Back Spasms Causes

A back spasm usually affects the lower back muscles rather than the middle to upper back muscles of the torso and are often the result of an injury or inflammation of the spinal area or the spine itself. It is also thought that the spasm is the body’s response to protect and immobilize the spine from further aggravation.

People with such conditions often have the temptation to lie on their back, but if you want to get relief, you must try to maintain an upright position. It is very important for you to understand that the spasms may last much longer if you lie still most of the times – it only intensifies the pain.

If you have experienced back spasms you know how painful they can be and how desperate you are for relief. There are many causes of muscle spasms. The most common ones include lifting a heavy object, a sudden jerk or sneeze and even dehydration. Of course when you are experiencing the pain you are less concerned with the causes as you are with stopping the pain. Below are the best treatments for back spasms.

The most common cause for spasm is any previous injury or a sudden movement wherein the muscle gets over-stretched and inflamed. Such strain in the muscle ultimately weakens them. Other factors can include excessive movements involving the back, straining physical activities, improper posture while sitting, sleeping or walking, jerky impact on the back or lifting heavy weights.

Some people are born with a tipped pelvis. This is a condition where the pelvis is tilted forward putting undo strain on muscles and nerves. When my wife was pregnant she found out that she had this condition and by doing some specific exercises was able to correct the tipped pelvis.

For some back pain sufferers their sleeping position only makes their pain worse and triggers those nightly spasms. Try sleeping in a fetal position, sleep on your side with knees bent and a pillow between the knees. I can personally vouch for this position as being very effective.

The body is one contiguous unit. It must be treated as such. If you chase the pain trying to get back pain relief, far too often you’ll come up empty. The pain you experience in a certain spinal area, say the lower back, may not be the primary area that’s injured. For instance, middle back pain causes muscle spasms, which can cause the lower back, or even neck and shoulders to overwork by compensating.

The lower back pain causes are often related to the sciatic nerve and can become painful for many reasons. If you have muscle spasms then they too can start to ache. Often starting by pressure on a nerve, the sciatica can go on for several weeks causing a great deal of hardship to the sufferer.

The chances are nine out of ten you’ll be told your spine is misaligned. ‘Misalignment’ is the specific term chiropractors use most often to describe back pain. ‘Sublimation’ is another, more impressive way of saying misalignment, but it means the same thing. ‘Twisted pelvis’ is another common way for chiropractors to describe a specific area of an improperly aligned spine.

Strains tend to occur when muscles are poorly conditioned and/or overworked. If, for example, you’re out of shape and spend an entire weekend raking leaves in the garden, stretching to get into hard-lo-reach places, twisting to load the trash bags, and the next day you feel as if you cannot move a muscle, chances are you have a strain.

This type of injury can generally happen if your work requires difficult postures such as bending, twisting or overextending your body. Diagnosing the cause of a lower lumbar injury is quite difficult and challenging because multiple structures in the lower back region can cause pain. If you do not feel comfortable with the diagnosis don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for a second opinion.

Back spasms can be caused by many problems including discs or repetitive motion. Learn how to treat back spasms in this physical therapy video.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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