A doctor may recommend physical therapy. Therapy may include pelvic traction, gentle massage, ice and heat therapy, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation and stretching exercises. A physical therapist will also recommend exercises to do regularly at home in the long-term.
Alternative holistic options to relieve low back pain include acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage and yoga. Pain medications and muscle relaxants may also be helpful on a short-term basis in combination with the physical therapy.
The likelihood of a complete recovery from a lumbar strain or sprain injury is excellent. Heat and ice treatment are recommended on an as-needed basis at home to treat sudden flare-ups of low back pain, along with anti-inflammatory medications.
However, low back strain may develop into a chronic condition unless efforts are made to change habits that contribute to the problem. Patient Pages are authored by neurosurgical professionals, with the goal of providing useful information to the public. Julie G. To date, Dr. Pilitsis maintains an NIH sponsored research program focused on device optimization for neuromodulation and has published over journal articles, 4 books and numerous chapters.
She serves as section editor of functional neurosurgery in Operative Neurosurgery and is on the editorial board of Neuromodulation. Some are closer to the surface called superficial muscles. Moving deeper into the body, there are intermediate muscles and deep muscles.
The back has different muscle groups that work together to allow movement. There are groups of muscles that move the:. Other muscles beyond the back also help move the head, shoulders, arms, and legs. For example, some muscles located in the chest also help move the shoulders. Likewise, there are muscles in other parts of the body that help support and move the spine.
Below you'll see diagrams along with the names of the back muscles that may be the cause of your pain. The back has a total of 40 muscles. There are 20 muscle pairs, one on each side of the body. Depending on how the muscles are counted, the total number may vary. These are strong, large muscles are located on either side of the neck. Individually, they rotate the head left or right.
Together, they flex or bend the head towards the chest. A person who complains of a stiff neck may have a problem with one of their sternocleidomastoids. The semispinalis capitis, splenius capitis, and longissimus capitis muscles all help the head extend toward the back.
They also work with sternocleidomastoid muscles to rotate the head left and right. After working on the computer with their head bent forward, a person might feel soreness in these muscles.
There are seven pairs of muscles that move the shoulders. Three of these pairs are chest muscles, not back muscles. The four back muscle pairs are:. These large muscles — sometimes called traps — are shaped like trapezoids or diamonds. They move the shoulder bones also called scapulae. In addition, they help move the collar bones.
Also called rhomboid major and rhomboid minor, these two pairs of muscles also help move the shoulder bones. These large wing-shaped muscles extend from the upper to the lower back. Sometimes known as the lats, they help move the arms and shoulders. Together with the deltoid muscles, the supraspinatus muscles move the upper arms. The infraspinatus muscles help rotate or turn the arms.
These muscles help move the arms in many ways. For instance, the teres minor muscles aid in rotating or turning the arms. There are several sets of muscles that help move the spine. In the back , these muscles include:.
There are three groups of muscles that make up the sacrospinalis. These extend from the neck area to the lower back. The spinalis are muscles that are closest to the spine. There is a set of muscles in the upper back called the thoracic area called the spinalis thoracis. The iliocostalis muscles are furthest from the spine. There are three sets of iliocostalis muscles: 1 in the cervical area iliocostalis cervicis , 2 in the upper back or thoracic area iliocostalis thoracis , and 3 in the lumbar area iliocostalis lumborum.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask your physician. The spinal column is made up of small bones vertebrae stacked on top of one another, creating the natural curves of the back. The spine contains three segments: cervical, thoracic and lumbar. Between the vertebrae are flat, round, rubbery pads intervertebral disks that act as shock absorbers and allow the back to flex or bend. Disks in the lumbar spine are composed of a thick outer ring of cartilage annulus and an inner gel-like substance nucleus.
In the cervical spine, disks are similar but smaller in size. Each vertebra has an opening foramen in the center and these line up to form the spinal canal. Protected by the vertebrae, the spinal cord and other nerve roots travel through the spinal canal. Nerves branch out from the spinal column through vertebral openings, carrying messages between the brain and muscles. Facet joints align at the back of the spinal column, linking the vertebrae together and allowing for rotation and movement.
Like all joints, cartilage covers the surface where facet joints meet. Muscles, tendons and ligaments are fibrous cords of tissue that connect the vertebrae and allow motion, while providing support and stability for the spine and upper body. Although most people experience low back pain at some time during their lives, the pain varies, from person to person, and from one occurrence to the next.
Back pain may be mild to severe, intermittent or constant, have a gradual onset or a sudden appearance, and may be short-lived or last for an extended period of time. Regardless of how or why back pain occurs, it can make many everyday activities difficult or uncomfortable to do. The most common causes of lower back pain are strains and sprains to the muscles, tendons or ligaments of the low back, ranging from simple overstretching injuries to partial or complete tears.
Low back pain has many potential causes, including specific activities or movements that place undue stress on the lower back, such as lifting heavy objects, lifting while twisting, or sudden movements or falls. Sports that require twisting movements such as golf , or any type of sudden impact or jarring motion, are also a frequent cause of pulled or strained back muscles. Aging can be a factor for many back conditions because it causes degenerative changes in the spine that can begin as early as the thirties or even younger.
These changes can make the back more prone to pain or injury, especially if activities are overdone. However, with proper prevention techniques, natural degenerative changes caused by aging need not stop most people from leading productive, generally pain-free lives.
Back pain varies, depending on the underlying cause and severity of the injury. The pain may be described as sharp or stabbing, dull, achy, or feel like a Charley horse or cramp.
Reclining or lying down often improves low back pain, regardless of the cause. Whatever your age or symptoms, if you experience back pain that does not improve within a few weeks, or it is associated with fever, chills, or unexpected weight loss, it is important to call your physician. After reviewing your medical history and discussing your symptoms, your physician will perform a physical examination that may include: asking you to bend forward, backward and side to side; measuring nerve functions in the legs by checking reflexes at the knees and ankles; and additional strength and sensation testing.
Your doctor may request X-rays to reveal obvious causes of back pain such as broken bones , changes due to aging, curves or deformities in the bone.
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