I'm having muscle spasms in my lower back

Triathlon Forum
1

This has been a problem for me for a long, long time, but I’ve finally decided that I want to get this issue resolved and fixed permanently so that’s why I’m posting it on Slowtwitch.

I’m having spasms of my lower back. It kind of feels like the erector spinae, but I’m not sure. It isn’t exactly only my spine, but it is about 2 inches away from my spine. It runs from the top of my butt to about the bottom of my rib cage. It is right in the middle of the meaty part of my back. It feels like a spasm or a cramp. There are a bunch of things that’ll trigger it. Just a few minutes ago, I was standing up reaching for a spoon and I felt my back getting tight. It happens a lot when I’m bending over with an arched back. If I bend over with a straight back, it tends to make it better, but not always. It seems that the motion where I’m bent over and try to stand up straight is what triggers it. It doesn’t matter if I straight up with my torso in line with my hips or if I twist my torso to one side as in if I’m reaching for something. Sometimes it’ll be out of nowhere but sometimes I’ll feel it tighten up. Also, it seems to happen the more that I swim.

Anyone have any clues how I can prevent this from happening in the future. I was fine yesterday until right after I got out of the pool. Then, I was having spasms for pretty much the rest of the night. I had to move with a completely straight back and any turning would seem to trigger a spams. I woke up this morning in pretty much the same state.

Please help me!

2

I always knew you were a spaz.

I know, I’m useles and immature. I even giggled a little at “erector”.

3

I guess it’s OK because it seems that I am suffering from “erector spinae dysfunction”. Does that make you giggle?

4

You’re cracking me up! So much for being marriage material.

5

physiotherapy.

diazepam in small doses also helps to relax the muscle.

6

I would be horrible marriage material because with a bad back, how could I carry my wife across the threshold when we got married? And forget about any kind of really fun sex.

7

Yeah, you’re going to need to find a girl who can carry you over the threshold. I’ll with hold comment on your really fun sex issues.

8

Hey eric –

Here’s one common cause of mechanical low back pain: the vertebrae articulate anteriorly through intervertebral discs and posteriorly by paired joints. The posterior, thumbnail sized joints are called facets. In medical literature there are called zygapophyseal joints (you can google to learn more). Facets have a joint space, cartilage and a capsule. There are nerves that innervate the facet joints. The joints play a major role is handling stress, movement and weight bearing in the low back. They help discs in resisting compression and do most of the weight bearing in rotation. They are also prone to wear and tear, just like other joints. The wearing may be due to past trauma (football, car accidents, bike crashes) or a congenital predisposition, or both. Additionally, if the disc themselves are dessicated or thinning, the facets will be exposed increased stress, be more prone to painful inflammation and the cycle of osteoarthritis can be progressive // not typical in a young guy like you unless you have had loads of trauma.

What to do? You manage the condition. The joints are well innervated with pain and proprioceptive fibers. When irritated, muscular spasm can be mild or extreme. Sounds like you know about that. Prevention – to help lessen episode severity and duration you can strengthen musculature of the core and low back which will aid weight bearing in the disc and facets. Patients with a strong core seem to manage low back pain better than others. In acute cases – like now – you can use ice and heat during the flare-up; maybe over the counter NAISDs. Traction can be very benefical if the facet joints are involved. Some patients benefit from electirc stim, ultrasound, deep tissue massage, ART and/or chiropractic manipulations of the zygapophyseal joints. Each case seems to respond a little differently. That may be because we show up in different stages of duress or the expertise of the provider you choose varies. Whatever the case, there doesn’t seem to be “one right way”. If the condition is arthritic and worsens over decades it can be very difficult to manage (in whatever methods you choose). Feel free to shoot me an e-mail off line.

KP

9

If you haven’t done so, work on your core, and, especially strengthen your erector spinae. REcent studies have shown that most back pain responds best to back strenghening.

My loaner biopulser has been great, too. I will hate when it has to go back. If the damned thing ever comes up for sale (it was supposed to be over a year ago) try it.

