Back pain is a common condition that affects about 80% of adults in their lifetime. It can range from mild discomfort to intense pain that limits one’s mobility. It can be a warning sign that something is seriously wrong with one’s health. Having a chiropractor treat this condition can help prevent it from happening in the first place.
Lower Back Spasms Causes
A muscle spasm is a type of involuntary contraction that occurs when the body’s natural response to an injury or symptom of an underlying condition.
Muscle Spasms as a Warning
If one’s activities are more strenuous than usual or are unfamiliar, then they can trigger a muscle back strain. This type of injury can occur in the soft tissues of the back, such as the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. It can also be caused by an imbalance in one’s electrolyte levels. Usually, these types of back injuries heal within a couple of weeks.
Muscles Spasms as a Symptom
Sometimes, back pain that lingers for several days or weeks is a symptom of an underlying condition. It could be caused by a slipped disc or an injury to the spinal structure.
These conditions may include:
- Arthritis
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Spinal Stenosis
- Herniated or bulging disc
The underlying conditions can cause back pain to flare up due to the instability and inflammation in the spinal structure. If you are experiencing persistent or worsening back pain, you must seek medical attention. Having a chiropractor can help prevent these conditions from happening in the first place. Aside from treating the underlying condition, a chiropractor can also help the body’s healing process.
Back Pain Symptoms
Back pain can be caused by different muscle groups. The initial sensation of a muscle strain can be mild or intense. It can then radiate to other parts of the body.
Some of the physical symptoms might include:
- Difficulty bending or squatting
- Pain that may worsen or get better with rest
- Pain that worsens or improves with exercise
- Popping, cracking, or other noises or sensations when moving after a period of rest
- Numbness, tingling, or pain in the back, shoulders, neck, or hips
- Stiffness in the spine or surrounding muscles
- Pain, tingling, or numbness that radiates down the back of one or both legs
- With treatment, these back spasms symptoms can improve or be eliminated.
Treating Back Spasms with a Chiropractor
Many people who suffer from back pain seek treatment from a chiropractor. This type of therapy is considered to be effective and can help patients avoid experiencing future pain. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, a chiropractor can help patients achieve their goals by tapping into their body’s natural healing process.
Spinal Alignment Therapy
Most people think of chiropractic care as a type of therapy that focuses on the alignment of the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the body’s most important structure and is responsible for all of its structures. When the spine is not in alignment, it puts too much pressure on the nerve bundles and spinal cord.
This can lead to nerve damage and pain. Getting the spine back in alignment can help prevent these conditions from happening in the first place. During chiropractic treatment, the chiropractor uses special equipment and hands to move the bones of the body into a healthy position.
Physical Therapy
Getting back in alignment can also be done through regular exercise and stretching. Overcompensating can lead to the weakening or shortening of certain muscle groups. This can cause soft tissues to become stiff or even shorten.
This imbalance can also lead to conditions or injuries that are worse than they were before. During a physical therapy session, the therapist will focus on improving the strength and flexibility of the weak muscle groups. This can help reduce or eliminate back pain.
Massage Therapy
This type of therapy is different from what people think of when they think of massage therapy. It involves using deep tissue techniques to treat low back pain. This type of therapy is focused on improving the soft tissues of the body to help them regain their normal range of motion.
This type of therapy is focused on improving the soft tissues of the body to help them regain their normal range of motion. It can also trigger back muscle strains. These muscle strains should only last for a couple of hours after the treatment, but they can sometimes last for up to 24 hours.
This type of therapy can also help to restore blood flow to the areas that are affected by the massage. It can additionally speed up the healing process and help prevent further back pain.
Alternative Medical Treatments
Unfortunately, traditional Western medicine can sometimes lead to back pain being treated through surgery. This type of procedure is not an ideal option for people who are suffering from low back pain. It can be very expensive and can also lead to complications. Aside from the surgery, other factors such as physical therapy and pain medications can additionally prevent recovery.
Regenerative Medicine
In some cases, replacing surgery as an alternative to treatment can be done through regenerative medicine, which involves using stem cells and unspecialized cells. These cells rush to any damaged or injured tissue to help speed up the healing process.
As the body ages, the number of stem cells that can repair itself decreases, which means that it’s less likely that the body will be able to do so. With regenerative medicine, your doctor will use stem cells to treat damaged tissues. Once the stem cells have been injected, they will start to rebuild the damaged tissue.
Lower Back Pain – Muscle Spasms
If you are suffering from back pain, contact a licensed chiropractor to see if you can get relief. He or she can use a combination of chiropractic care and other forms of pain management to help you stop experiencing back pain.
Call Primary Health Center Chiropractic at (703) 354-8111 to learn more about how to stop back spasms by seeing a chiropractor who uses modern techniques like spinal manipulation.