What is a Low Back (Lumbar) Sprain or Strain?
A strain is used to refer to a partial or complete tear of a muscle. There are 3 grades of strain:
Grade 1: Mild damage to muscle fibers, minimal loss of strength and range of motion or movement
Grade 2: Moderate damage to muscle fibers, but not a complete rupture, significant loss of strength and range of motion or movement
Grade 3: Complete rupture of muscle or tendon, loss of strength and range of motion or movement.
Grades 1 and 2 will almost always be resolved with modified exercise plans and conservative treatment. A grade 3 strain may, but not always, require a surgical repair. There is a lot of information of this on the Achilles' Tendon of the ankle/heel (here, here, here). Due to the stoutness of the biomechanics of the low back, a Grade 3 strain is extremely rare.
A sprain refers to a joint and it's ligaments. There are many joints in the lumbar spine including the facet joints (2 on each vertebrae) and the disc joint (1 on each vertebrae). There are 5 lumbar segments counted from L1-L5 from top to bottom. L5 connects to the sacrum. There are a number of ligaments in the low back that can get sprained. Sprains are categorized in the same way as strains.
What causes a low back sprain or strain?
Sprains and strains are most often caused by overuse of the low back. This can mean you have been more active than you usually are or that you are too active without enough rest. Causes range from moving improperly (ex. lifting boxes or children) to falls or car accidents. If you are tender to the touch in your low back and you have a severe loss of movement that doesn't get better, you should speak with a medical professional ASAP.
Risk factors for low back sprain or strain:
excessive curvature of the spine
being overweight
muscle imbalance in the region
I have a back sprain or strain, now what?
Try to keep moving. Weather you have a sprain or a strain, the ideal situation is to move in pain free ranges of motion. This video has 3 of our favorite movements to help you keep the low back moving:
It is important to only move in a pain free range. The movement will allow the body to get blood and nutrients to the injured region and begin to repair itself.
If you are able to continue to do your normal amount of activity, but less aggressive, do so. You may have to scale your workouts, work around the house, or work station set up so you are able to do this, but continuing to be active is the most helpful thing for back sprains and back strains.
If symptoms of your low back don't normalize in 24-48 hours, it is time to contact a medical professional. We will get you on the path to returning to living your fullest life. After a full examination, we will work with you to get you on a program to return to living your fullest life. An examination is necessary to find out how severe the injury is and to make sure there is nothing more sinister going on in your back.
If you would like to talk with someone about your back issue, please reach out to us at (425-202-5687) or (info@bodyfixpt.com) and someone will get back to you within a few hours.
If you find this helpful or know anyone that can benefit from this information, please share with them.
Comments