Wednesday 31st May 2006
For future reference I’ve taken the reins and self-diagnosed the back injury I’ve sustained 5 times over the last 12 months (since no medical authorities have been able to). I
t seems to be a lower back sprain/strain which I’m afraid just doesn’t sound as dramatic as it actually is when it happens to you.
Damaging the muscles responsible for moving and supporting the lower back affects almost every movement of the body (except maybe twiddling your thumbs), it’s like they just go dead, there’s no response to the brain’s request for movement in the lumbar spine and no elasticity to the tissues.
If I bend forward, let’s say in Uttanasana, unwisely ignoring the dull pain for a few minutes, eventually the posterior muscle tissues give in a little to the force of gravity and extend, but then they won’t contract to get me up again.
So with this new understanding of what’s happening in there, I feel a bit more at ease about it.
Now I’d like to know why it keeps happening.
Yesterday I did my first tentative practice for about 2 weeks in the Gallery, stepping slowly through the Surya Namaskars and all the standing poses.
Although I couldn’t work deeply in the poses, it felt deeply satisfying to stretch open the muscles that had all tightened up from the injury, even just a little. Parivritta Parsvakonasana was the only pose that really troubled me.
After digging gently into my lumbar with a few backbends (Salabhasana, Bhujangasana and Ustrasana), I gave the forward bends a try and did the sequence up to Marichy A, with no vinyasas in between and staying mostly upright in the poses.
I remember yesterday discovering my front arm in Marichy A for a change and found I could roll the front shoulder WAY more forward than what I habitually do. Marichy B was too provocative to even approach and I wasn’t going to go there.
Had to skip my beloved inversions because my lower back muscles still won’t support the inverted weight through the spine so I just laid back and drew knees to chest and massaged the sensitive spots into the floor. Then meditated.
When I woke up to the alarm this morning, my right shoulder hurt. I must have tweaked it in Marichy A (so much for my discovery) and with that pathetic excuse added to the still tender back, I rolled over and slept on….
What is a Low Back Sprain?
Lower back pain affects 6 in 10 adults annually. More workdays are lost to back pain than any other ailment.
A sprain is an injury to tendons, ligaments, and/or muscle. When these tissues become overstretched or torn, they become inflamed, causing pain. Low back sprain results when the soft tissues of the lower back are stretched or torn. It can result from a sudden injury or from more gradual overuse. Muscle spasms may add to pain and discomfort, making movement difficult. The back is prone to this strain because of its weight-bearing function and involvement in our moving, twisting and bending. Low back sprain may be caused by a tear in an intervertebral disc in the lumbar area of the spine. When torn, the disc secretes substances that cause inflammation. Low back sprain may impair function for a period of up to 4 weeks. Fortunately the vast majority are self limited at about 3 weeks. In some cases the pain can become chronic or the sprain may recur due to inadequate conditioning.
Causes of a Low Back Sprain?
Identifying the specific cause of the sprain is usually impossible. Low back sprain can be due to sudden injuries, which result in overstretching or tearing of the soft tissues. Muscles in the low back are large, and strain is thus more painful. However, because the muscles in the lower back provide the stability and strength for even basic activities like walking or lifting, a sprain can occur from doing any of these activities if the muscles are poorly conditioned.
Symptoms of a Low Back Sprain?
The basic symptoms include:
Low back pain that may radiate into the buttocks, but not to the legs
Stiffness in the low back area, limiting motion
Inability to maintain normal posture due to stiffness and/or pain
Muscle spasms either with activity, or at rest
If pain is severe and not responding to initial treatment, or if the pain radiates to the legs, other tests may be required to determine what is causing the pain. CT scans or MRIs may be ordered in order to assess soft-tissue damage. Other possible causes of injury include a ruptured disk, degenerative disk disease, or fracture of one of the vertebrae.
Treatment of a Low Back Sprain?
Immediate treatment is aimed at reducing pain and stiffness, and relaxing the muscle spasm. Bed rest is necessary until standing and walking are possible, generally 1-3 days.
The following positions may prove most comfortable while resting:
Lying on the back with knees flexed, with a pillow underneath the knees
Lying on the side with a pillow between the knees
Lying on the stomach with a small pillow under the lower abdomen
While bed rest is necessary for a short time, however, the less complete rest the more effective healing may be. Prolonged bed rest can lead to a loss of muscle strength, and may in fact make muscles stiffer, adding to pain and discomfort.
