What Is a Lumbar Strain?

Lumbar muscle strain, also known as functional low back pain, chronic lower back injury, lumbar gluteal fasciitis, etc., is actually a chronic injury inflammation of the lumbar muscle and its attachment point fascia or periosteum, which is one of the common causes of low back pain. It is lumbar or lumbosacral swelling, soreness, recurrent attacks, and the pain can change with the climate change or the degree of exertion, such as the increase of daytime fatigue, which can be relieved from light to heavy after rest. More. Over time, it can degenerate muscle fibers and even tear a small amount, forming scars, fibrous cords or adhesions, leaving chronic chronic low back pain.

Basic Information

nickname: Functional low back pain
English name: lumbar muscle strain
Visiting department: orthopedics
Multiple groups: Manual worker, athlete

Common causes: Sedentary, standing or holding heavy objects, lifting objects, etc. from bending to standing position
Common symptoms: Soreness or bloating in the waist, part tingling or burning, worsening when tired

Causes of lumbar muscle strain

1. After acute lumbar sprain and long-term repeated lumbar muscle strain.

2. Improper treatment and improper treatment.

3. Long-term repetitive excessive waist movement and excessive load, such as sitting for a long time, standing for a long time or holding a heavy object from a bent position to an upright position, can keep the lumbar muscles in a high tension state for a long time, which can cause chronic waist Muscle strain.

4. Chronic lumbar muscle strain is also related to climate and environmental conditions. Too low temperature or high humidity can cause or aggravate lumbar muscle strain.

Clinical manifestations of lumbar muscle strain

1. Waist soreness or soreness, part tingling or burning.

2. Aggravated during exertion and relieved at rest; relieved during appropriate activities and frequent changes in posture, and exacerbated by excessive activity.

3. Can't insist on bending over to work. Often forced to stretch the waist or hit the waist with fists to relieve pain.

4. There are tenderness points in the waist, mostly in the iliac spine muscle, the posterior iliac spine, the iliac spine posterior iliac spine stop, or the lumbar vertebra transverse process.

5. There was no abnormality in waist shape and activity, and there was no obvious lumbar spasm. A few patients had slightly restricted waist activity.

Lumbar muscle strain examination

1. X-ray inspection

More than normal, a few may have bone hyperplasia or spinal deformity.

2. Examination for elderly or osteoporotic patients

Can choose ECT examination, bone density examination. Some people think that osteoporosis can also cause chronic low back pain.

Diagnosis of lumbar muscle strain

1. According to symptoms, signs and other clinical manifestations.

2. Combining a long history of chronic low back pain and physical examination, the diagnosis is not difficult, and attention should be paid to distinguish it from diseases such as lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Lumbar muscle strain treatment

1. Avoid overwork and correct bad posture.

2. Proper Functional Exercise

Strengthen back muscle exercises to prevent muscle tension imbalances. For example, take a prone position, remove the pillow, and then lift your chest up with your hands and feet extended into the air. You can also lie on your back, remove the pillow, and push your head back to the bed and lift up. Shoulder movements.

3. Physiotherapy, massage, massage, etc.

4. Drug treatment

Mainly anti-inflammatory and analgesics, injection of corticosteroids and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, topical muscle relaxants and analgesics.

5. Closed therapy

For those who have a fixed tenderness point, 0.5% to 1% procaine plus prednisone acetate or hydrocortisone acetate can be used to close the pain point, and the effect is good.

6. Physical therapy

Under the guidance of a doctor, the use of appropriate physical therapy can also enhance the treatment effect. At present, there are many physical therapy methods, including electromagnetic, ultrasonic, infrared, laser, etc., which act on the human body through sound, light, electricity, heat, etc., and play a role in relieving muscles and activating energy.

7. Surgical treatment

Lumbar muscle strain does not require surgery, and surgery may even exacerbate symptoms.

Lumbar muscle strain prevention

1. Prevent moisture, cold and cold

Do not sleep casually in a humid place. According to the climate change, add clothes at any time. After sweating and raining, change wet clothes or dry your body in time.

2. Acute lumbar sprain

Should be actively treated, rest assured, to prevent the transition to chronic.

3. When playing sports or strenuous activities

Be prepared.

4. Correct bad working posture

Such as bending too long, or desk too low. Change your posture after sitting for an hour. At the same time, cushions with protrusions on the waist can be used to relieve pressure on the waist and help avoid the occurrence of strain on the lumbar muscles. When carrying heavy weights, bend your chest and waist slightly forward, bend your hips and knees slightly.

5. Prevent Overwork

As the center of human movement, the waist is overworked, which will inevitably cause injuries and cause back pain. Therefore, pay attention to work and rest in various jobs or labor.

6. Use hard board upholstered bed

A too soft mattress cannot maintain the normal physiological curvature of the spine, so it is best to add a 10 cm thick cushion to the board.

7. Pay attention to weight loss

Controlling weight and being too obese will inevitably bring extra burden on the waist, especially for middle-aged people and women after giving birth. For a period when they are prone to gain weight, control their diet and strengthen exercise.