Back Muscle Spasms: Causes and Treatments

A common cause of back pain is muscle spasm. A spasm is an involuntary, often painful contraction of a muscle. Spasms frequently occur in the muscles of the lower back, since these muscles are heavily relied upon both when moving and sitting or standing still.

A muscle spasm indicates that the muscle has run out of energy. Muscles rely on a contraction/relaxation cycle to pump nutrients and waste in and out. Oxygen and electrolytes are delivered through the blood to muscles during this cycle, making sure they have energy to work.

A muscle runs out of energy when it is held in the same position for a prolonged period of time, when it is overstretched or when it is overused. If you sit for a long time, your lower back muscles will not receive fresh nutrients and oxygen from blood to continue supporting the upper body. If you slouch or hyper-extend, your lower back muscles will be overstretched. The muscles will attempt to contract in order to protect against tearing. If you have an overuse injury, the muscle has worked too hard and was not given the chance to relax, rid its waste products and take in fresh blood.

To protect itself from further movement, a muscle that has run out of energy forcibly contracts. The inflammation surrounding injured muscles is also thought to foster spasms, since it disrupts normal nerve signaling to the muscles involved.

The main symptoms of a muscle spasm are:

Localized pain in the affected muscle, beginning with a movement or after activity
Sensation of tightness in the muscle
Tangible swelling of the muscle

Treatment

Spasms can become chronic if: you have a muscle imbalance causing a muscle to be constantly overstretched; you regularly maintain a static position for prolonged periods of time, especially with poor posture; you practice improper body mechanics leading to an overuse injury, such as improper lifting technique; you are an athlete who constantly overuses certain muscle groups.

Acute spasms often reside within seconds or minutes. For chronic spasms, treatment depends on the situation causing the problem. General treatment methods for muscle spasms are:

Rest for a day or two
Ice for the first two days
Gentle stretching after period of rest
Heat application after gentle stretching

People with chronic spasms will need to combine these general approaches with cause-specific measures to alter their harmful behavior patterns. Those with muscle imbalances will benefit from working with a physical therapist trained in identifying and rectifying imbalance. A combination of myofascial release for overly-tight muscles and targeted exercise for weak, overstretched muscles will help to prevent spasms in the future.

If you habitually maintain one position for a prolonged period of time, a lifestyle change is in order. To prevent further spasms, you'll need to find ways to keep moving throughout the day. Those with office jobs, for example, may choose to get out of their seats every hour or so and take a quick walk around the office or stretch by their desks.

Overuse injuries generally require a reworking of posture and movement patterns. Athletes benefit from myofascial release and strengthening weak muscle groups to provide better muscle balance. Those with jobs that require lifting may benefit from movement retraining such as the Alexander Technique. This treatment program can be pursued under the guidance of a trained practitioner or independently - and for free - from your own home. More on this can be found at http://www.alexandertechnique.com/.

While muscle spasms are often a brief inconvenience, for some they become a source of chronic back pain. If you have muscle spasms regularly, it is a sign that something is wrong in your body that needs fixing.

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