Above information taken from here.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
For future reference I’ve taken the reins and self-diagnosed the back injury I’ve sustained 5 times over the last 12 months (since no medical authorities have been able to). I
t seems to be a lower back sprain/strain which I’m afraid just doesn’t sound as dramatic as it actually is when it happens to you.
Damaging the muscles responsible for moving and supporting the lower back affects almost every movement of the body (except maybe twiddling your thumbs), it’s like they just go dead, there’s no response to the brain’s request for movement in the lumbar spine and no elasticity to the tissues.
If I bend forward, let’s say in Uttanasana, unwisely ignoring the dull pain for a few minutes, eventually the posterior muscle tissues give in a little to the force of gravity and extend, but then they won’t contract to get me up again.
So with this new understanding of what’s happening in there, I feel a bit more at ease about it.
Now I’d like to know why it keeps happening.
Yesterday I did my first tentative practice for about 2 weeks in the Gallery, stepping slowly through the Surya Namaskars and all the standing poses.
Although I couldn’t work deeply in the poses, it felt deeply satisfying to stretch open the muscles that had all tightened up from the injury, even just a little. Parivritta Parsvakonasana was the only pose that really troubled me.
After digging gently into my lumbar with a few backbends (Salabhasana, Bhujangasana and Ustrasana), I gave the forward bends a try and did the sequence up to Marichy A, with no vinyasas in between and staying mostly upright in the poses.
I remember yesterday discovering my front arm in Marichy A for a change and found I could roll the front shoulder WAY more forward than what I habitually do. Marichy B was too provocative to even approach and I wasn’t going to go there.
Had to skip my beloved inversions because my lower back muscles still won’t support the inverted weight through the spine so I just laid back and drew knees to chest and massaged the sensitive spots into the floor. Then meditated.
When I woke up to the alarm this morning, my right shoulder hurt. I must have tweaked it in Marichy A (so much for my discovery) and with that pathetic excuse added to the still tender back, I rolled over and slept on….
What is a Low Back Sprain?
Lower back pain affects 6 in 10 adults annually. More workdays are lost to back pain than any other ailment.
A sprain is an injury to tendons, ligaments, and/or muscle. When these tissues become overstretched or torn, they become inflamed, causing pain. Low back sprain results when the soft tissues of the lower back are stretched or torn. It can result from a sudden injury or from more gradual overuse. Muscle spasms may add to pain and discomfort, making movement difficult. The back is prone to this strain because of its weight-bearing function and involvement in our moving, twisting and bending. Low back sprain may be caused by a tear in an intervertebral disc in the lumbar area of the spine. When torn, the disc secretes substances that cause inflammation. Low back sprain may impair function for a period of up to 4 weeks. Fortunately the vast majority are self limited at about 3 weeks. In some cases the pain can become chronic or the sprain may recur due to inadequate conditioning.
Causes of a Low Back Sprain?
Identifying the specific cause of the sprain is usually impossible. Low back sprain can be due to sudden injuries, which result in overstretching or tearing of the soft tissues. Muscles in the low back are large, and strain is thus more painful. However, because the muscles in the lower back provide the stability and strength for even basic activities like walking or lifting, a sprain can occur from doing any of these activities if the muscles are poorly conditioned.
Symptoms of a Low Back Sprain?
The basic symptoms include:
Low back pain that may radiate into the buttocks, but not to the legs
Stiffness in the low back area, limiting motion
Inability to maintain normal posture due to stiffness and/or pain
Muscle spasms either with activity, or at rest
If pain is severe and not responding to initial treatment, or if the pain radiates to the legs, other tests may be required to determine what is causing the pain. CT scans or MRIs may be ordered in order to assess soft-tissue damage. Other possible causes of injury include a ruptured disk, degenerative disk disease, or fracture of one of the vertebrae.
Treatment of a Low Back Sprain?
Immediate treatment is aimed at reducing pain and stiffness, and relaxing the muscle spasm. Bed rest is necessary until standing and walking are possible, generally 1-3 days.
The following positions may prove most comfortable while resting:
Lying on the back with knees flexed, with a pillow underneath the knees
Lying on the side with a pillow between the knees
Lying on the stomach with a small pillow under the lower abdomen
While bed rest is necessary for a short time, however, the less complete rest the more effective healing may be. Prolonged bed rest can lead to a loss of muscle strength, and may in fact make muscles stiffer, adding to pain and discomfort.
Above information taken from here.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
