Back Sprain

Most people experience back pain at some point during their lives. Your spine is supported by a complex network of ligaments, muscles and bones that work together so your body moves as it’s supposed to. When you move a muscle or ligament the wrong way, it can cause pain and stiffness. When a ligament is involved, you have a back sprain.

Back sprains most often occur in your lumbar or lower back region, although you can sprain your middle back, too. The acute pain of an initial back sprain injury usually abates to a less painful but persistent ache that can last for several days or even weeks. The pain from a lower back sprain can interfere with work, sleep and your busy New York City lifestyle.

Back Sprain Causes

A sudden impact, such as a fall or an automobile accident, can result in a sprained back. People who play high-impact sports are at risk. A hard hit can cause muscles and ligaments to stretch and tear. Heavy lifting — especially when done incorrectly — can sprain your back.
Sometimes, the cause of a sprained back can seem so insignificant that you don’t even realize it at the time. You can sprain your back through poor posture and low muscle tone. More often, though, a lower back sprain is caused by repetitive, powerful motions, such as:

Swinging a golf club or a baseball bat
Engaging in intense exercise routines
Not stretching before activities, leading to tight hamstrings
Being overweight

Back Sprain Diagnosis

When you sprain your back, you feel a sharp, possibly intense surge of pain. Inflammation around the sprain causes your back to feel swollen, warm or tender to the touch. The pain may flare up when you move a certain way, even after it’s dulled. There’s a difference between a sprain and a strain:

A strained back is caused by a pulled muscle or stretched tendon. Tendons connect muscles to bones. If you stretch either too far, it begins to tear.
A sprained back involves a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments are tough, ropy fibers that connect one bone to another. Ligaments can become damaged when they’re stretched too far.

Diagnosing a back sprain is as simple as visiting office of the Sports and Pain Institute of NY. Meet the doctor and get a physical examination.
Imaging tests, such as an x-ray or MRI, help your physician rule out another cause of your pain such as a fracture. But your doctor typically diagnoses a back sprain based on your symptoms and medical history. The tests confirm that there are no underlying risk factors pointing to another diagnosis.

To diagnose back pain Dr. Melepura, leading specialist, provide basic clinical examination including:

Inspection: general condition, gait, asymmetry (muscle atrophy), deformities, skin changes
Palpation of the local musculature (tone, tenderness)
Pain on palpation and percussion of spinal structures, esp. spinous processes (fracture), and kidneys
Range of motion of the lumbar spine (esp. for follow-up) and hip joints (hip arthritis and other joint diseases as part of the differential diagnosis)
Nerve-stretching tests and femoral nerve stretch test
General testing of sensation, motor function, and reflexes (hypesthesia, hyperesthesia, allodynia; strength grading; reflexes)

Because the symptoms of pulled muscles (back strains) and torn or stretched ligaments (back sprains) are virtually identical, both are referred to interchangeably. So, if you hear about a back muscle sprain treatment, it actually refers to treatment for a muscle strain. Whatever you call it, your physician only wants to ease your back sprain and get you back to your active lifestyle.

Back Sprain Treatment in Midtown New York

Treatment for lower back sprains can sometimes be done right at home. In the early stages, use ice packs to reduce swelling and inflammation. After about two days, switch from cold to heat. A heat pack helps relax your strained muscles and soothe your sprained ligaments. Seek medical help if the pain continues after that, both for back sprain treatment and a proper diagnosis.

Over-the-counter pain medication is often sufficient to control the pain of a lower back sprain. NSAIDs — such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen — can help reduce inflammation, acting as a lower back muscle sprain treatment. Less swelling leads to less pain.

If the pain is severe, your Manhattan back sprain doctor may prescribe a stronger medication. Acetaminophen blocks the pain signals to your brain, and muscle relaxers contribute to effective treatment for lower back sprains as well.

Treatment for low back sprain generally depends on whether the pain is acute or chronic. Dr. Melepura recommend surgery only if there is evidence of worsening nerve damage and when diagnostic tests indicate structural changes.

The goal in the primary treatment of back sprain is symptomatic relief and acute reduction of the pain.

Preventing Back Sprains

Although back pain is a common ailment among adults, you can take steps to reduce your risk:

Warm-up before exercising, especially before starting something new or rigorous.
Wear the appropriate protective gear when engaging in high-impact sports.
Lift heavy objects carefully, holding objects close to your body, bracing your feet shoulder-width apart and asking for help if the item is too heavy.
Keep your muscles and ligaments strong and limber by eating healthy and exercising regularly.
Pay attention to your body’s signals. If you start to feel twinges of back pain, take a break.

Febin Melepura, MD is a top rated, best in class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award winning expert and contributor to a prominent media outlets.

Dr. Febin Melepura has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain and, among other accolades, has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York”, and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for an advanced sports injury treatments.