Get it checked at Bodyline Health, Lower Plenty
We see patients from across the Diamond Valley, including Eltham, Greensborough, Montmorency, Rosanna and Heidelberg. No referral needed, free parking, onsite X-ray when clinically indicated and HICAPS claiming on the spot.
Written by Dr Phillip Mifsud, Chiropractor & Exercise Physiologist and founder of Bodyline Health, Lower Plenty. Based on Dr Phil’s own video and clinical experience.
Watch the video
Back Pain and Muscle Spasms
Dr Phil explains this in under two minutes.
A story Dr Phil hears every month
Around 80% of people will have back pain at some stage. A story Dr Phil has heard roughly every month for 20 years: a patient simply bends over to pick something up, her back goes into an excruciating spasm, and she ends up calling an ambulance. At hospital she is sent home with painkillers and a muscle relaxant, and she feels dismissed.
It is not the bend, it is the days before
The key is asking what happened in the days leading up to the spasm. The final movement is often tiny: bending over, doing up shoelaces, brushing teeth, doing your hair. But in this patient’s case she had spent the days before packing to move house: lots of heavy lifting, twisting and bending her body was not used to.
That unfamiliar load caused fatigue and slight inflammation in her back that her body could not clear in time. The next morning she bent over and, bang, spasm.
Why does a back spasm hurt so much?
A spasm is the muscles clamping down to protect an irritated area. It can be extremely painful and scary, but a spasm on its own is usually not a sign of serious damage.
How to prevent it
You are most vulnerable to injury when you are doing something new or different that your body is not used to. Plan for it:
- Stagger the work. If your body is not used to it, do not do two hours straight. Work in half-hour blocks with breaks.
- Warm up and stretch before big physical jobs.
- Give yourself recovery time between heavy days.
- Be extra careful the morning after a big day: bend with your knees and avoid sudden twisting lifts, such as picking up a child from a cot.
What to do if your back goes into spasm
- Stay as gently mobile as you can; complete bed rest usually slows recovery
- Find positions that ease the spasm, such as lying on your back with knees bent
- Ice can help settle inflammation in the first couple of days
- Get it assessed so you know what is going on and how to get moving again
Who at Bodyline Health can help with back spasm?
Because Bodyline Health has several disciplines under one roof at 17 Main Road, Lower Plenty, your care can be shared between practitioners who talk to each other.
- Dr Phillip Mifsud (Chiropractor): assessment and gentle treatment to settle the spasm and restore movement.
- Keryn Arrowsmith (Myotherapist): releasing protective muscle spasm.
- Jack Robertson (Remedial massage): massage as the spasm settles.
- Mary Fleming (Physiotherapist): strengthening to reduce the chance of it happening again.
When to seek urgent medical help
Call 000 or go to an emergency department if back pain comes with numbness around the groin or buttocks, loss of bladder or bowel control, leg weakness, fever, or after a significant fall or accident.
Further reading on back spasm: Back pain (Healthdirect Australia).
Common questions
Why did my back go out when I just bent over?
Usually because fatigue and inflammation built up over the previous days from unfamiliar activity. The bend was the final straw rather than the whole cause.
How long does a lower back spasm last?
Often a few days to a week or two. Staying gently mobile and getting treatment usually speeds it up.
Should I go to hospital for a back spasm?
Go to hospital if you have red-flag symptoms such as numbness around the groin, bladder or bowel changes or leg weakness. Otherwise, a spasm is usually best managed with gentle movement and treatment.
How can I avoid hurting my back when moving house?
Break heavy jobs into half-hour blocks, warm up first, bend with your knees and give your body recovery time between big days.
Is heat or ice better for a back spasm?
In the first couple of days, ice can help settle inflammation. Get it assessed if it is not improving.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for individual medical advice. If you are unsure, see your GP or book an assessment.
