The lower back supports the upper body's weight and provides mobility for everyday movements. Thanks to its structure, muscles, and nerves, we can turn our torso, walk straight, and feel our legs.

But if you damage the muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs in the lower back, you may have acute pain. It occurs if you incorrectly and abruptly lift a heavy weight or make an awkward movement. If the pain doesn’t go away in a few days and limits your movements, contact a spine care center for help.

The pain you feel will be a symptom of an injured back. Both young people and the elderly, who have reduced bone strength, can get into such trouble. The lumbar region becomes inflamed when the soft parts are injured. So, if you've pulled your back, it could show up as swelling, the body's natural response to injury.

So, after damage, blood rushes to the damaged tissue, restoring it. However, the inflamed muscles are strongly contracted; they can cramp, which causes severe pain.

In addition, the range of motion is very limited. It will no longer be possible to perform active physical exercises, but for some it will be a problem to just get out of bed.

How Much Does an Injured Back Hurt?

The most intense pain will be observed in the first days. At this time, you can feel sharp, unpleasant pain during certain movements, for example, when bending over. However, constant moderate pain and stiffness can last for one to two weeks while the muscles heal.

The Symptoms of Back Injury

Those who have pulled their backs usually have the following symptoms:

  • Pain in the muscles of the lower back;
  • Dull, aching pain in the lower back, which can be felt not only in the injured area but also in the buttocks or thighs, as their muscles help support the lower back;
  • Burning sensation, strong heat in the lumbar region;
  • Pain aggravated by movement. Occasionally, the pain spreads down and radiates to the calves and feet;
  • Stiffness, difficulty while walking;
  • Pain and inflammation in a certain area of the back;
  • Muscle spasms - a sharp contraction of muscle fibers in the lower back, which can cause severe pain.

As you can understand from the information above, tearing your back means a pronounced muscle spasm. Although the sensations from such a state are not very pleasant, it does not pose a serious threat.

But no matter how easy the injury may seem, you should make an appointment with a neurologist or orthopedic traumatologist to rule out neurological pathology.

Back strain is treated with a combination of muscle rest and non-invasive therapies called NSAIDs. Therefore, ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen will reduce the inflammation that causes pain.

Over-the-counter pain medications like paracetamol do nothing to reduce inflammation but only dull pain signals in the brain.

To reduce muscle spasms, the doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants - drugs that reduce muscle tone. They weaken pain receptors in the nervous system. However, remember that muscle relaxants can be addictive.

Here are a few more methods that will help relieve inflammation and spasms:

  • Compress with ice or other cold objects. This method will help reduce the inflammation that occurs after muscle damage. Such a compress should be applied for 10-20 minutes; however, another textile layer, such as a towel, should be placed between the ice pack and the skin.
  • Thermal compresses. They increase blood circulation, which relieves muscle tension and speeds up recovery. You can put a heating pad on your lower back in the morning for 10-15 minutes. It is better to start heat therapy 48 hours after the injury. As in the case of a cold compress, a layer of tissue in the middle should protect the body from burning.