Pensacola Back Muscles Affected By Back Pain

The spine is maintained by many muscles. Back pain and degenerative spine conditions impact those muscles. Chiropractors like yours at Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center deal with both the degenerative spinal pain condition and the associated degenerated spine muscles. Pensacola chiropractic back pain treatment plans integrate pain-relieving methods for both the spine and its musculature.

BACK PAIN AND MUSCLES’ RESPONSES

Back pain impacts back muscles. Different Pensacola back pain issues involve different Pensacola back muscles, too. Paraspinal muscles present varied responses to spinal degenerative conditions. Alterations in the lumbar spine paraspinal muscles of low back pain patients have been explained. Atrophy of the multifidus muscles in patients with back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and lumbar degenerative kyphosis are specifically noted. Intensified fat infiltration of the multifidus muscle is also present in patients with lumbar radiculopathy and lumbar degenerative kyphosis. (1) In a study of 78 patients with either degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis or degenerative lumbar kyphosis, researchers described these degenerative muscle patterns. The multifidus muscle is described as the stabilizer of the lumbar spine segments while the erector spinae muscles are usually seen as the stabilizers of spinal sagittal balance. Multifidus muscle degeneration was more significant in the patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Erector spinae degeneration was more significant in the degenerative lumbar kyphosis patients as well as more closely linked to the severity of spinal kyphosis curvature. (2) Continuous chronic low back pain sufferers as compared to non-continuous and recurrent low back pain sufferers were found to have greater EMG activity in erector spinae and multifidus muscles in extension. (3) Your Pensacola chiropractor at Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center pays close attention to these variations.

BACK PAIN AND BACK MUSCLES: STABILITY

Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center also notes back pain and muscle response on spinal stability. Researchers explained that chronic low back pain weakens spinal stability of its sufferers. In examining the activation patterns of the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and upward scapular rotation muscles of chronic LBP patients, researchers discovered a significant increase in upward scapular rotation in all shoulder abduction positions on both sides. The left side was more affected than the right. Further, they found greater latissimus dorsi muscle activities and decreased gluteus maximus activities in chronic low back pain. (4) Spinal manipulation is explained as stimulating transient physiological responses of which paraspinal muscle activity and muscle spindle responses are added. (5) Your Pensacola chiropractor will keep these in mind when treating your spine as well as in setting exercises to address weaknesses. 

CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paulette Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. She discusses her implementation of spinal manipulation, namely the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management, for a 77-year-old patient to decrease pain and improve muscle strength and function.