How to effectively treat lumbar muscle strain?

Written by Cheng Bin

Orthopedics

Updated on August 31, 2024

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The best treatment for lumbar muscle strain usually involves local heat application or massage. It is crucial to employ the correct massage techniques, such as kneading, pinching, and rolling, which can effectively promote local blood circulation, alleviate muscle tension, and improve the clinical symptoms of the patient's lumbar muscle strain. For severe pain, it may also be necessary to combine this with some medications, such as oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or use topical plasters that activate blood circulation and dissolve stasis. Additionally, it is essential to sleep on a hard bed, wear a waist belt for protection, and avoid fatigue, cold exposure, prolonged sitting or standing, excessive bending, and lifting or carrying heavy objects.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

1min 25sec

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Causes of Lumbar Muscle Strain

Lumbar muscle strain is actually a chronic inflammatory injury of the muscles in the lower back and their attachment points, fascia, or periosteum. It is one of the primary causes of lower back pain. As for its causes, there are generally two: the first being chronic strain; the second is improper treatment of acute lumbar trauma, which then becomes prolonged and turns into chronic lumbar muscle strain. Starting with the first cause, it mainly arises from long periods of bending over during work, putting the lumbar muscles in a constant state of tension, then leading to the compression of small blood vessels and ultimately causing insufficient oxygen supply to the muscles and poor elimination of metabolic substances, which then stimulates local inflammatory injuries. So, this is the main reason. Generally, in the early stages, the muscles are still in a compensatory adjustment phase, but as the condition progresses, they can no longer adjust, resulting in a series of compensatory adjustments, leading to lumbar muscle strain and ultimately causing back pain and restricted lumbar mobility. Thus, the primary causes of lumbar muscle strain are two-fold: the first is long-term chronic overload of the lumbar region, causing inflammation. The second is improper treatment following an acute lumbar sprain or trauma, which eventually leads to chronic lumbar muscle strain. There are essentially these two reasons.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

1min 37sec

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Causes of Lumbar Muscle Strain

The causes of lumbar muscle strain generally include two points: First, after an acute lumbar injury, such as a sprain or trauma, proper treatment is not administered, and sufficient rest is not taken when needed, leading to improper treatment and eventually resulting in chronic lumbar muscle strain. The second point, which is also the main reason, is due to the lumbar region being in a state of continuous tension during prolonged work. This causes the muscles in the lumbar region to be under constant stress, then compressing the small blood vessels, leading to insufficient oxygen supply to the lumbar muscles, and causing metabolic byproducts like lactic acid to accumulate. This eventually stimulates local inflammatory responses that contribute to injury. Initially, the muscles themselves can make some compensatory adjustments. However, as the condition worsens, this ability to regulate increasingly diminishes until it can no longer adjust, leading then to compensatory regulation, also known as serial compensatory adjustment. Thus, if lumbar muscle strain is not treated properly or in a timely manner, the condition will progressively worsen, eventually causing the lumbar muscles to lose their original function and potentially leading to a deformity in the lumbar region. Therefore, the main reasons for lumbar muscle strain are firstly, improper treatment during the acute phase that transitions into chronic lumbar muscle strain, and secondly, the lumbar muscles being in a state of long-term overload, ultimately leading to strain.

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Written by Li Jie

Orthopedics

49sec

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Lumbar muscle strain is which part?

Lumbar muscle strain, as the name suggests, refers to a group of symptoms of muscle pain in the lumbar region caused by strain. Typically, it occurs in the waist area, around where we usually wear a belt. Generally, the pain is located about 10 to 20 centimeters above the belt area and about 10 centimeters below it. The pain on either side of the lumbar spine in this area is called lumbar muscle strain, which is usually caused by strain in the muscles of the lumbar spine. If the pain is in the central part of the lumbar spine, this type of pain is generally due to inflammation of the supraspinous ligament or tendonitis. Sometimes, it is caused by a herniated lumbar disc, which may not be closely related to lumbar muscle strain. Therefore, we say that pain in the muscles on either side of the waist is called lumbar muscle strain.

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Written by Li Jie

Orthopedics

56sec

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Is lumbar muscle strain easy to treat?

Lumbar muscle strain, as the name suggests, is a fatigue-related injury to the muscles of the lower back. It is primarily caused by excessive fatigue, a continuous state of tension in the lumbar muscles, leading to tension, spasms, and adhesions in the lumbar spine muscles. Sometimes, it may also involve minor joint disorders in the lumbar spine. Generally, the cause of lumbar muscle strain is quite clear. The first thing we recommend is that patients must rest in bed for a period, and this is to be combined with various conservative treatment measures such as acupuncture, massage, physiotherapy, electrical heating, or the external application of medicinal patches or moxibustion. With these treatments combined with rest, we generally achieve quite good therapeutic results. Therefore, lumbar muscle strain is relatively easy to treat and has good treatment outcomes.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

1min 27sec

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How many days will it take for a lumbar muscle strain to heal by itself?

Lumbar muscle strain is a chronic condition, not an acute onset. It is caused by fatigue, overexertion, trauma, and vigorous exercise, leading to prolonged and repeated strain, pulling, rupture, and damage of the lumbar muscles, resulting in scar formation and lumbar muscle strain. Therefore, this disease is essentially a chronic ailment, and its healing mainly relies on rest to promote recovery. If muscle damage occurs in the lumbar region and one does not rest, continuing to work and bear loads as usual, the muscles will not heal and will eventually become scarred. Thus, the duration for the healing of lumbar muscle strain depends not on the number of days, but whether adequate and proper rest has been taken. Additionally, applying medications that invigorate blood circulation and disperse blood stasis can assist in recovery. Generally, if care is taken to rest adequately, avoid carrying heavy loads, prevent fatigue, and avoid vigorous exercise, while also using oral medications or plasters that invigorate blood and dispel stasis, healing can gradually occur. However, the condition may recur under fatigue and strain in the future, as it is a chronic disease and complete healing is very difficult to achieve. (Note: This answer is for reference only. Medication should be administered under the guidance of a professional physician, and medications should not be used blindly.)