Back pain is often accompanied by an increase in the tone of individual muscles - a muscle spasm occurs. This can cause the patient not only severe discomfort, but also significant harm. If muscle spasms in the back are clearly expressed, then the person cannot move normally. In addition, this causes changes in the physiological curves of the spine, in other words, deformation. In most cases, muscle spasm occurs as a result of compression or reflex complication after osteochondrosis, myofascial pain.
What harm do muscle spasms
When the muscles are constantly tense, there is a strong pinching of the blood vessels, as well as the fibers of the affected muscle. As a result of this, the energy-information exchange is disturbed not only in the muscles, but also in the organs located nearby. They begin to suffer greatly fromlack of blood circulation, there is also a violation of innervation.
For example, the vagus nerve can be compressed in the cervical spine. Because of this, impulses will stop flowing to the pancreas. As a result of such changes, the innervation of this organ is disturbed and, as a result, serious enzymatic problems can arise directly in the gastrointestinal tract.
Another negative effect that occurs due to muscle spasms in the back is the increase in energy costs, which are used in order to constantly maintain the contraction of a particular muscle. If the spasm area is too large, then the energy will be spent several times more than usual.
Symptoms of pathology
When a doctor examines a patient, painful areas can be found in the trapezius muscle, the one that straightens the back or raises the scapula, less often in the others. The main symptoms of muscle spasms in the back include the following sensations:
- Aching, pressing, itching pain.
- Painful sensations are constant, from time to time may increase or decrease.
- Pain radiates to the shoulder, head or even eyes.
- Due to symptoms of muscle spasm in the back, the patient is unable to turn their head completely or perform full arm movements.
Causes of disease development
The main causes of muscle spasms in the back include:
- Osteochondrosis, as well as expiring from this disease. It can beprotrusions, herniated discs.
- Various injuries or bruises of the spine. The reaction to them will be pain from muscle tension, which over time can develop into a trigger syndrome.
- Spasm can occur if the muscles have been subjected to prolonged static stress. Most often, this happens if a person has been in an incorrect or uncomfortable position for a long time, carried a bag on only one shoulder, and so on.
- Strong emotional stresses that cause a significant increase in muscle tone can provoke a problem.
Other causes of back spasm
Muscle spasms are very painful muscle contractions that occur quite involuntarily during or after exercise. The exact causes have not yet been established, but experts identify several common factors that can help determine the nature of the origin of muscle tension, which will allow you to know how to relieve muscle spasm in the back.
Electrolytes
A huge role in the occurrence of muscle spasms is played by the state of hydration of the human body. If you have ever visited the gym, you probably noticed that some of the people involved there are constantly drinking vitamin drinks. They do it for a reason.
They contain the necessary amount of sodium, calcium, potassium. These trace elements have a very positive effect on the condition of muscles and nerves. If there is a disturbance in the balance of electrolytes, which is quite possible duringexcessive sweating, very serious he alth problems may arise.
The same situation will happen when during sports, a person drinks a lot of water. It is not right. When sweat is released, the body loses sodium. A person ends up changing one fluid for another, but it no longer contains this important component. This causes poor muscle functioning.
It is worth noting that it is better to practice in a cool room. Then you are unlikely to need to learn how to relieve muscle spasm in the back. In addition to the fact that a person sweats a lot during sports, the heat also has a very bad effect on the muscles. It causes rapid fatigue and severe weakness.
Amount of calcium in the body
Muscle cramps can occur due to insufficient calcium in the body. The lower the amount of calcium, the less intracellular fluid that is around the muscles and nerves. Because of this, the nerve roots will be exposed to unnecessary irritation, which will lead to severe spasms.
Muscle fatigue
After the muscles have been tense, there comes a period of relaxation. Its duration is several times greater than the compression duration. At the same time, relaxation also occurs on the sensory feedback that occurs between the muscles and the spinal cord, tendons, neuromuscular spindle.
When the muscles are very tired, they begin to actively contract. Because of this, the load on the neuromuscular spindles begins to increase, and on the tendons, accordingly, it decreases. If this happens at the same time, then there is a violation in the process of proper contraction and relaxation of the muscles, which causes a spasm.
Excess or lack of carbohydrates in the body
If there is not enough carbohydrates in a person's diet, or, conversely, there are too many of them, this can begin to affect the muscular system. Try to consume the optimal amount of carbohydrates to avoid muscle spasm caused by this cause.
When you need specialist help
There are several serious situations when you cannot do without the help of an experienced doctor:
- When the muscles hardly move for three days and there is constant severe pain.
- When in the neck, back, muscle spasms occur almost simultaneously with numbness, bouts of weakness, severe tingling.
Methods of treating muscle spasm
In order to get rid of the problem, it is necessary to use a whole range of various techniques. The main and most effective are the following:
- Pharmacopuncture.
- Spine traction.
- Acupuncture.
- Vacuum type therapy.
- An excellent option for temporary relief of symptoms are muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms in the back.
What to do to prevent repeated muscle spasm
The best way to never encounter thisthe problem is to constantly train the muscles so that they are strong, flexible and prepared. If you play sports, never forget about pre-stretching and warming up muscle tissue. It is important to do special exercises aimed at strengthening the back muscles.
Treating the problem at home
There are several options for treating spasm at home. This article presents the most common methods. By using these methods, pain and other symptoms of spasm can be effectively relieved.
Physical impact
This method is suitable in cases where the pain is too strong. Before you start moving, you need to press four fingers of your hand against the spine or at the site of the spasm, then press as hard as possible. After that, do not move for a while to understand whether the spasm has passed or not. If nothing happened, you need to try to push even harder. Then stand up or sit down and wait a few more seconds. After that, take a few steps, but do not remove your fingers from the place where you pressed.
