How Can Tight Muscles Result In Back Pain?

Sometimes, people want to know that How can tight muscles result in back pain? For this, it is essential to recognize that stiff and tight muscles contribute significantly to back pain but are often overlooked. There are many reasons why the lower back can be painful, but tight muscles are the most common cause. Muscles play an integral role in supporting the spine and ensuring proper posture. It has been shown that tight muscles often warn that your body needs to be loosened to prevent further damage. This type of stiffness differs from spasticity and muscle rigidity as they can produce discomfort and pain when they become tense and lose flexibility. 

When you have these two symptoms, your muscles will remain stiff, regardless of whether you move.

A combination of physical therapy, mobility exercises, and hot and cold therapy is the best course of action to treat back pain. It is imperative to keep an eye out for these signs and take action accordingly. Doctors will guide you best according to the level of your stiffness in the muscles leading to back pain.

Causes of Tight Muscles 

How can tight muscles result in back pain? To answer this, everybody should be aware of the causes behind tight muscles. Muscle tightness may result in several back issues, including musculoskeletal disorders. They may include muscle irritation and dysfunctions. Several possible causes explain the reason how back muscle tightness leads to pain.

• Tight Hip Flexors

Iliopsoas muscles in the hips are responsible for lifting thighs, also known as hip flexion.

If these muscles get tightened, they may cause spine stiffness. There are also chances of spinal instability and swelling in the surrounding tissues that become irritated.

• Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia may result in pain and sensitivity in the localized area of the body involving the spine and lower back. However, the actual reason behind fibromyalgia is not known, but it may cause sleep disorders and fatigue. Recent studies have also shown some evidence that neurological disturbances are a leading cause of fibromyalgia. So, mostly, it is considered a neurological condition.

• Tight Hamstring Muscles

Hamstring muscles are located along the back of both thighs. They are counted among the body's most significant and robust muscles that may become tightened due to several sources. Reduced physical activities and the inability to do warm-up exercises before working out are the prominent reasons hamstring muscles get stretched.

The stiffness of the hamstring muscles makes them shorter in length. However, these modifications alter the spine curvature and alignment with hip bones. Now, whenever such an individual bends, he may observe stiffness in the lower back accompanied by pain.

• Thoracolumbar Fascia Contractions

A muscular sheath covers the spine bone, medically called the thoracolumbar fascia. The primary role of this sheath is to provide additional support and flexibility to the spine. However, a frozen lumbar arises if the muscular sheath faces more contractions than average. TLF contractions cause pain and lower back stiffness, decreasing the range of spine mobility.

• Overuse of Muscles

Stress and sudden trauma may sometimes involve the overuse of muscles along with strenuous activities. These activities may include the following

• Push-ups

The exercise performed to obtain a strong back may often have reverse results, resulting in lower back muscle tightness.

• Strength-training Activities

The biomechanical and technical effects of strength training exercises may vary in different individuals but often cause muscle stiffness. Such activities may involve lifting heavy objects or pulling something with extra weight.

• Shrinkage of Spinal Discs

The spinal discs face degeneration with time. There is a visible modification in the shock-absorbing capability of spine discs. Moreover, spinal stiffness may cause pain when fibrocartilage parts break down due to low hydration levels in the spine. The shrinkage of spinal discs also shortens the surrounding muscles in the lower back, resulting in pain.

Can Tight Back Muscles Be Relaxed?

The diagnosis of lower back muscle stiffness becomes difficult sometimes. Once accurately diagnosed, the lower back muscles may be relieved from pain following several stretches and simple exercises. Although pain physicians in Dallas also recommend medications and conservational treatments, they have reported side effects affecting overall health. To date, the most effective way to improve muscle flexibility and strength is to practice following stretches.

• Corpse-pose
• Child’s pose
• Pelvic tilts
• Reclining single-leg stretch
• Windshield wipers
• Hip circles
• Knees to chest
• Cat-Cow
• Legs up the wall

The best way to do these exercises is to follow the instructions of expert physical therapists, like those available to pain physicians in Dallas. Some individuals may also adopt treatments, including heat and cold therapy, self-massages, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, and role-playing utilizing foam rollers. Indeed, several therapeutic techniques are available to relieve muscle compression and improve quality of life. Immediate consultation with health providers is always recommended to avoid serious complications.

The Bottom Line

Back pain symptoms are widespread and affect individuals across all demographic groups.It is beneficial to improve posture, strengthen core muscles, and stretch tight muscles to reduce stiffness and pain. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical care. 

With regular exercise and stretching, muscle stiffness can be reduced; you might find some relief, but sometimes, it can be a sign of more severe problems, mainly if there are other symptoms. In addition to making it difficult to move and causing chronic pain, stiff muscles may affect your life in many ways.