Muscle contractures can occur anywhere on the body, including the back. Many people have presented a contracture in this area at some point in their lives. We are all exposed to this injury, from athletes to those who lead a sedentary life.
This injury limits physical activity and the quality of life of people who suffer from it; therefore, you must know how to remove a contracture in the back with the appropriate treatments and its symptoms to identify it correctly. Keep reading this FastlyHealarticle to find out about it.
Table of Contents
What is contracture in the back?
A muscle contracture occurs when a muscle increases its tension, which causes a shortening of its muscle fibers, which can be greater or less depending on the degree of continuity of the contraction. This contraction occurs involuntarily, thus leaving the muscles under sustained tension.
In the back area, there are a few muscles that contract and relax regularly; in some cases, when power cannot do it due to different factors, such as excessive exercise, physical and emotional stress, etc., it can keep this area contracted, giving rise to the appearance of pain or bulging in it.
Contracture in the back: symptoms
The symptoms that are present before a muscular contracture in the back will vary according to the area where it occurs; in the first instance, you may feel:
- Pain.
- Limitation of movements.
A contracture in the upper back, that is, in the upper part, can lead to the following symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Dizziness
- Headache.
- Heaviness in the upper limbs.
- Tingling sensation in cold arms and hands.
If a contracture occurs in the lower back, you may have:
- Pain.
- Functional limitation.
- Lower limb paresthesia accompanied by heaviness.
How to remove a contracture in the back: medical treatment
The treatment of a muscular contracture begins after the medical consultation with the specialist, who will indicate the therapy to follow.
Treatment for a back contracture may include:
- Muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory: with this, it is possible to improve the symptoms of muscle contracture, reduce pain, and, consequently, muscle contracture. In the following article, we show you the best natural muscle relaxants.
- Physiotherapy: the practice of exercises based on massage, application of local heat or cold, and ultrasound.
How to relieve a tight back
The safest way to relieve a muscle contracture in the back is by following the following guidelines:
- Keep rest: it is the first indication you should follow; you will avoid aggravating muscle contracture by achieving muscle relaxation. It would help if you didn’t do the exercise you have been doing while having symptoms.
- Heat therapy is based on applying local heat to achieve a relaxing effect. You can do it with hot water bottles or electric pillows. This therapy provides immediate relief to the treated area due to its sedative effect on nerve endings, but for a short period.
- Cold therapy: this acts on the muscle, stopping its overstimulation. The cold makes the contracture disappear.
- Hydrotherapy: consists of performing exercises in the water, achieving a relaxing effect.
- Massages: these must be performed by a physiotherapist who knows the area’s anatomy to be treated. Otherwise, poor application of the technique can aggravate the existing picture.
Recovery from the injury will depend on each patient and the degree of involvement they present.
How to prevent a back contracture
To prevent a back contracture, the following tips should be put into practice :
- Adopt a correct posture; many occur due to poor postural habits.
- If you practice exercise, before starting the training, you should do a warm-up, in this way, the contracture will be avoided.
- You should do back stretches every 2 hours for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- It is important to avoid repetitive movements.
- You should do it progressively without becoming physically overexerted if you practice physical activity.
- Sleep 8 hours a day and avoid stress.
- Maintain healthy eating habits.
- Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day.
Muscle contracture occurs very frequently and, without realizing it, is the product of excessive exercise. In cases where this happens, you should go to the orthopedic doctor; according to the symptoms, he will guide the treatment to follow to alleviate the symptoms and prevent their appearance again.
This article is merely informative; at FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to remove a contracture in the back, we recommend that you enter our Bones, Joints, and Muscles category.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.