What did you do in the days leading up to the onset of the back spasm? Also, how soon after the onset did you start with the Bayer B&B? How soon did it start working? Have you tried skipping a few doses to see if the pain increases again? Has your sleep been affected? Tightness better or worse upon arising? Better or worse at the end of the day? Possibly a strain with joint locking. If the muscle is rested and the joints remain locked ( subluxation ), the problem will persist until the alignment is corrected. A board certified chiropractor can treat this very effectively.

I am glad to see that your back is not in spasm anymore, but the lingering tightness may need more than aspirin. Many people find significant relief from chiropractic within a few visits. Your chiropractor should be able to determine why your back is causing you problems and the fastest answer to get you the lasting relief you are looking for.

muscles react to what the joints are doing under them. Muscle don't just tighten up for no reason. If after a physical therapy evaluation it is deemed appropriate, we may manipulate the thoracic spine to improve the vertebrae's mobility and normalize the neural conductivity. After that, we prescribe spinal stabilization exercises so you can get better and stay better. If this is the case, approximately 8 to 10 physical therapy visits should do it.

Dear Back Pain,

If the spasm cleared but is still relatively recent as you describe the discomfort in your mid back may simply be a result of a compensation pattern. Your body will often recruit other muscles and body areas to support an injured muscle or area. If the OTC meds you are taking doesn't help try adding some hot moist heat to the sore muscles for about 15 minutes to see if this yields any improvement. If it persists for more than a few more days it may be a good idea to seek professional help.

What happened 4 days ago? Do you know how you got it for the first time? Taking medications for the pain will never resolve what caused the pain. It will eventually keep on returning. It looks like you could benefit from chiropractic care. Usually the muscles tighten up when there are joint restrictions. Those need to be loosen up and chiropractically adjusted. Hope it helps.

Back spasms as it relates to spinal conditions are typically present because of an underlying injury to 1 or more spinal structures. And less common cases spasms can come on because of significant muscle fatigue from overactivity. The fact that your middle back area is still very tight suggested you have not fully recovered from the tissue injury that resulted in the spasm. Stay active and using over-the-counter anti-inflammatories or pain relievers along with time may resolve the tightness. If it does not then I would seek out a medical evaluation either from a Physical Medicine specialists, chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon.

Most acute episodes of spine related issues resolve on their own without medical care but those that don't should be thoroughly evaluated.

The most critical question your case begs is "What is causing your symptoms?"

While the differential diagnosis (plausible causes) for low back pain is a mile long; the symptoms you describe may be indicative of IDD (internal disc disruption). While you may not have disc disruption prominent enough to impact one of the nerve roots in your low back, you certainly could have internal disc disruption (IDD) -- resulting in intense chemical irritation of the tiny nerve endings in the torn ring shaped ligament of the disc. According to a multi-centric study we co-authored, IDD is the leading cause of chronic low back pain.

Consider seeking the help of a physician with a focus on interventional pain detective work. A good detective will not only uncover the smoking gun (the cause of pain), but will work (just as diligently) to find your uniquely successful treatment combination. Most often, (particularly in complex pain presentations) it is not one thing that unlocks the key to recovery but a thoughtful and systematic approach; leading to the correct combination that only works on your lock (your body).

To learn more about the detective approach, minimally invasive treatment options and natural yet powerful forms of healing -- such as using your own stem cells (Regenerative Medicine) and non-pharmaceutical botanical agents (Integrative Medicine); please visit our website.

I hope this information points you down the path of recovery

You probably sprained your back and now have muscle spasm.I would recommend seeing a doctor to prescribe muscle relaxants, anti inflammatory medication and physical therapy for electric stimulation ultrasound hot packs massage and stretching

Often times acute back pain such as yours will respond to Bayer Back and Body pain reliever and sometimes may help with secondary inflammation to the spinal joints. But as you noticed with the absence of your pain their is still stiffness and dysfunction. Pain is usually the last symptom to appear and the first symptom to disappear when experiencing injury or postural strain. I would recommend a chiropractic evaluation of your back, looking at flexibility, joint restrictions and overall posture. Within a few chiropractic treatments you should feel less stiffness and then receive exercise and stretching information to maintain spinal mobility.

If this is just another episode of back pain that you feel several times each year then a more tailored treatment plan is recommended with progressive exercises for the core and posture. This is so you can minimize re-aggravation or recurring back pain and stiffness, and slow down any degenerative changes that can happen with chronic re-aggravation of back pain.