What You Can Learn From Your Back Spasms
Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Pain and discomfort is never fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong and a change is needed. But if we listen to what our body is telling us, we can use that pain to help us find a solution.
The same can be said for spinal conditions like muscle spasms. A muscle spasm in your back is telling you that something is wrong with the area, and change it needed. Today, we’re going to explain what your back is trying to tell you when a muscle is spasming, and what you should do to treat the problem so it doesn’t keep coming back.
What Your Back Spasm Is Telling You
Back spasms can occur for a variety of specific reasons, but in general they usually occur in response to two things, which are:
- Your muscles are protecting themselves from a muscle strain – If your muscles are overworked or dehydrated, they may spasm or involuntarily contract in order to reduce the likelihood of a muscle strain or tear. Reducing activity levels, hydrating and light stretching can typically address spasms that are a result of your body trying to protect against injury.
- There is an underlying anatomical problem – If your muscle spasms return after treatment or become chronic, they are probably trying to tell you that there is an underlying mechanical issue. Examples of a mechanical issue include facet joint osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease. This type of spasm is caused by your muscle’s involuntary response to pain or inflammation.
Treating Spinal Muscles Spasms
Most muscle spasms of the spine can be treated with the conservative care treatments we listed above – avoiding overstressing the muscles, stay hydrated and do some light stretching. If you’re still dealing with the first type of muscle strain, your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxer or anti-inflammatory medication to help prevent it from spasming, or they might recommend a change in diet or ice therapy.
However, if you are dealing with the second type of muscle spasm, then trying to treat the spasm isn’t going to solve the problem because it is not the underlying issue. Instead, you need to treat the disc degeneration or osteoarthritis or whatever condition is causing the spasms. This is best done by consulting a doctor who can use diagnostic tools to uncover the true problem.
Although your treatment options may vary, your doctor will likely recommend some of the above treatment options along with regular exercise or a physical therapy program. If you have a more serious spinal condition, spinal injections or even surgery to correct the issue may be your best bet. Your doctor will walk you through your individual plan after taking a look at your spine.
