Back Pain Causes – Are There Imbalances In Your Deep Muscles?

Knowing back pain causes is essential in getting to the bottom of your back pain and in getting appropriate treatment for the problem. In the first series of our deep muscles articles, we discussed about pain in lower back and how to loosen the PSOAS muscles. With our second series, we are going to tackle about back pain causes and the Multifidus muscles.

Lower Back Pain Causes: Understanding Multifidus Muscles

Did you know that the most powerful muscles that provide support to the spine are actually one of the smallest and deepest muscles in our body? They are called the multifidus muscles – a series of muscles attached to the spinal column.  These muscles are divided into two groups. One is the deep muscle groups and the other one is the superficial muscle groups.  Multifidus muscles work by taking off the pressure from the vertebral discs by evenly distributing body weight along the spine. What the superficial muscles do is that they maintain the posture of the spine while the deep muscles greatly contribute to its stability. The multifidus muscles are used every time we move sideways or turn our body to the sides, and when we bend backwards. Studies show that the multifidus muscles become active in order to protect the spine prior to carrying any action. However, with weak multifidus muscles, they cannot protect the spine, especially when a demanding action needs to be carried out. As you know it, this weakness is one of the major back pain causes.

What Makes The Multifidus Muscles One of your Back Pain Causes?

Researchers who conducted a study on back pain causes have discovered that people experiencing chronic pain in their lower back display significantly lesser multifidus muscle activities as compared to other subjects. This finding shows that these patients have a reduced capacity to employ the multifidus muscles so that the spine is maintained in its neutral position. Moreover, any of the multifidus muscles can act more or less independently from one another, allowing a greater range of motion.

As a result, when a single muscle is deactivated and consequently not taking part in the movement, it becomes one of back pain causes.

Why Do Multifidus Muscles Become Inactive Making It One of The Most Common Back Pain Causes?

One of the most common back pain causes is periods of long bending. Bending will eventually tire the multifidus muscles, even the other supportive tissues, which cause the spine to become unsupported and unprotected against injuries. Moreover, the multifidus muscles tend to shrink or contract within 24 hours following the onset of a painful episode. It is important to know that the multifidus muscles have to be given time to recover after the spine is bent for a long period of time.

Sitting for long periods is also one of the major back pain causes. Sitting for a long time can easily deactivate the multifidus muscles because it stretches the ligaments, activating the receptors that cause the muscles, particularly the multifidus, to shrink and calm down the joints. Drawn-out sitting causes the ligaments’ receptors to become benumb and incapable of activating the multifidus muscles for stability purposes. When this happens, the ligaments will keep stretching under increased weight until they begin to tear and become swollen. This inflammation, accompanied by deactivation of the equalizing multifidus muscles, forms a condition that is prone to injury even if the person is no longer seated. Back pain causes may be a result of these problems:

• The recovery of the multifidus muscles is not spontaneous after a back pain episode;
• Following an episode of lower back pain, lack of localized muscle support may cause a higher rate of pain recurrence.

With this, it is essential to address back pain causes by working out the multifidus muscles after a painful episode to ensure enough stamina to perform their functions.

Exercises to Manage Back Pain Causes

Mini thigh hiking

• Lie down on your back, in a neutral position, with legs open at shoulder length.
• While maintaining your legs straight, gently bring your left hip towards the spine.
• Keep this position for 10 seconds and then relax.
• Repeat the process with the other leg.
• You can do 3 sets of 8 reps.

The static bird dog

• Position on all fours
• Gently lower down and round up your lower back to flex the spine up and down. By doing this, you will be able to identify the neutral position.
• Lift your right knee and left hand, just sufficient to slide a magazine beneath. Keep this position for at least 10 seconds.
• Do the same with the other knee and hand. Note that if you are shaking when doing this exercise, it could mean that your spine doesn’t have enough muscle support.

 The classic bird dog

• Position on all fours and flex your spine up and down to find your neutral position.
• Extend your left arm forward and your right leg backwards. Make sure you move above your shoulder and hip and keep the head straight.
• Maintain this position for 10 seconds and then release the cramp by sweeping the floor with your knee and hand.
• Back up concentrating the motions in your shoulder and hip. Hold back stiff 10 times and then change arms and legs.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

To get long-term relief from persistent lower back pain causes, it is therefore important to determine whether or not the multifidus muscles are involved, and if they are, identify in which area of the body, and then begin reactivating them with proper and constant exercises.

 

 

 

 

Find out more about balancing your muscles and get rid of your back pain causes.