Stretching For A Back Muscle Spasm
Ultimately, the best thing you can do for a back muscle spasm is stretch, says Dr. Loren Fishmen, a physical medicine, and rehabilitation specialist in New York.
Though generally not serious, back muscle spasms often baffle doctors and family members, he says. This is because even though they likely produce little movement or support, muscles in spasm are hard at work as such, they require oxygen and nutrient delivery as well as waste disposal.
But contraction clamps down on blood vessels through which these substances pass, limiting the exchanges that can occur. Instead, acid builds up in your muscle which can hurtand makes for more spasm. It’s a vicious cycle until you can relax the muscle, he says.
Other ways to release the muscle, according to Fishman, include hot baths, gentle massage, and hot packs. The idea, he says, is to dilate the blood vessels and speed tissue repair.
Manual And Physical Therapy
Manual therapy includes spinal manipulation or massage to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle tension and back pain.
Physical therapy includes exercises and massage to relieve upper and middle back pain. Your physiotherapist may recommend certain exercises and stretches that you can do at home.
Sleeping And Lying Down
- Select a firm mattress and box spring set that does not sag. If necessary, place a board under your mattress. You can also place the mattress on the floor temporarily if necessary.
- If you’ve always slept on a soft surface, it may be more painful to change to a hard surface. Try to do what is most comfortable for you.
- Use a back support at night to make you more comfortable. A rolled sheet or towel tied around your waist may be helpful.
- Use a firm pillow that supports the curve of your neck.
- Do not sleep on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest.
- When standing up from the lying position, turn on your side, draw up both knees and swing your legs on the side of the bed. Sit up by pushing yourself up with your hands. Avoid bending forward at your waist.
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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.
What Are Muscle Knots That Crunch With Massage
According to a massage therapist I spoke to, a muscle knot that feels like it crunches when you massage it is the muscle fascia slipping past the skin with enough friction to catch and release repeatedly.
How about you? whats the most effective muscle knots reliever you ever tried?
To your health and happiness,
Meital
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Risk Of Heavy Backpacks In Childhood
Carrying around a heavy backpack on a daily basis in childhood affects the spine and the back more than you may think. Studies confirm that children tend to carry between 30 percent and 40 percent of their weight in their backpacks. Most studies recommend that children should only carry an average of 10 percent to 15 percent of their body weight on their back at all times.
Since school children are carrying significantly more than they should be to and from school, back problems are on the rise in young children, which can carry on into their adult lives. It is confirmed that heavy backpack loads can cause compression of discs in a childs lower back, which leads to back pain and discomfort in the present and the future.
Another study found that the weight of heavy backpacks can cause deterioration in the lumbar region of the spine, which can lead to back problems and poor posture later in life.
Kids also alter their posture when they are carrying around a heavy load, which can lead to even more discomfort in their lower backs. Overall, it is concluded that children should not carry more than 10 percent of their body weight in backpacks to avoid posture and spine issue. However, this is often not the case and most children continue to carry much more than the recommended amount of weight.
In an effort to combat this all too common problem, parents must make the conscious effort to ensure their childs backpack is not too heavy for their body weight.
Uti Causing You Back Pain
Tessa Chatham Registered Nurse
Tessa Chatham Registered Nurse
Tessa is a MSN prepared Registered Nurse with 10 years of critical care experience in healthcare. When not practicing clinical nursing, she enjoys academic writing and is passionate about helping those affected by medical aliments live healthy lives.
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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.
Causes Of Anxiety Related Back Pain
There are many different issues that can lead to back pain, and it is helpful to speak with a doctor to determine what your cause may be. When anxiety contributes to back pain, it is believed thatthe cause of back pain from anxiety is mostly secondary – meaning that anxiety isn’t literally causing back pain, but anxiety is causing behaviors that lead to back pain.
There are many theories that describe a situation where back pain may be directly caused by anxiety. The most common is theory is that anxiety, which causes muscle tension, may be tensing muscles in the upper or lower back, and that that muscle tension causes pain in anxiety sufferers.
