Nearly all the incidences of severe back pains are due to a muscular strain. A sudden movement or a fall or lifting a heavy object could lead to muscular strain. Further, back pains that are caused by other reasons like disc herniation or disc degeneration could make one hesitate in using the portion of the back to avoid pain. This could result in muscle weakness, and subsequent muscle wasting or disuse atrophy. Such a chain process could aggravate the back pain problem, with more pain resulting. These pains could last for days or even weeks. However, they are amenable to conservative treatment methods and surgery is rarely required.
Extensors or back muscles, flexors or abdominal muscles, and rotators or side muscles are the three types of muscles that support the spine. All these muscles do not get exercised regularly. Hence, these muscles tend to weaken as a person advances in age. This could result in lower back muscle pain. Proper exercises like stretching and aerobic conditioning would keep such muscles in good shape and strength, thereby greatly reducing the chances of lower back muscle pains.
Upper back muscular pains are generally caused by a lack of strength in upper back muscles, which is called de-conditioning. Alternatively, injuries to upper back muscles due to overuse by repetitive motions (sportspersons usually come under this category) could also lead to upper back muscular pains. Cricket, baseball, tennis and badminton players exert lot of pressure on their upper back muscles continuously. Muscle injury and torn muscles or ligaments or tissues are very common among such persons. They are likely to suffer from acute upper back muscle pain that could keep them out of circulation for days or weeks or months, depending on the severity of the injury.
Chronic neck and back muscle pain is again seen in sportspersons for the same reasons mentioned above. Further, people, who work on computers for several hours a day also suffer from such chronic neck and back muscle pain. In certain cases, disc herniation and disc degeneration could cause chronic neck and back muscle pains. Accidents, severe falls and the like are the other reasons for chronic neck and back muscle pains.
Such upper back muscle pains and chronic neck and back muscle pains usually do not warrant surgery. Proper rest and regular mild exercises specific to the ailment invariably restores normalcy. However, they are likely to be less active than before for fear of recurrence of such pains. If they continue as before, they would again face the same risks, unless they combine remedial exercises with their regular exercises.
As such, back muscle pains, whether they are lower back muscle pains, or upper back muscle pains, or chronic neck and back muscle pains, are no causes for worry. As soon as they occur or flare up, anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin should be taken. Application of heat pads and/or ice bags should follow. Next in the agenda is a visit to the doctor. Implicit adherence to the rehabilitation program prescribed by him would see such muscle pains go away in very short time.
Exercises like stretching and aerobic conditioning keep muscles in good shape and strength, thereby greatly reducing the chances of lower back muscle pains