Back Strain: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Strategies

Musculoskeletal Health with Dr D. 

Back Strain: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Strategies

Back strain is probably the most common form of acute back pain. It affects the muscles and their tendons which attach them to various structures in the back. In general, muscle strain refers to a small tear in the muscle or its tendon. Most muscle strains tend to develop in the lower back area where the muscle changes into the tendon, but they can develop anywhere.

SciaticaDisc HerniationSpinal StenosisFacet Joint Pain

Symptoms

A strain of the back muscles mostly causes localized pain in the area of the muscle/tendon injury accompanied by stiffness, limited range of motion and difficulties maintaining straight posture. Timing is very important when it comes to muscle strain.

 

Most muscle strains usually happen while lifting something very heavy or doing a sudden movement. Many individuals experiencing back pain due to muscle strain may feel a popping sensation at the moment of the injury which usually prompts them to seek medical attention.

 

They may have difficulties straightening their back up after the onset of the pain and usually maintain a semi bent position to avoid severe pain. That is not to say that muscle strain cannot come gradually. Even in this case, however, the individual can usually remember the moment when he felt sudden uncomfortable pain in the back which became progressively worse with activities.

Most individuals will also complain of muscle cramps in the area of their lower back. Additionally, coughing and sneezing usually brings on bouts of severe pain during acute back strain. The back muscles which tend to be the most affected by muscle strain are those right next to the spine.

 

Frequently, however, the pain can also be felt around the base of the spine and in the buttock area. Occasionally, pain may radiate into the buttocks. Under normal circumstances, pain due to back strain does not radiate down to the legs.

 

Pain radiating down to the legs is usually associated with nerve compression, but it is also frequently seen as a result of trigger points in the gluteal (buttock) muscles.  Back strain is not a serious condition and most individuals with acute back strain recover spontaneously within 1 to 2 weeks.

Causes

When muscle strain is caused by a sudden movement, it is generally a result of preexisting tightness in the back muscles which has developed over a period of time. Tight muscles are less flexible. Decreased flexibility results in limited ability to respond to sudden demands for muscle extension beyond the normal daily activity.

 

Therefore when the muscle is required to suddenly extend beyond its limits, such as when catching a falling object or catching ourselves from falling down, a strain can develop in the muscle or the tendon. To prevent further injury, the body triggers protective mechanism which manifests as muscle spasm.

 

The final outcome is stiffness and significantly limited range of motion with great amount of pain when trying to move in any direction.

Back strain can, however, develop also due to muscle overuse. In this case, the muscles and/or their tendons become strained due to repetitive movements in absence of sufficient time for recovery and repair.

 

Activities involving excessive forward bending of the spine constitute one of the most common misuses of the back leading to increased vulnerability to a variety of injuries. The forward bend position stretches the muscles and tendons of the back to a point where very little control can be exercised over the spine’s position.

 

Therefore lifting objects in forward bend positions can easily strain these muscles and their tendons. Additionally, forward bend position creates an uneven pressure on the spinal discs making them significantly more prone to injury.

 

Poor posture

Poor posture is one of the main underlying causes for the development of back strain. It generally refers to either too large or too small curvature in the area of the lower back. Over a period of time, poor posture leads to muscle imbalance and strain of the muscles/tendons in the back.

 

Spending extensive period of time in uneven position such as being twisted sideways or bent forward, also puts great stress on the spinal discs predisposing them to injury.

 

Poor physical fitness

poor physical fitness, excessive weight, sedentary lifestyle and lack of flexibility are also among the leading factors predisposing individuals to back strain. The result is poorly conditioned back muscles that lack sufficient strength and endurance to respond to increased physical demand when called upon.

 

This is why sudden unexpected movement, or performance of new repetitive task requiring the use of back muscles, easily result in back strain.

 

More information is available on this page.

Summary

Main Symptoms

Sudden onset

Localized pain  & stiffness

Limited range of motion

Difficulties maintaining straight posture

Muscle cramp in the area of the lower back

Causes

Sudden movement

Tight muscles and lack of flexibility

Muscle overuse

Activities involving excessive forward bending of the spine

Lifting objects in forward bend position

Poor posture

Working in uneven position - twisted sideways or bent forward

Poor physical fitness,

Excessive weight

Sedentary lifestyle

by Dr. Michal Domeny DNP, L.Ac, CD/N

Sciatica, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment strategies

Musculoskeletal Health with Dr D. 

Sciatica

Sciatica is a type of back pain that affects the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that exits from the spine in the area of the low back, travels down to the buttock and continues down along the back of the thighs into the feet. It is an important nerve that branches in several places in the legs and provides nerve innervation to the legs and feet.  A disc in the spine can herniate and compress the sciatic nerve causing symptoms of sciatica.

Back StrainDisc HerniationSpinal StenosisFacet Joint Pain

Symptoms

Patients with sciatica usually experience the familiar electric jolt like sensation propagating along the back of the thighs sometimes all the way to the feet. The sensation of pins and needles or ants crawling under the skin of the legs is also frequently described by patients experiencing sciatica. The intensity of the pain varies among the patients. Some individuals experience excruciating debilitating pain that causes them to become bedridden for a couple of days, while others have only mild pain in their back and legs. While the sciatic pain usually starts in the low back and continues down the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve, the pain is usually more intense in the legs than in the back. Sciatica generally affects only one leg at a time. It is rare to see the involvement of both legs at the same time. If this is the case, it is important to seek medical evaluation to rule out other causes for these symptoms.

Most patients complain of more significant pain when they sit down. Standing for extended periods of time is also very painful and most people prefer to lay down or slowly walk around to ease their pain. Numbness and weakness in the leg are also frequently associated with sciatica. If the sciatic nerve becomes compressed in the buttock by a muscle called piriformis, it is called piriformis syndrome. The main differentiating symptoms between sciatica and the piriformis syndrome is that painful sensation caused by piriformis syndrome propagates down the leg along the back of the thighs and only up to the knees and not past the knees. The quality of the pain is also different. Pain radiating down the legs due to the Piriformis Syndrome generally feels like a dull, achy sensation unlike the electric-like, burning sensation caused by a pinched nerve in the spine causing sciatica.

Causes

There are many reasons why someone may develop sciatica. The risk factors are similar to developing any back pain. The excessive weight which creates too much pressure on the spine, sedentary occupation with lack of movement or carrying heavy objects are some of the most important causes. Aging is an independent factor that compounds any of the above risk factors because most people become more sedentary as they get older, gain weight and become less flexible. Sciatica is however not exclusive of young healthy individuals. Many individuals in the 30s present to their health care provider’s office with symptoms of sciatica after sustaining injury from doing exercises at the gym. This is usually related to lifting heavy weights, not stretching before and after exercising, as well as not getting enough rest to allow body fully recover and regenerate.  To prevent flare-ups of sciatica it is, therefore, crucial to maintaining healthy weight and stay mobile.

Treatment Guidelines

While sciatica can be rarely caused by a bone spur or a tumor, in most cases of sudden onset of sciatica, it is related to a disc herniation.  The treatment for sciatica is therefore essentially the same as for disc herniation since both share the same underlying cause. Treatment guidelines for disc herniation can be found here.

Summary

Symptoms

Electric jolt like sensation in the back & back of the leg

“Pins and needles” sensation

Numbness and weakness in the leg

Burning sensation

Affects usually only one leg

More pain with sitting or standing

Pain is better when laying down or walking slowly

Causes

Excessive weight

Sedentary occupation & lack of movement

Carrying heavy objects

Advanced age

Lifting heavy weights

by Dr. Michal Domeny DNP, L.Ac, CD/N