Also, I have no idea if this would help you, but 15 yrs ago, at my wife’s request, I started wearing braces (suspenders). (She now regrets that and wants me to quit–no way.) I got the higher rise pants with the looser waist and the braces. First time I wore them, I realized that I had had no pain when bending over the kids all day long. Next day, SAME. Since then–same. I NEVER get the spasms in them. When I wear jeans on the weekend, I frequently get my low back pain and spasms. On my long run days, if my back has been acting up, I run in my DeSoto power tri bibs. Bike shorts sometimes tweak me, too. Bibs, again, especailly for long rides.

A few years ago, I ran into the father of an orthopod who told me he was anxious to get home to Canada. His back was killing him from a week of going without his braces.

No idea if they will help anyone else, but for me they are a godsend. But I continue to do a lot of back strengthening and some, but not enough, core work. MY favorite back relief is–no kidding–dead lifts, but only with light to moderate weights. I also like back bridges and a few others.

10

I am not a doctor and don’t play one on TV but stretching my hamstrings really help my lower back pain.

11

Try physiotherapy.
I had the exact same problem earlier this year (except I could barely move) few weeks before IMAZ, when to physio a few times, never had a problem since.

12

Eric,

I actually had bad muscle spasms recently and ALCiS really worked well for me in addition to rest and stretching.

Herbert

13

I’m seeing an ART chiro tomorrow and I’ll ask her about my back pain as well.

I think I just need to keep up with my core and back strength but I tend to forget it when I’m feeling good.

14

Eric,

I have had back problems since college, and I have had a few episodes in the past 4 years that have left me “flat on my back”. Here’s what I have found out. You can go see 5 different docs and they might each tell you that its something different. The one I would stick with is the one that is willing to tell you that it could be one of several problems and not just x, y, or z.
You might have three different things that you are working against, core strength, tight hamstrings, flexibility, or just a predisposition to having spine problems.
The important thing is to be proactive. Go to the chiro tomorrow and see what they can do. If it works, stick with it. If you are not getting the results you want, see someone else.
For me, I have realized that my back likes to spasm and go out right after a big week of training. I think its my hamstrings that get tight and I don’t hydrate, and then wham…there goes my back when I bend over to pick up a sock or the remote.
Hope this helps. If you want the names of some good docs that the FD uses, PM me.

Patrick

15

back pain and muscle spasm is a very common problem in many adults, and there are many etiologies to back pain and spasm

Mechanical back pain/spasm is usually due to problems with the lumbar spine. Problems such as spondylosis, spondylylosis, spondylolisthesis, can cause back pain. A prolapsed intervetebral disc can cause back pain too, as the muscle spasm is kinda like a protective mechanism to immobilize your spine. Did you have any previous trauma/injury to your back? Is the back pain aggravated by cough, or any straining? Is the back pain relieved by leaning to one side? Spinal stenosis can cause back pain too, but usually they manifest as neurogenic claudication.

Otherwise, it can be a just tight muscles such as hamstrings, iliopsoas, or your paravertebral muscles.

I would highly recommend a thorough work-up by an orthopaedic surgeon

16

I started having huge muscle spasms in my lower back a few years ago, very similar to your situation, except sometimes I just couldn’t move, period. I saw a doctor and basically she told me I had to strengthen by back. After going to the gym for a few months focusing on gaining strength in my back in general and abs, and also lots of stretching, specially my legs, I got rid of them. So yeah, unless you have some sort of medical condition like the ones already explained here, it might be that your back is just not strong enough and/or your flexibility is lacking. If this is indeed the case, the upside is that you can start working on it now. Good luck!

17

Same issue here. It’s especially bad from bike to run. My problem is L4-L5 left facet - it’s bone on bone, plus my spine is rotated enough (scoliosis) that the facet digs into the backside of that lower back muscle. When facets are irritated, they send a signal to those back muscles to tense up to protect the spine.
What have I done about it? I’ve had several cortisone epidurals plus squeezing some in between the facets. That’s helped - the last one is still holding up well over a year now. My pain management doc said, we’ll keep doing those until they stop working, then we’ll consider an ablation - killing the nerves in the facet so the pain signal stops. So far, so good.
I’ve also adjusted my running form. I’m much more vertical; taking a lot of stress out of my back. I run with more forefoot strike, as well. These help with stand-alone runs. I’m still working on resolving spasms while running off the bike. Strong core, stretching the hammies and lower back, etc… always a work in progress.

