Postures and Low Back Muscle Strain

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One cause of low back muscle strain is having an unhealthy spine through habitual poor posture. If you sit all day in a slumped position, your low back is loaded into a forward or flexed position, and the muscles of your back are continually stretched. As a result, you may be more likely to strain a back muscle from light tasks such as loading/unloading the dishwasher. 

Not only does slouching affect your back muscles, but it causes your disks to bulge backwards. The more pressure from bad posture, the more likely your disks cannot realign properly. This leads to pinched nerves, which shoot pain or other symptoms down your leg(s), such as sciatica. 

On the other hand, those with a healthy spine (through repetitively good posture and exercise) may tolerate light tasks but strain their backs when doing more strenuous work such as moving furniture. It is important that both individuals practice good posture and body mechanics in order to avoid straining the low back during routine daily tasks, and especially during difficult physical activities.

Twisting and Back Pain, Joint Pain

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Twisting one of your joints in an awkward way is an easy recipe for injury, especially in the low back, shoulder, knee and ankle.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Back:

Turn your entire body by turning your legs.

Change positions in order to reach the object with ease.

Turn toward the object, then squat down.

Don't be afraid to get down onto your hands and knees to reach for something.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Shoulder:

Don't reach for objects in the backseat of the car.

Don't reach for an object behind you when you are sitting; simply turn around.

Don't close heavy doors carelessly.

Turn your body toward the object you are reaching for.

Keep your arms as close to your body as possible when reaching.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Knee:

Be cautious when playing sports.

Use a knee brace when playing sports if you have had a past knee injury.
Take time when turning around.
Don't turn your body if your knees are locked.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Ankle:

Use an ankle brace for your sport if you have twisted or sprained your ankle in the past.

Be extra cautious when walking, hiking or jogging on uneven terrain.
Try to avoid walking on ice. If it is icy, stay indoors (especially if you live in the South).
Watch where you are walking. Prevent falls by not doing 5 things at once.

Low Back Muscle Strain

Causes of Low Back Strain: 

One very common form of low back pain is due to a low back muscle strain. This usually occurs because of improper lifting, sports activities, twisting of the back, car accidents, or improper strengthening. General workout activities can contribute, such as a challenging exercise class, machine weights or free weights.  In these cases, one or several muscles of the low back are strained through over-stretching, over-contracting, moving too quickly, twisting or pulling. The muscles have a strain placed on them when they are in an awkward position or there is a traumatic force on them if they are in a neutral position.

Postures and Low Back Pain:

Another cause for low back muscle strain is having an unhealthy spine through habitual poor posture. If you sit all day in a slumped position, your lumbar spine (low back) is loaded into a forward or flexed position, and the muscles of your back are continually stretched (elongated). As a result, you may be more likely to strain a back muscle from light tasks such as loading/unloading the dishwasher. On the other hand, those with a healthy spine (through repetitively good posture and exercise) may tolerate light tasks but strain their backs when doing more strenuous work (ex: heavy yardwork). It is important that both individuals practice good posture and body mechanics in order to avoid straining the low back during routine daily tasks, and especially during difficult physical activities.

Treatment of Low Back Strain

Low Back Muscle Strain should first be treated with ice for at least 2-3 days. If you see a doctor, you will likely be prescribed a muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatory, and/or pain reliever. Other treatments are rest, ice/heat, massage, and Physical Therapy. Depending on the severity of the muscle strain, you may have pain for a few days to several months. This type of LBP can be prevented by maintaining proper posture/body mechanics, proper lifting, regular exercise, caution with sports activities, and maintaining a strong core.

Wrong Way To Feed Dog

What Are The Treatment Options For Low Back Pain?

1. Oral pain medicine, which may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS like Ibuprofen), steroids, narcotics, muscle relaxers, etc.

2. Physical Therapy, which may include exercise, joint mobilizations/manipulations, modalities (such as electric stimulation, lumbar traction), postural corrections, body mechanics, education about cause of pain and forms of self-treatment/prevention, hands-on techniques, taping, functional activity training, aquatic/water therapy.

3. Injections to the lumbar spine (such as Cortisone).

4. Surgery (more common with major spine trauma or with chronic low back pain that has failed to improve with conservative treatments).

5. Chiropractic care, including manipulations and decompression (a form of lumbar traction).

6. Alternative therapies, including massage, accupuncture, etc.

7. Advertised home treatments, such as an Inversion Table, Back2Life, etc.

8. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit, which is a device that you connect to electrodes placed on the skin of the low back. This is similar to the electric stimulation at Physical Therapy and Chiropractor offices.

9. Over-the-counter creams, medications, heat/ice, patches, supplements.

10. Bracing (more common after certain low back surgeries).


My biggest advice for you is 3-fold:
Prevent low back pain; it can be prevented!
If you have occasional low back pain, read the book "Treat Your Own Back," by Robin McKenzie.
Try Physical Therapy before other treatment options.