Pulled Back Muscle

Pulls in the soft tissues can affect the muscles or their attaching ligaments. In other cases, the tendons or fascia may be injured instead.

Some patients use the term pull to identify a more significant injury, such as when a bone is removed from the socket joint. A pulled shoulder is a common example of this terminology.

There are certain pulled back muscle symptoms that are common to all back muscle pain conditions. Most minor muscle and ligament injuries are not usually serious, but can be extremely painful. The horrible agony might make the patient think that they have suffered significant damage to their back or spine.

Remember that muscle injury should not leave permanent damage, as long as it is rehabilitated correctly. If it is ignored, or worse yet, exacerbated, various negative results can occur, including scar tissue formation or repetitive strain disorder.

Symptoms of a Pulled Back Muscle

Stiffness or tightness. The affected muscle or ligament might feel stiff and resistant to movement. There may be a pulling feeling in the muscle. It might feel shorter than usual, as if it can’t stretch to its normal potential.

Back muscle spasm. Muscles that are newly injured might go into spasm. This is when the muscle contracts violently and uncontrollably. Back spasm can last seconds, minutes or hours. Sometimes, it might last for days. Muscle spasms are terribly painful.

Heat in the muscle. Affected area might feel hot to the touch or may experience a sensation of internal heat.

Pulled Back Muscle Advice

Take it easy. Use ice for the first 24 to 48 hours to reduce swelling. Get some rest. After the first day, slowly start to move around and get the blood flowing into the muscle. Heat can be great to increase circulation, as can a nice soothing massage.

The main thing to do is to relax. If you worry about the back muscle injury or obsess over the symptoms, you are setting up the ideal conditions for a chronic pain condition to begin. Have faith that the pain will be short lived. Work on carefully rehabilitating the injury as soon as it is healed.

Try not to let emotional stress affect your body or tighten your muscles. Remember that the mind will always influence the symptomatic process for any health crisis.

You can read more detailed therapy advice on my page titled pulled muscle in the back.