18

Most of the information in this thread is dead wrong, not supported by literature, alarmist and conjecture.

Your back pain is non-traumatic and non-radicular in nature. No surgeon or physician workup is indicated. Avoid X-ray, MRI, CT scan, etc. Those just increase costs.

You describe symptoms that are worse with spine flexion and better with neutral position or extension. Your core strength has nothing to do with this issue. Your spasms are a protective result of whatever pathology is irritated in your spine.

As far as literature supported remedies… nsaids for a short period and possibly heat for symptom reduction. Physical therapy is indicated and beneficial (my bias is McKenzie credentialed to reduce your derangement and give you reductive exercises for now and future prevention). Bottom line is to stay active and avoid bed rest and inactivity. Avoid wha hurts and do what helps.

Don’t worry about the anatomy of your spine and what may be wrong with it. You will show degenerative processes regardless of whether or not you have pain and this degeneration is likely consistent with age and is not predictive of future problems.

Spine pain is like the common cold and show up in the athletic population just as often as the general population. This needs to be managed so it doesn’t worsen and it will get better. You, like most people, will likely experience spine pain again in the future and it too will resolve.

Literature points to activity, nsaids, heat, physical therapy, possibly manipulation (depending on duration of symptoms) as the best solutions. Avoid anything else as it won’t work.

19

Cyclobenzaprine and celebrex.

20

Most of the information in this thread is dead wrong, not supported by literature, alarmist and conjecture.

Your back pain is non-traumatic and non-radicular in nature. No surgeon or physician workup is indicated. Avoid X-ray, MRI, CT scan, etc. Those just increase costs.

You describe symptoms that are worse with spine flexion and better with neutral position or extension. Your core strength has nothing to do with this issue. Your spasms are a protective result of whatever pathology is irritated in your spine.

As far as literature supported remedies… nsaids for a short period and possibly heat for symptom reduction. Physical therapy is indicated and beneficial (my bias is McKenzie credentialed to reduce your derangement and give you reductive exercises for now and future prevention). Bottom line is to stay active and avoid bed rest and inactivity. Avoid wha hurts and do what helps.

Don’t worry about the anatomy of your spine and what may be wrong with it. You will show degenerative processes regardless of whether or not you have pain and this degeneration is likely consistent with age and is not predictive of future problems.

Spine pain is like the common cold and show up in the athletic population just as often as the general population. This needs to be managed so it doesn’t worsen and it will get better. You, like most people, will likely experience spine pain again in the future and it too will resolve.

Literature points to activity, nsaids, heat, physical therapy, possibly manipulation (depending on duration of symptoms) as the best solutions. Avoid anything else as it won’t work.
I learned last year that if the pain is due to nerve such as the muscles compressing the sciatic, that cold is better then heat so best to know the reason for the pain before assuming heat will help. Though advil all the way for any muscle pain.

AndrewL makes a great point though, it could be the simplest of things and nothing alarming. I had occasional back pain that would make me suffer for days but nothing I couldn’t handle. Finally I got hit with a spasm from tossing wet laundry into the drier, but the afternoon I had a tens muscle stimulator hooked to my back and it still took an hour to get off the bed and down the stairs. The ED doc gave me 3 shots, 2 pain killers and a muscle relaxer and I was still having seizures 2 hours later. Went to my regular doc after the pain cleared who sent me to a podiatrist who gave me inserts for my shoes. Other then a sciatic nerve from falling down the stairs last winter and landing wrong I haven’t had a twinge of back pain in 3 years. Just walked a little funny all these years and over time it created back problems. Go see your doc and tell them the issues, never know what the real problem is, mine was solved without x-rays, scans or anything, just two guys looking at my feet and watching how I walk.