Low back strains are unfortunately all too common in the adult population. According to a 2016 study, almost 26% of adults had sustained a low back injury in the workplace. It’s estimated that low back injuries cost the healthcare industry $50-90 billion dollars annually! It’s not surprising that I treat these types of patients in my physical therapy clinic weekly. Understandably, many of them do not know what to do when they sustain a low back injury and by the time they get to me for treatment, their symptoms have only worsened. I don’t want that situation to happen to you too! Let’s break this cycle together. Today, we will discuss the best exercises and stretches to promote faster recovery from low back strains.
- Purchase for Easy, Convenient Access Anytime
- Download for Use on Any Mobile Device or Print at Home
- Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Program
- Custom Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Purchase for Easy, Convenient Access Anytime
Download for Use on Any Device or Print at Home
Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Program
Custom-Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Table of Contents
What is a Low Back Strain?
A low back strain, also known as a lumbar strain, occurs when there is a sudden, intense or repetitive overloading of a low back muscle/s that causes the muscle fibers to begin to fail. This failure results in the micro-tearing of some of the muscle fibers.
Once this type of trauma has occurred within the muscle, several different types of cells rush to the area of injury to begin the healing process. An inflammation cascade is triggered within the tissue.
A localized pain in the muscle also occurs as it is a side effect of this repair process.
If the initial load that was placed on the muscle was too great, rather than just minor micro-tearing occurring within the muscle, the whole muscle may tear resulting in a much more damaging injury.
Why Do Low Back Strains Happen?
The low back muscles are tasked with stabilizing and moving the spine. Without these muscles, our upper body would simply collapse forward against the resistance from gravity.
These low back muscles include the lumbar extensors, quadratus lumborum, and multifidi. Anytime that we perform bending, lifting, twisting, and carrying activities, these muscles are hard at work.
If the amount of load being placed on the muscles is greater than the work capacity that the muscles can perform, an injury such as a low back strain WILL OCCUR.
Common Causes of Low Back Strains?
Common causes of low back strains include:
Generalized deconditioning and weakness of the low back muscles
- Being overweight or out of shape increases the odds of having a low back strain.
Poor lifting technique
- Using an improper lifting technique increases the workload that is placed through the muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Muscle fatigue during the time of exertion
- Muscle tolerance to lifting heavy loads decreases gradually over time.
Repetitive exposure to bending, lifting, or crouching
- Muscle fatigue will increase the risk of a low back strain with repetitive motions.
Falling or other traumatic events
Can I Injure the Low Back Ligaments Too?
Yes, it is possible to sprain some of the lumbar ligaments especially with certain lifting or falling injuries.
Pain from a low back ligament sprain will feel very similar to a low back muscle strain and it is likely that both will occur simultaneously during this type of injury.
What’s the Difference Between a Sprain and a Strain?
A strain is a type of injury that occurs within a musculotendinous unit and a sprain is a type of injury that occurs within a ligament.
What’s the Difference Between a Tendon and a Ligament?
A tendon is a contractile piece of tissue (allows it to stretch and contract) that connects muscle to bone and a ligament is a piece of non-contractile tissue that connects bone to bone.
Will I Have Leg Pain From a Low Back Strain?
No, if you only suffer a low back strain, then the muscles that were injured are located in your low back and they will not refer pain down into the legs.
However, it is common to see a herniated disc in the lumbar spine (low back) occur simultaneously with a low back muscle strain.
These two types of low back injuries have a similar “mechanism of injury,” which just describes the way that the injury was caused. They both occur with lifting, twisting, and bending activities.
In this situation, it is common to feel a “popping sensation” in your back at the time of injury along with a sharp, stabbing pain in the muscles to the sides of the spine. The muscles will tighten up as is typical for a low back strain. Though, in addition, you will start to feel numbness, tingling, or electrical type pains that run down the legs.
If this is the case, then you’ve likely herniated a disc in the lumbar spine in addition to the low back strain.
How to Prevent a Low Back Strain?
The 1st method of preventing a low back strain is always AWARENESS. You’re already improving your progress towards this goal while reading this article. Once you understand the causes and mechanisms that can increase the risk of suffering a low back strain, you can reduce the frequency of exposing yourself to those situations.
The 2nd method is to strengthen and stretch your low back muscles frequently. One of the leading causes of low back strains is weakness in the muscles. By performing low back strengthening and stretching exercises regularly, you can reduce the likelihood of over-exerting the muscles when performing lifting, bending, and carrying activities.
The 3rd method is to always try your best to use proper lifting techniques. Your muscles will perform better and you can significantly decrease the amount of load in the muscles by performing the lift when your center of gravity is properly aligned.
Other Possible Causes of Back Pain
If you’re still undecided if your back pain is coming from a low back muscle strain, check out my full article on the 10 Common Causes of Back Pain. This article can help you to further distinguish between the causes, symptoms, and treatment options with other common back pain conditions.
Initial Treatment Immediately After a Low Back Strain
Initial treatment of a back muscle strain should include rest, ice, and gentle stretching (below pain threshold).