Massage therapists will tell you that their most stressed clients often have knots in their muscles, especially in their shoulder and upper back, so anxiety-related back pain really does exist.
But anxiety may also be causing separate issues that simply lead to back pain. These include:
Anxiety isnt believed to cause severe back pain. But its also important to remember that there is often a back pain cycle. Those with greater perceived back pain are more likely to over-adjust in an attempt to avoid the pain. Chiropractors see this often. A patient with mild back pain will make their back pain worse because they’re constantly walking, sitting, or twisting in ways that are unnatural in an attempt to reduce that back pain.
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How To Stop Anxiety From Causing Further Back Pain
Under the assumption that your back pain is caused by anxiety, treating that back pain does require a focus on the pain itself. Unfortunately, while treating anxiety can reduce your back pain in the long term , breaking the cycle of back pain depends in large part on your ability to also fight the back pain itself. Consider the following tips:
These are all traditional ways to deal with back pain unrelated to anxiety, but they’re still effective because once back pain starts, it needs to be stopped using traditional methods.
But of course, controlling your back pain is only step one. You will still need to learn ways to cope with anxiety so that you can stop your anxiety back pain from occurring again.
SUMMARY:
Anxiety causes muscle tension, inactivity, changes in posture, and other changes that can all lead to back pain. The pain is real, so over the counter painkillers, stretching, and similar treatments might be needed to eliminate the pain. In the long term, it becomes important to stop the anxiety.
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Chronic Upper And Middle Back Pain Treatment Southlake Texas
The upper and middle back pain is commonly caused as a result of poor posture, overuse of muscles or injury. Lets talk about Chronic Upper and Middle Back Pain Treatment.
The upper and middle back pain is not so common like the lower back pain. This is because the bones in the upper and middle back do not move or twist as much as the bones at the lower back.
It is also because the upper and middle back doesnt carry much of the bodys weight as much as the lower back.
The upper and middle backbones connect with the rib cage to help protect vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver.
The upper and middle back is the area between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ribcage. It is made up of 12 bones called the thoracic vertebrae which begin from the base of the neck down to the bottom of the ribcage. The pain can be felt anywhere between these bones.
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Exercises For Upper And Middle Back Pain
Pain in the upper and/or middle back can be quite limiting and interfere with daily activities. To help alleviate this pain, consider stretching and strengthening the muscles that support your thoracic spine . Here are 5 common exercises to try.
See Early Treatments for Upper Back Pain
Stretches For The Middle Back
Back pain, especially short-term pain, is one of the most common medical complaints in the United States. A variety of lifestyle factors, medical conditions, and injuries can lead to pain in the middle back.
Symptoms of mid back pain can include:
- short, sharp pains
- muscle tightness or stiffness
- a reduced range of motion
is here to help you releive your back pain. Visit one of our DFW clinics today to see a therapist and develop a personalised therapy solution for your pain or injury.
The following four stretches are easy to do at home or in the office, and they can help relieve mid back pain, loosen tight muscles, and improve mobility.
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The Universal Guide To Upper Back Pain: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know Straight From The Experts
In This Article:What Is the Upper Back? | Symptoms | Causes | Risk Factors | Diagnosis | Nonoperative Treatments | Surgery Options | Recovery |
Upper back pain can be a little like salsa or Buffalo wingswe know, bear with us.
- First, theres mild: Just a twinge of the tastebuds if were talking sauce, and slight pain thats easy to ignore when it comes to the upper back.
- Then theres medium/moderate: Now were getting somewhere. Youre gonna feel it, but usually only if you take a deep breath or sneeze or move too quickly.
- Finally, weve got spicy: the equivalent to pain so intense you feel the burn from doing the simplest daily tasks, or even nothing at all!
Upper back pain is usually caused by soft tissue injuries, such as sprains or strains, muscle tension caused by poor posture, or looking downward for long time periods. Photo Source:123RF.com. Thing is, upper back pain affects everyone differently. Partly thats because there are so many possible reasons for your upper back pain. The first step in solving your upper back pain problem is understanding why its happening. To do that, start with learning your anatomy.
