What to do for back spasms

Back Spasms

Back pain comes in many different forms, but often, it is the result of an injury or condition affecting the muscles in your back. Your back muscles provide support for the spine and power movements you make with your back. One type of muscular back pain that affects millions of Americans every year is muscle spasms.

Muscle spasms are contractions of the muscles that cause pain. In your back, this is often related to injury or inflammation in the spine. However, muscles spasms can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Lifting heavy objects
  • Blunt impact
  • Weak core muscles
  • Dehydration

Treatments for back spasms

If your back muscles are involuntarily contracting and causing pain, you should visit a physical therapist for treatment. Physical therapists have different ways of treating back pain depending on the exact cause and the severity of the pain.

Usually, treatments for muscle spasms in the back include:

  • Hands-on therapy — Physical therapists can use their hands to mobilize the joints and soft tissues in your back. This aids in reducing pain and improving range of motion.

  • Electrical stimulation — Controlled bursts of electricity can cause the muscles to release and contract, which promotes healthy movement of the muscles and can reduce pain.

  • Hot and cold therapy — The objective of hot and cold therapy is to reduce pain and inflammation. The cold therapy reduces inflammation and helps a little with the pain. Heat therapy is generally better for reducing pain and can help promote healing after the inflammation has gone down.

  • Stretching and exercising — Stretching and exercising helps reduce pain and prevents it from occurring again. Many of these target not only your back but your core as well.

Visit Whatcom Physical Therapy for back pain treatment

When you’re suffering from back spasms or other forms of back pain, you need to talk to a physical therapist for help. Physical therapists employ a variety of methods and techniques for treating pain and improving your physical condition. Contact us today to learn more about back pain treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.