Is It Okay To Self-Treat Lower Back Spasms?

If you suffer from intermittent, but extremely painful spasms in your lower back, you might try to treat or ease the pain at home. But until you learn exactly why you have back spasms in the first place, avoid doing, using, or trying anything that may make the problem worse. Learn why some people develop spasms in their lower back and why it's vital to seek professional care for them.

What Are Lower Back Spasms?

Spasms, or involuntary muscle movements or contractions, can affect almost every muscle in your body, including the heart and other vital organs. When spasms occur in the heart or elsewhere in the body, you might automatically seek medical treatment out of fear for your health. But if you experience spasms in your lower back, you might try to self-treat the pain with pills, rubs, and other over-the-counter medications. Self-treating low back pain can be dangerous if you don't know why you have it.

Low back pain has many potential causes, including muscle fatigue and overuse. Although the back muscles are large, stress and prolonged use can easily exhaust them. Fatigued muscles prone to various injuries over time, including tears and sprains.

Nerve and disc damage in the spine can also cause pain in your back muscles. These types of back injuries do require professional medical treatment because of where they occur inside the back. Discs and nerves generally lie between the spinal bones. If these tissues become crushed or punctured, they can herniated and inflamed. 

All of the injuries above require specialized treatment to overcome. One of the specialties you may look into is chiropractic care.

What Types of Lower Back Treatment Should You Get?

Chiropractic care is a unique branch of medicine that focuses on rehabilitating injured tissues and not just healing them. A chiropractor will generally examine your lower back to see where the pain originates from. If the problem involves the nerves and discs of your spine, a specialist may send you to an outside doctor for immediate care or surgery.

If the injury isn't severe or involves the delicate tissues of the spine, a chiropractor may:

• adjust your spinal column and neck bones 
• treat your muscles with hot and cold applications
• send you to physical therapy

The methods and treatments above should alleviate the stress in your lower back as well as help it heal. 

If you desire more information about your lower back spasms, contact a back pain specialist like Eric Schmetterling DC today.