Lower Back Spasms - How to Cope With Lower Back Spasms

Lower back spasms are unexpected and involuntary contractions, or tightening, of a muscle or a group of muscles in the back. The contraction that occurs during a lower back muscle spasm is involuntary; the brain sends signals, which are not willed by the body, to the muscles to contract. Tightening of the back muscles can result from inflammation that occurs when a muscle is strained, stretched, pulled tightly or ruptured.

It can happen if you are sitting at your desk, exercising, picking up something incorrectly, straining your back in some way or otherwise stretching the muscles in your back region. Contractions or tightening of back muscles can even be caused by stress, anxiety and/or depression. People have had a spasm occur from a simple sneeze or cough, or even while sleeping. Lower back spasms can occur in people who have no signs at all of general or even specific muscle stiffness or problems.

The duration of a back muscle spasm can remain from seconds to hours. Although not a life-threatening condition, muscle contractions or spasms can result in excruciating pain on the affected muscles. Painful muscle spasms can disrupt your life for a few days or a few weeks and can even incapacitate a person for a period of time.

Treatment of lower back muscle spasms can be difficult because a muscle contraction or tightening can occur with many kinds of injuries and disease processes. Severe cases of muscle spasm can be treated with physical therapy and medication. For muscular spasm, application of local heat may be helpful. Muscle relaxant medications such as diazepam and flexeril can be used to treat muscular spasms. In most cases, the muscle spasm will improve anywhere from a few days to a week or two. Either way, once you have had a back muscle spasm, you will never forget it and you will never want to repeat the experience.