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How to Treat Back Strain and Other Spine Problems

Back strains and back spasms are often as painful as spine issues like herniated disc. The main distinction is that a back strain is an injury to a muscle, while a herniated disc is an injury to the structure of the spine itself. While one may suffer a back strain while compensating for the pain of a herniated disc, the two types of injuries are otherwise completely unrelated. For this reason, there are many differences in how one would treat a spine problem versus how to treat back strain or back spasms.

Treating a Back Strain

As indicated, a back strain is an injury of muscle in the back. It results from the tearing or undue stretching of the muscle fibers due to improper lifting techniques or sudden and/or uncontrolled movement. Pain is a result of inflammation that develops in response to the injury; in other words, the pain is a signal of the muscle injury itself, whereas in other spine injuries, the pain is caused by one of the results of the injury (i.e., a pinched nerve resulting from a herniated disc). Appropriate treatment for a back strain – or for back spasms – includes:

• Use of pain medication and/or anti-inflammatory drugs
• Application of cold and/or heat to reduce pain and swelling
• Rest, and perhaps immobilization, if movement is too painful
• Physical therapy

These treatment options are common for all back pain, as even conditions like herniated disc will often respond well to them. Back strains will often be completely healed in a matter of weeks if treated properly.

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Treating Spine Injuries

Spine injuries, however, may require more aggressive treatment. If a doctor believes the patient to need back surgery, Laser Spine Institute (LSI) offers the most groundbreaking technology available: minimally invasive, laser-assisted endoscopic procedures that may even enable the patient to leave the same day – a far cry from the lengthy recovery time required by open back surgery.

If you are suffering back pain that won’t go away, contact your doctor to begin a conservative treatment regimen. If that doesn’t work and your doctor thinks surgery might help, contact Laser Spine Institute for more information about our outpatient procedures, and to receive a free review of your MRI or CT scan.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.