How do you know if back pain is muscular or spinal?
Back pain can arise for a variety of reasons, and this is why it is often complicated to treat. More so than knee pain or shoulder pain as it is generally more black and white. I want to go through some of the main causes of back pain and how you can determine which one you are suffering with to provide the best resolution for you.
The back has a lot of muscles in it, the reason is to keep us upright. There are two muscles that run wither side of the spine called the Erector Spinae muscles, they keep us erect, or upright. These are postural muscles, and they are often over utilised and work a lot more than we need them too, this is due to our gluteal muscles (buttock muscles) are under utilised because we sit for too long and our bodies are not designed for this.
This can then cause the erector spinae muscles to do too much and be overworked and can cause trigger points (knots) in the muscles which can cause pain.
Muscular pain in the back is generally:
-low level
-dull ache
-consistent
-better with movement
-very rarely sharp
We often hear clients say, ‘I’m very stiff first thing in the morning, but as I move around it gets better’. This is generally muscular pain. The thing we need to understand is why the muscular pain is happening? Is it because of the position of the spine or pelvis? Are there dysfunctions elsewhere in the body causing the muscle to work harder?
It is not just a case of stretching the muscle and all will be ok, it will help don’t get me wrong, but if the area the muscle attaches too Is not in the right place, then as soon as you get up it will go back to the original position.
We use a variety of techniques here at West Chiropractic, including Chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy, acupuncture as well as shockwave therapy to relax the muscle and align the spine. The multi-faceted approach is generally better rather than just using one modality.
How do I know if my back pain is neurological?
This can often be more serious than muscular pain, the reason is that if the nerve is irritated then something is being affected in the spinal cord which is a deep structure. We immediately think of disc issues as they can cause problems in the back and will have a different prognosis to muscular pain.
Neurological pain usually is classed as:
-Pins and needles
-Shooting pain in the legs
-Hot or cold feeling in the back or legs
-Lack of sensation in certain areas in the back or legs
-Weakness of the legs
These symptoms should not be ignored, and it is important to get checked by a Chiropractor to determine the cause of these to prevent further issues.
How can a doctor tell if you have a pinched nerve in your back?
GPs are fantastic at diagnosing a lot of musculoskeletal problems and then referring on. Chiropractors spend a lot more time looking at back pain and, in my opinion, better placed to determine where your back pain is coming from. But ask me to diagnosis lung issues or heart issues, there is no way I’m helping with that, that is your GP.
If you are not satisfied with the response from your GP, it is not their fault, they are severely under resourced and don’t have enough time to manage chronic back pain.
It needs care and attention with a full examination. We would do a physical and neurological examination to determine where the problem is coming from and then take x-rays and give you a follow up report.
Generally pinched nerve will cause the symptoms listed above as neurological type symptoms and we would always look for symptoms in the legs as well.
How to get rid of muscular back pain?
This is an easier fix than neurological pain, I like doing stretching and ice therapy. Using an ice pack for 15 minutes every hour will reduce inflammation. My two favourite exercises are the pigeon pose as well as the glute crossover stretch to reduce tension in low back muscles, hold these for 30 seconds, breathe deeply in between.
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this blog and they can request a free copy of our book which has posture related exercises in it as well. Click here for FREE book.
What we treat at West Chiropractic:
Our chiropractic locations
