spasms do begin after an injury or an activity that stressed the muscles, try alternating ice and heat on your back. Ice will help reduce inflammation and heat may help improve blood flow.
Medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants may help relieve symptoms while the muscles heal. Research supports that muscle relaxants provide significant pain relief in short-term muscle spasms.
Injections of an anti-inflammatory medication may also help. But there are potential side effects with every medication. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of these injections.
Chiropractic care may help, but be sure to see a doctor to have your condition properly diagnosed first. Physical therapy to help strengthen your back and abdominal muscles is often recommended, as long as the muscles are healthy enough for exercise.
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How Long Do Back Spasms Last & What To Do For It
The answer to the question How long do back spasm last depends on answer to the question what causes back spasm? Back spasms is a severe continuous contraction of paravertebral muscles. Paravertebral muscle is also known as back muscles. Expert suggestions reveal that if a person is suffering from back spasms, then to heal it, the person needs to remain active. However, as far as the recovery period of back spasms is concerned, it also depends on the intensity of the pain. If the pain associated with back spasm is sharp and intense then it may take a longer time to heal. However, the back spasms caused because of a strain, injury to the soft tissue, resolves within three to six weeks. During the three or six weeks the back spasms can be very painful.
- Vertebral Column Tumor
You May Need To See Your Doctor For These Potential Underlying Illnesses
Dont just treat a back spasm as temporary discomfort. It may not merely be muscular in nature as they are often a big warning sign.
There may be something more serious that you are not aware of. This may be what your body could be reacting to.
In cases where treatment does not help, it is possible that you may have a disc issue such and a bulge or herniated disc. It is important to know when you should see a doctor to diagnose any serious injury that may be an underlying cause.
- Herniated Disc
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What Are The Symptoms Of Lumbar Strain
The following are the most common symptoms of a lumbar strain. However, each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- Sudden lower back pain
- Spasms in the lower back that result in more severe pain
- Lower back feels sore to the touch
The symptoms of a lumbar strain may resemble other conditions and medical problems. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Start These 2 Simple But Very Effective Exercises Now
What you can do now at this point is to practice these 2 simple exercises. They are among many specific and targeted exercises from the eBook which are the Seated Twist and the Lying Twist. They will help you both to loosen, strengthen and stabilize your spine, making it much easier for you to turn and reach to avoid triggering another spasm.
Reducing your back spasms will also reduce muscle guarding, a major factor which causes many to suffer from recurring pain in the morning.
The Seated and Lying Twist exercises help to release tight, lower back muscles which can fatigue and trigger a spasm. If you suffer from them, you may find that even these simple movements can be difficult to execute in full range.
As with all exercises, dont force yourself to perform the full stretch right away. You may cause more pain by doing this. Work your way up one degree or inch at a time very slowly over several days. Remember, your body is NOT accustomed to such movement.
It is common to trigger yourself by reaching or moving in a twisted position due to excessive tightness. They can strike during even the most mundane and simple of action such as reaching for a pen on the floor. These exercises help you to improve these tight areas to protect you.
- Dont Bend and Lift the Wrong Way. Try a Safer Way to Lift.
STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN THE MUSCLES THAT ARE PRONE TO SPASM WHILE CONDITIONING THE CORE MUSCLES THAT PROTECT YOU
Back spasms are NOT a quick fix problem.
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Take A Bath With Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is naturally abundant in magnesium that permeates into your skin to reach tense muscles when you add it to a warm bath. Epsom salts are a simple method to avoid magnesium shortage, simplicity stress, relieve muscles and cleanse the body. The heat also helps unwind muscles and can even relieve anxiety if this is adding to tightness in your back or neck.
If you do not have a bath at home, use your shower head and objective it at confined muscles. After a hot shower you can massage relaxing or pain-killing necessary oils into muscles, including peppermint or lavender oils.
Getting Active And Hydrated
Staying hydrated is a great way to relieve back spasms quickly. This is even more important if you live in a warm area or your job requires exerting lots of physical energy.
Generally, experts recommend that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water, which is about two litres, or half a gallon of water every day. In reality, your actual water intake would depend on your individual needs, lifestyle, and prevailing weather conditions. Heres a simple table you can use as a reference.
Source: Healthline
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