The lumbar muscles are injured and will tighten up as a protective mechanism. The goal is to prevent the injured muscles from tightening up too much because if they do, they will restrict motion greatly and lead to spine stiffness. This can quickly spiral out of control leading to increased loss of motion and more pain.
Physical therapy exercises and stretches are beneficial as the first line of defense with low back muscle strains. They can help intervene with the pain and inflammatory processes and help to return the lumbar range of motion back to normal levels.
The use of a Lidocaine pain patch can help to reduce acute low back pain for the first few days after the injury. Lidocaine is a pain reliever that provides some numbing effects for the area.
- MAX STRENGTH PAIN RELIEF PATCHES
- CONTAINS (5) PATCHES
- ODOR FREE
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Another option that you may want to consider is the temporary use of a back brace. This could be especially helpful if you have a job that requires physical labor. A back brace will help provide external support and decrease the stress that is placed through the injured back muscles.
I highly recommend the FREETOO Back Brace as it has good quality materials and the crossing support straps provide ample stability.
- FREETOO BACK BRACE
- 360 DEGREE SUPPORT
- 4-WAY STRETCH ELASTIC
- RELIEF FROM DISC HERNIATION, STRAINS, SCOLIOSIS, ETC
- PERFECT FOR WEAR AT-HOME, OFFICE, GYM
After using ice for a few days, consider switching over to using a heating pad on the low back muscles. During this period, the muscles will begin to tighten up as they are trying to repair the injured sites. It is best to prevent this tightening-up phase as it will lead to a limited range of motion and increased stiffness in the spine.
- PURE ENRICHMENT PURERELIEF HEATING PAD
- FULL-BODY PAIN RELIEF
- THERAPEUTIC 12″x24″ PAD
- DRY OR MOIST HEAT THERAPY
- MACHINE WASHABLE
The heat helps to reduce muscular tightness and joint stiffness. The combination of a heating pad with the low back strain exercises and stretches below will help to speed up your recovery.
Would a TENS Unit Help?
Yes, a TENS unit is a hand-held electrical stimulator device that provides pain relief. And It is very effective in providing pain relief for both acute and chronic back pain. TENS units are available to purchase online. They work via the “Gate Theory,” which means that when they are turned on, the mind only feels the electrical stimulation from the unit as it blocks (shuts the gate) on the pain stimuli. I recommend this TENS unit from Nursal as it has dual channels and comes with 14-electrode pads that can be reused several times each.
- PROFESSIONAL PAIN RELIEF MACHINE
- REAL AB DUAL CHANNEL
- MEMORY FUNCTION & ACCIDENTAL TOUCH PREVENTION
- 24 MODES & 20 INTENSITY LEVELS
- 14 STRONG ADHESIVE THICKER REUSABLE ELECTRODE PADS
The BEST Low Back Strain Recovery Exercises!
- Purchase for Easy, Convenient Access Anytime
- Download for Use on Any Mobile Device or Print at Home
- Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Program
- Custom Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Purchase for Easy, Convenient Access Anytime
Download for Use on Any Device or Print at Home
Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Program
Custom-Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Soft Tissue Massage
- Gentle massage of the strained muscles should be performed to help relax the tight, tender, and injured muscles.
- Lie on your back with both knees bent. Place the massage tool on the tightened muscle, but only where the pain is only mild/moderately tender. Do NOT place it where you have sharp, stabbing pain.
- The goal is to relax the muscle with sustained pressure.
- Use this: Massage Balls or RAD Trigger Point Release Kit
- Perform: 3-5 mins per side (1x/day)
Lumbar Rocking
- Both shoulders lying flat on the surface.
- Keep both knees and feet together.
- Gently rock knees side to side until a mild stretch is felt in your low back muscles, pause, then go to other side.
- Perform: 30 reps x 3-5 sec holds each (1-2x/day)
Dual Knees to Chest
- Pull both knees towards the sides of your chest until a mild stretch is felt in the low back.
- Perform: 10-15 reps x 3 sec holds (1-2x/day)
Side Lying Lumbar Rotation Stretch
- Start while lying directly on one side.
- Hook the foot of the top leg behind the opposite knee.
- Hold the knee down against the surface.
- Allow gravity to gently pull your extended arm towards the opposite side creating a low back stretch.
- Perform: 3 reps x 30-60 sec holds (1-2x/day)
Posterior Pelvic Tilt
- Lie on your back with both knees bent.
- Hold the sides of your pelvis with both hands.
- Draw your belly button in towards your spine while tightening up your abdominal muscles.
- Simultaneously flatten your low back (normally arched) against the surface beneath you and hold 10 seconds.
- Perform: 10 reps x 10 sec holds (1-2x/day)
Prone Pressup
- Lie on your belly with both forearms resting against the surface.
- Press through the forearms as the chest rises up.
- Pause at the point where the hips lift are about to lift off of the surface.
- Keep the back muscles relaxed through the entire motion!
- Perform: 10 reps x 3 sec holds (1-2x/day)
