Many people will at some stage in their lives experience the pain and discomfort of a lower back spasm. It often occurs when you least expect it and leaves you wondering what on earth has caused such a debilitating pain in your lower back.

Furthermore back spasms are not always selective which means that active as well as sedentary people can experience this excruciating back pain.

5 Causes of Back Spasms:

• A back spasm usually affects the lower back muscles rather than the middle to upper back muscles of the torso and are often the result of an injury or inflammation of the spinal area or the spine itself.It is also thought that the spasm is the body’s response to protect and immobilize the spine from further aggravation.
• Weak abdominal muscles often cause more strain and stress to be placed on the spine which can cause injury and subsequently a spasm to isolate the spine from further stress or injury. So over exertion with weak abdominal will likely result in a back spasm to prevent further damage.
• Sportsmen may be prone to this type of condition through repetitive motion injuries or chronic overuse injuries. For instance the repetitive motion of a golfer’s swing could eventually cause spinal inflammation and injury or damage to the vertebrae or spinal discs & ligaments which will trigger a spasm as a protective measure.
• People with weak back muscles will also be prone to this injury as extra strain will be placed on the spine for instance when lifting something heavy or perform any type of movements that could place stress on the spine.
• Poor posture is another cause of lower back pain as it can cause the back muscles to be over strained in trying to maintain spinal stability.

In conclusion it should be noted that usually people who are not overweight, lead a reasonably active lifestyle and are in good physical condition are less prone to suffer from muscle strains and therefore less likely to experience lower back spasms.

Low back pain is a common healthcare and social problem associated with disability and absence from work. One 2005 medical study of chronic spinal pain stated that the lifetime prevalence of spinal pain has been reported as 54% to 80%, with as many as 60% of patients continuing to have chronic pain five years or longer after the initial episode. The long-term and disabling conditions of chronic and recurrent low-back problems are of major concern, from both costs and morbidity aspects.

Chiropractic care has been shown to compare favorably to medical care with respect to long-term pain and disability outcomes in many cases, but the chiropractor should carefully consider the optimum treatment plan for each patient on an individual basis. For most cases of chronic low-back pain, I recommend a three-step program of spinal adjustments, postural stabilization, and rehabilitative exercise. Combining these three elements can make the difference between a successful care program and a lingering, recurring low back condition.

Spinal Adjustments
As far back as 1985, medical research was reporting that a two to three week regimen of daily spinal manipulations by an experienced chiropractor brought significant improvement in 81% of totally disabled patients with chronic low back and referred leg pain. The patients in the study were from a university back pain clinic for patients who had failed to respond to previous conservative or surgical treatment. The researchers stated that anything less than two weeks of daily manipulation is inadequate for chronic back pain patients.

Postural Stabilization
A significant factor in reducing excessive biomechanical forces on the lumbar spine is frequently overlooked by practitioners – the use of external supports to decrease external forces. Positioning aids such as sitting postural supports (examples are postural back rests or ischial lifts for chairs and car seats), standing postural supports (such as foot orthotics and heel lifts), and sleeping postural supports (such as mattresses and pillows) can all greatly assist in the long-term management of painful lumbar spine conditions.

Rehabilitative Exercises
Corrective exercises done at home to strengthen supporting muscles are recommended as an adjunct to chiropractic adjustments and postural stabilization. Active involvement of the chronic low back patient in an appropriate exercise program has been found to be very beneficial, even for patients with herniated discs. Flexibility and strength exercises can bring about rapid improvements in lumbar spinal function as well as decreases in pain levels. Activity should focus on developing strength in the abdominals and supporting pelvic and low-back muscles.