Hydrotherapy
Turn the shower to the maximum on a fairly hot jet of water. Point it at the affected area of the back for a few minutes. After that, you need to turn on cool water for half a minute. The procedure should be done until the pain disappears or becomes less pronounced.
Stretching
Stretching can be done after the spasm decreases a little. Thanks tomuscle fibers will gradually stretch, in the future, spasms will become less painful and will soon disappear altogether. Before doing any exercise, be sure to do a good warm-up of the muscles.
Strength exercises
Gradually add strength exercises to your workout. With their help, you can well strengthen and develop absolutely all the muscles of the back, which will allow you to get rid of spasms forever, provided that they are performed correctly and regularly. It is very important to adhere to the correct execution technique in order not to further damage the muscles and avoid various injuries.
Treatment of muscle spasm with cold or heat
Ice pack
In the first 2-3 days after the onset of ailments, an ice compress should be applied to the sore spot for about 20 minutes. After that, you need to remove it and wait an hour and a half, then repeat the procedure. An ice compress is made only in the first few days from the moment the first spasms appear.
Between the skin and the compress, it is necessary to make a thin lining. For example, you can use a thin towel. This will avoid hypothermia in the affected area and significantly increase the effectiveness of the method. With the help of ice, you can eliminate the inflammatory process, reduce the need for the use of painkillers.
Heat treatment
After three days from the onset of muscle spasms, heat therapy can be started. Moist heat is best. It can be a compress, a hot shower, a bath. For example, if you feel a muscle spasm in the thoracic region of the back, then direct a stream of warm water to this part of the body. Thanks to her, muscles heal and recover faster, nerves and muscle fibers relax perfectly.
After the first three days, treatment with heat and cold should be alternated. Some experts recommend using warm compresses just before stretching and cold compresses after stretching.
Pain relievers without a prescription
Muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms of the back allow you to temporarily relieve pain from this disease. To get rid of pain, you can use "Acetaminophen". The tool is sold without a prescription, has a minimum number of side effects. This drug, unlike most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, eliminates pain by reducing their perception by the brain. In addition, these pills for muscle spasms in the back do not cause addiction in the patient, and over time there is no susceptibility to the drug.
Replenishing body fluids
If you experience muscle spasm in your back, you may not need medication. Drink enough liquids, because very often cramping occurs due to dehydration and loss of electrolytes, as discussed above. It is especially important to replenish the supply of water during illnesses that provoke a fever or cause vomiting.
Help from a he alth worker
If the pain does not go away for more than two weeks and you find it difficult to endure, you should stop self-medication andcontact a specialist. He will prescribe the necessary drugs to relieve muscle spasms of the back and give a referral to a chiropractor or prescribe a course of physiotherapy.
You can get rid of pain for several months with a single injection of Cortisone. This option will be ideal if muscle spasms extend not only to the back, but also to the legs. Back pain and muscle spasm are closely related phenomena.
Helpful tips
- It is worth accepting that muscle spasms in the back will force you to rest a lot, especially at the very beginning of treatment. In some cases, spasm may even occur due to the fact that you lifted a small weight or began to move too actively. Give yourself some time to recover.
- Missing foods or special supplements should appear in your diet. A lack of certain substances in the body can provoke the appearance of a spasm. Most often it is a lack of potassium, calcium. To replenish the reserves of these trace elements, it is necessary to take special supplements. The menu should have a lot of milk, cheese, yogurt. A lot of potassium is found in potatoes, bananas, wheat bran.
- It is advisable to take a special course of acupuncture in order to get rid of spasms of the spinal muscles for a long time, if not forever. Numerous studies have proven that this alternative medicine method can significantly improve a person's he alth compared to conventional therapies.
- To surgical treatmentBack muscle spasms should only be considered if there is a birth defect or if the pain persists and you have already tried all possible treatment options. It is also worth doing if muscle weakness continues to progress.
Important warnings during spasm treatment
It is important to know not only how to relieve muscle spasm of the neck and back, but also how to do it:
- Do not apply ice packs directly to the skin. This can cause frostbite in the affected area. Be sure to use at least a thin lining. Ice will do no harm if applied for no more than twenty minutes.
- Don't get addicted to opiates or too strong painkillers that are designed to treat back muscle spasms. They have not only very serious, but often fatal side effects, which can be expressed in the form of significant liver damage. It is very dangerous for life to take such medicines for a long time. At the time of taking medication, it is worth completely eliminating alcohol, because in this case the reaction can be unpredictable.
- If you are taking muscle relaxers, you should completely abandon any strength training. In some cases, these drugs can completely remove the pain caused by the spasm. Then it will seem to you that you are already ready for absolutely any loads, but in fact this is not so. Do not aggravate your condition, and better wait for a full recovery.
- Never fall asleep with a cold or heat compress. This can cause frostbite of the affected area, burns, or significant damage to the nerve endings.
Spasm of the back muscles is a very unpleasant problem that brings severe discomfort, pain, limits movement and can lead to the development of serious pathologies of the back and the spine itself. If you are faced with this, do not wait until the problem disappears on its own. This will not happen, and if nothing is done, then soon the muscle spasms of the back may become chronic.
It is best to consult a specialist first. He will tell you the best way to get rid of back muscle spasm. Then it is important to follow all his recommendations and combine it with alternative medicine methods. If you do not start the problem, then it is quite possible to cure it in a short period of time.
