Pulled Muscle in the Back
A pulled muscle in the back is a colloquial term for a minor injury to any of the muscles, tendons or ligaments in
the back.
While usually a term used in self diagnosis, a
pulled back muscle
can indeed exist and may be incredibly painful for a time. Some muscular pulls might even require medical care in order to fully heal or become completely
rehabilitated.
While the name pull implies that the muscle is out of its proper place, this is rarely the case. In most scenarios, symptoms are elicited because of small rips in the muscle chains, causing general discomfort and heightened pain upon movement. In very few cases does the muscle pull away from its attachments or wind up out of proper anatomical placement, although this can occur.
Types of Pulled Muscles in the Back
A pulled muscle can describe any of the following soft tissue injuries to the back or
spine:
* Torn or detached muscle* Torn or detached ligament * Torn or detached tendon Obviously, small tears might be painful, but should not present a very serious health concern, beyond simple discomfort. These can be generally treated using OTC
pain management
drugs,
ice and heat
and activity avoidance. Serious tears or detachments should receive appropriate medical attention and may even warrant surgical intervention in very rare instances.
Pulled Muscle in the Back Symptoms
A pulled muscle or damaged ligament or tendon can create
back pain symptoms
similar to many other structural sources of pain in the back and spine. The most common of these occurrences include:* Localized and radiating pain, especially upon movement * Limited range of motion in the affected and surrounding area * Heat in the muscle or a general
burning
sensation It is important to receive an accurate diagnosis for any ongoing
chronic back pain
condition to make sure there are no problematic spinal concerns responsible for the symptomatic expression.
X-rays
will not be able to properly diagnose any muscular issue, but an
MRI
might be helpful to determine the exact source of
back ache.
Generally, a physical exam will be useful to rule out structural spinal causations and narrow in on the soft tissues as the painful complaint. However, it is wise to be sure by undergoing confirmation imaging, as well.
Pulled Muscle in the Back Advice
Rehabilitation is crucial for serious
muscular back injuries.
Taking the time to work with a caring and professional
physical therapist
is the best advice when trying to recover from a muscular trauma. Take an interest in your own care and learn exactly what happened to damage your back and how you can prevent such circumstances in the future. Make sure to ask your doctor if
scar tissue
might become an issue and what you can do to optimize healing of the injury. I have injured lots of soft tissues throughout my body during intense martial arts training and competition. Some of these injuries healed quickly and some took quite a long time. Remember that your mental and emotional states also factor heavily into the healing process, so be sure to do everything possible to create the right mindset in order to facilitate a speedy
recovery from back pain.
Pulled Muscle in the Back to Back Pain
10/21/09 Revised 2/11/12
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