Back Spasm Relief

Back spasm is an extremely painful condition that occurs when there is a sudden involuntary contraction of back muscles. The origin of pain is the area around the spinal cord, and it mostly affects the lower part of the back. The main symptom is a severe form of back pain which intensifies with any kind of movement of the back.

Spasm occurs when there is swelling or strain in the back muscles. This can happen due to some bad back injury or excessive use of the muscles for a prolonged period of time. Any underlying diseases like arthritis, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, formation of tumor near the spines can weaken the back.

Lordosis is one such condition, where the curvature of the vertebral column is abnormally bent forward. This puts a lot of pressure on the muscles and ligaments that give support to the back. If the muscles around the spine are weak and inflexible, then they are prone to painful contraction.

Hamstrings are the tendons that are present at the back of the legs. If there is a muscle fatigue due to some reason, then it can lead to back spasm. Weakness in the muscles of the stomach can also be responsible for causing this kind of painful muscular contraction.

When you get back muscle spasm, you need to give complete rest to your back. Even slight body movement can worsen the spasm. Lie down at once on a firm surface like a carpeted floor to relax the back muscles. When you are lying flat, place 2-3 pillows under your knees for better relief. Put a rolled hand towel under the neck to ease off the pressure from it.

For the first two days, application of ice to the injury site will give a soothing effect to the pain and restrict the blood flow to the affected spot. As a result, the swelling can be controlled.

Never place ice directly on the skin. Take the ice cubes in a packet, wrap the ice packet in a towel, and then place it over the muscle strain for around twenty minutes. Reapply it again after half an hour. Continue this treatment for the next one or two days depending on the swelling and the pain.

It is advisable to always keep your legs in the elevated position. Lying down on the floor and placing the lower legs on a chair is the best posture, which helps take off a lot of pressure from the back region. While sleeping, keep the legs above a number of pillows, and while sitting, keep your foot on a foot stool.

For pain relief, anti-inflammatory medicines and muscle relaxers are prescribed. If the pain is severe, injections may be administered for back pain relief. There are over-the-counter medicinal creams available, which when applied, can provide relief from the back pain. An excellent home treatment is massaging the back with eucalyptus oil or mustard oil.

You have to be very careful about your sleeping posture in order to speed up the recovery. The mattress on which you are sleeping should be firm, and also, never sleep with the face down position.

As a result, there is a minimum possibility of the recurrence of back spasm. However, at any point of time, if you find that the exercises are increasing the pain, then stop performing them immediately.

These exercises will release the tension from the back muscles, strengthen them, and make them more flexible. As a result, there is a minimum possibility of the recurrence of back spasm. However, at any point of time, if you find that the exercises are increasing the pain, then stop performing them immediately.

Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.