It’s one of the worst things your back can do to you: a wayward bend, lift, pull or twist, and bam! Suddenly it’s as if someone is holding a blowtorch to your muscles. It’s a back spasm, and it can feel like the end of the world—or at least the unexpected end of your work day.

What Happens?

Muscle spasms can happen anywhere in the body, but they’re especially painful when they happen in the back, close to the nerves of the spinal cord. They’re different from a muscle twitch, which is often painless, albeit annoying, and can be seen through the skin. A spasm is a spontaneous, involuntary, abnormal contraction of a strained or inflamed muscle. As any sufferer knows, it can be extremely painful. This type of injury can be common in many sports, from weightlifting to golf, but sedentary people have a high risk, as well.

Unexpected Causes

There are medical conditions that can lead to back spasms, like tumors or serious spinal disorders, but in the majority of cases, the spasms can be traced to an everyday problem, whether or not the sufferer is an athlete. Since the back never operates apart from the other sections of the body, a spasm can be a sign of a larger underlying problem, but fortunately, many of these are easy to address.

Painful back spasms can have a variety of sources:

• Sleep deprivation
• Dehydration or electrolyte loss
• Tight hamstrings or pelvic muscles
• Weak or inflexible muscles of the spine or abdomen

What can I do?

Back spasms can feel horrible, but one rule of thumb is not to let them immobilize you longer than a day or two. Staying in bed for longer than that can cause more harm than good to your back in the long run, though of course you should avoid any strenuous movements while you’re still in pain. If you’re in severe or unbearable pain, or the spasms are chronic, it’s time to see Non-Surgical Orthopaedics right away, but we also have a lot of tips for managing the pain in the meantime.

• Lie flat on your back with your knees elevated by large pillows.
• Try taking an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen, or a painkiller like acetaminophen, though always follow the recommended dosage.
• Apply ice packs to the painful spot for twenty minutes at a time.
• Get enough sleep and drink plenty of fluids.
• Move around if you can, but make rest the order of the day.

At Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, we’re here for any kind of back crisis, and once you’re feeling better, we can teach you stretches and exercises to prevent back spasms from happening in the first place. Schedule an appointment with us today by calling (770) 421-1420 or clicking on our web contact form.