Methods 1: Relieve pain.
1, ice for 20 minutes. Wrap the ice pack in a soft towel. Lie on your back and put ice cubes under the spasms. Relax in this position for 20 minutes and take a deep breath. You can lie on your back to relieve back pressure. If it is lower back spasm, it may be more comfortable to raise your legs.
In the next 48-72 hours, you can ice every 2 hours 1 time as needed. Do not apply for more than 20 minutes at a time, and do not fall asleep during ice application. Holding ice for a long time can cause frostbite or nerve damage.
2. Take over-the-counter painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help relieve pain and inflammation. Common over-the-counter painkillers include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). Paracetamol (Tylenol) can also help relieve pain. Although it has no anti-inflammatory effect, it is less likely to cause stomach discomfort than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
You can also take muscle relaxants, such as Flexall or Percogesic. Use the lowest effective dose, because it will cause drowsiness.
3. Walk around. When you have a back muscle spasm, you may instinctively want to lie down. In fact, a little walking can promote blood flow and help muscles recover. Get up and walk every hour, or walk around immediately after a muscle spasm. Lying down for too long will worsen the problem. Being still leads to muscle stiffness, which may aggravate the pain or spasm again.
Low-impact aerobic exercise such as walking and swimming is very suitable for the first two weeks after spasm. Take it slow at first, and then gradually increase the duration of exercise.
4, 72 hours later, warm and wet compress. After 3 days, the initial swelling and inflammation will subside. At this time, you can increase blood flow and relax muscles by hot compress. Use a commercially available hot compress bag or take a hot bath. It is best to apply wet and hot compress to avoid dehydration. Keeping your body hydrated is very important for treating and preventing muscle spasms.
5. Ask the doctor to inject cortisone. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory drug, which can reduce inflammation around nerves. Its effect is similar to that of over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, but the effect can last for months, not just hours. Cortisone injection can only relieve the pain caused by muscle spasm, but can't treat the root cause.
Method 2: Solve the cause of spasm.
1, confirm the cause of spasm. Back spasms may be caused by sudden movement after a long period of inactivity. Excessive use of back muscles, such as lifting heavy objects or other injuries, may also lead to back spasms. There are many treatments for back spasm, and only by understanding the root cause can we find the most effective treatment.
If the spasm is caused by sudden movement after a long period of immobility, and you have no other potential health problems that need treatment, you just need ice and hot compress, stay active and do some gentle stretching exercises.
Discuss the illness with the doctor. They can help you identify the potential causes of muscle spasms. You can also consult a personal trainer or physical therapist.
2, massage therapy, to reduce stress and reduce muscle tension. Massage therapy by certified massage therapists can promote blood circulation and help muscles relax. If back spasms are caused by general stress, massage therapy may help you. Maybe just one massage can improve the condition. However, it usually takes several massages within a few months to get lasting results.
3. See a doctor and get a formal diagnosis. If home treatment can't solve the problem, or the muscles in the same part often spasm, the doctor will ask you to do some tests to confirm the cause. Discuss back spasms with your doctor and tell them about the treatment you tried at home.
The doctor may ask you to have an X-ray, a computed tomography scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check your back thoroughly.
4. Find a physical therapist to treat muscle injury. If you tear or injure a muscle, physical therapy can help the muscle recover. Physical therapy can also correct muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalance can lead to overuse of a muscle, which in turn leads to spasm. Physiotherapists will tailor appropriate exercise according to the specific causes of your back spasm.
5. Find a chiropractor to treat spinal problems. If your spine is dislocated or you have been injured, such as a herniated intervertebral disc, you may need to receive spinal massage to solve the potential cause of muscle spasm. Chiropractors usually reposition the spine through freehand correction. They may also use therapeutic exercise, massage and other therapies to stimulate muscles and nerves.
6. Eliminate neurological diseases. Severe neurological diseases can also cause muscle spasms, such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. If you often have muscle spasms and can't find the exact reason, you might as well tell your doctor about your worries. The doctor will discuss other symptoms with you, and if they also think that muscle spasm may be caused by neurological diseases, they will refer you to the neurology department for further examination.
If you start urinary incontinence, you must see a doctor, because it may be a symptom of some serious disease.
Method 3: Prevent back spasm again.
1, drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Dehydration can cause muscle convulsions and spasms. Although keeping your body hydrated can't completely prevent spasms, it can at least help your muscles relax. Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. Don't drink alcohol and caffeine. Both of these substances are diuretics, which will dehydrate the body.
2. Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight will increase the pressure on the back and musculoskeletal system, and increase the chance of back spasm. Make sure your weight is commensurate with your height. Find out your height and body mass index (BMI), or ask your doctor to give you a physical examination. If you need to lose weight, you may wish to consult a registered dietotherapist for a diet plan that suits you. Once the back spasm subsides, slowly incorporate more exercise into your daily life.
3. Take minerals that the body lacks from the diet. If you lack calcium, magnesium or potassium in your diet, muscle spasms may occur more often. Even if you have received physical therapy or spinal massage, lack of these minerals can still cause muscle spasms. Take these minerals from natural foods first. Dairy products are rich in calcium, bananas and potatoes are rich in potassium.
If your body lacks minerals, you might as well reduce or stop eating coffee and processed sugar. They can hinder the body from absorbing minerals.
4. Start walking exercise to stay active. To prevent back spasms again, the most important thing is to stay active. Walking is a low-impact exercise and usually does not increase the pressure on the back. At first, walk a short distance, and gradually increase it to 20 minutes a day. Cycling and swimming are also low-impact sports, which are especially good for exercising the back.
If you have a chance to go to the gym, you can also exercise on the elliptical machine or treadmill 15-20 minutes.
5. Incorporate stretching into the exercise plan. Yoga or Pilates helps to improve the flexibility and mobility of the back. Try to do some basic stretching exercises before and after exercise to help your back muscles relax. As with stretching in other parts, don't stretch your back beyond the comfortable range of motion. When you feel pain or discomfort, you must stop at once, or you may further damage your muscles.
Doing some gentle stretching exercises immediately after back spasms can also help relieve pain.
6. When sitting, support your waist with a cushion. Tuck the cushion between the lower back and the back of the chair to help you sit up straight. Do this whenever you need to work or drive for a long time. Get up and walk at least once an hour. Don't sit for too long. Don't stoop when sitting.
If you have to sit for a long time, remember to change your posture often.
7. After the back muscles recover, start strength training to exercise the core muscles. Core muscles surround our torso like corsets, helping to keep our spine straight and good back posture. Exercising core muscles helps to prevent back spasms. Plate support is a very basic core muscle group exercise, which can be done without equipment. Lie prone on the ground with elbows bent and forearms close to the ground. Raise your body until only your toes and forearms support you. Activate the core muscles and hold this position for 20 seconds.
Practice plate support several times a day, and then slowly extend the time to maintain posture.
Take deep breaths regularly while maintaining the posture of flat support. Many people habitually hold their breath when activating the core muscles.
When lifting weights or heavy objects, don't be too hasty to become incoherent, so as not to cause back spasms.
Tip Unless the back spasm originates from a physical defect or is associated with intractable pain and progressive muscle weakness, surgery is usually not needed.