Patients often tell me that certain movements – or even at random cause their back muscles to spasm. This can last for a few minutes before calming down and you can move freely again. So why is this?

When you move your body in a way that it isn’t used to, signals are sent up the spinal cord to the brain. This is where it is interpreted as pain, using information from past experiences such as previous back pain or what family members, friends, or doctors have said. The brain then sends signals to the area to cause pain and tighten up. This initially is used as a “protective” mechanism to restrict further movement. However, after a few weeks all the tissues would have healed back to normal, and usually the pain disappears.

Sometimes this pain and muscle spasms can persist. This is believed to be because the brain still perceives that the original movement will still hurt the back. It therefore continues to send the signal down to the muscles.

Osteopathy treatment can assist in ‘teaching’ your body that these movements are safe. This then can be complemented by performing range of motion exercises and returning to your daily activities.

There will be times where this pain may return, but the important thing is not to worry about further damage and keep moving!

Enjoyed this blog? See more here