Muscle Spasm
Muscle Spasm is a sharp pain in the back from a “pulled” muscle. It typically happens in the thirties to forties, men more than women and related to a lifting injury. More specifically, a muscle spasm is caused by a combination of lift, bend and twist. Therefore the advice given to people with bad backs is to avoid awkward movement, heavy lifting and to use proper posture and mechanics, all best taught by a licensed physical therapist. The pain stays in the spine, sometimes will radiate to the shoulders or the buttock, but will not go down the arms or legs. Patient describe this pain as sharp, knife stabbing muscle pain, always worse with movement, relieved with rest.
Initial rest followed by stretching will recover most mild spasms. Anti-inflamatories and muscle relaxants are helpful. A good therapist should have the spasms under control within a few weeks. If there are recurrent episodes, there are more likely other mechanical problems evident that need a work up by a spine specialist.
Initial rest followed by stretching will recover most mild spasms. Anti-inflamatories and muscle relaxants are helpful. A good therapist should have the spasms under control within a few weeks. If there are recurrent episodes, there are more likely other mechanical problems evident that need a work up by a spine specialist.