How Can I Relieve Upper Back Pain
Exercise
Exercise is one of many conservative treatments that helps combat upper back pain. Rowing exercises are among the best for strengthening the muscles of your posterior chain and improve upper back strength.
In order to reduce upper back pain, it is important to stretch the muscles of the anterior chain and strengthen the muscles of the posterior chain , says Kin-Charlton. Consider adding standing cable rows, high face pulls, and rear cable flys to your strength training program. It is just as important to stretch and lengthen the muscles of your anterior chain.
Stretching
Stretching often or doing yoga can improve posture and back strength to relieve upper back pain. You may notice this discomfort more at night after your body reaches a deep stage of relaxation. Meditation before bed can release stress brought on throughout the day and can help put back pain at ease.
Along with stretching, Kin-Charlton says the head-chest stretch is another move that can help ease upper back pain. Seated or standing, interlock your fingers, bend your elbows, and raise your arms above your head. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together and move your elbows and hands backward.
Massage
After a massage, patients experience less back pain and increased mobility, however, Lee points out that just one massage wont take away all of your upper back pain problems. For longer and more effective results, she recommends a seven-week massage treatment plan to massage your pain away.
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Easy Tips To Relieve Stress
Stress affects the body in a variety of ways,from mood swings and headaches to weight fluctuations. However, an often overlookedside effect of stress is neck and back pain. Over time, repetitive bouts ofstress can cause musculoskeletal issues in these regions of the body.
When we get stressed out, the body naturally releases certainhormones. Adrenaline is associated with the ancient fight or flight phenomenonthat heightens our blood pressure, increases our blood supply, and causes themuscles around our spine to tense and spasm in case we need to flee the sourceof the stress. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone it interferes with avariety of functions. Elevations in cortisol can lead to loss of muscle massand increases in fat accumulation.
“Stress affects the body in a variety of ways, from mood swings and headaches to weight fluctuations. However, an often-overlooked side effect of stress is neck and back pain. Over time, repetitive bouts of stress can cause musculoskeletal issues in these regions of the body.”
Kavita Trivedi, D.O.
Data suggest that adults know stress affects their spines. Online survey participants ranked the No. 1 perceived cause of their neck and back pain as follows:
- Stress: 29 percent
- Spinal disc herniation: 21 percent
- Sitting at a desk at work: 20 percent
Other Conditions That Cause Back Pain In Older Adults
We often see a range of less serious but still painful spine conditions in seniors. Most patients with these conditions will not require surgery. Physical therapy, medication, injectable anesthetics, or a combination of treatments usually can control symptoms.
- Degenerative disc disease, which can cause whole spine pain, and lumbar arthritis, which usually causes low-back pain, commonly develop with age and are considered wear-and-tear conditions.
- Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of the joints that connect your spine and pelvis. This condition can cause pain in the low back, glutes, and upper legs.
- Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory arthritis that causes patients spines to become inflexible, resulting in a continual hunched forward position and spine pain.
- We also check for adult degenerative scoliosis and kyphosis, spine-curving conditions that can result in back pain and weakness in the lower extremities.
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Change Your Sleeping Position
When it comes to managing back pain at night, not all sleeping positions are created equal. For example, sleeping on your stomach forces your neck to rest in unnatural positions, straining your back.
The Cleveland Clinic offers this guide to evaluate your sleeping position and to figure out whether it might be necessary for you to try some new ones. Our earlier post also discusses at length how certain sleeping positions can cause back pain and which ones may be better for you.
Consciously Try To Relax Your Muscles With Slow Deep Breaths
Seriously, I know this much easier said than done, but you NEED to do it.
If you learn to breathe the right way, it wont hurt so easily. Breathing poorly will move your rib cage too erratically and might trigger your back muscles again.
Try to relax your muscles when they are in spasm with slow, deep and controlled breaths. Its pretty painful to breathe deeply when you have a full attack, but it will get you to focus more.
We tend to breathe very quickly and shallow when we are in pain. Shallow breaths or even holding your breath is a natural reaction, but will only add to the discomfort.
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