Here are some tips that can help stop muscle spasms in the back

How to Stop Muscle Spasms in the Back

Your back muscles are vital to your ability to move. They help twist your body during your golf swing. They help keep your spine supported, and they allow you to lift heavy objects. However, back muscle spasms can make any of these jobs much more difficult. 

A muscle spasm is an involuntary contraction of a muscle, and such contractions typically cause a lot of pain. This issue is one that makes up a significant portion of the 31 million Americans experiencing low back pain at any given time. Physical therapists can offer a lot of insight into the cause of your back muscle spasms. They can also provide you with helpful tips on how to stop muscle spasms in your back. 

Three tips your therapist might recommend for stopping back muscle spasms

Muscle spasms are problematic for several reasons. This issue reduces the flow of blood to the muscles, which reduces their flexibility. Spasms can also cause pain that keeps you from doing required and fun activities. These three tips from our physical therapists can help stop muscles spasms in the back: 

  1. Rest if needed — Many people think that they can push through the pain of a back muscle spasm. However, this can actually injure the muscles even more. In turn, the increased damage can increase the frequency and pain of your spasms. Therapists recommend that you rest if necessary rather than try to fight through the spasm. This allows the spasm to stop and can prevent it from doing further damage to the muscle. 
  1. Sit on an incline — Sitting up straight puts a lot of pressure on the lower back. You may want to try to reduce this pressure if you’re having lower back spasms. Sitting with your back supported on an incline can help reduce pressure on the lower back. You can achieve this position by using pillows to support yourself while in bed. A reclining chair can also provide an inclined position that can help your back. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that your legs are supported and your knees are slightly bent. 
  1. Attend a manual therapy session — This type of therapy involves therapists using their hands to manipulate the body. It’s why manual therapy is also known as hands-on therapy. Studies show that manual therapy can be effective for back pain. One study reports that patients who had manual therapy had a 22% reduction of their local pain on average. Additionally, this treatment helped decrease radiating pain by an average of 35%. 

 

Learn more tips on how to stop muscle spasms in the back at Whatcom Physical Therapy

Searching for a therapy specialist who can offer more tips on how to stop back muscle spasms? Our Whatcom Physical Therapy team has the expertise to help you. We offer free screenings intended to reveal the source of your back issues. Our team also excels at building personalized treatment plans for a variety of back pain causes. Currently, we’re offering virtual care appointments in addition to our in-clinic sessions for patients who are staying home. 

Take the next step to start getting our help with your back problem. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.