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Why is my torso leaned and lower back pain is extreme? Strained lower back muscle. Is this the correct diagnosis? It feels much worse than a sprain.

Went to the ER on Sunday. They gave me pain meds, steroid, anti-inflammatory pills. They said it was a muscle strain since I had told them that I contracted the pain on Thursday. I went to the gym Monday evening.
Poster
  • 27 years old
  • Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino
  • Height: 5'2
  • Weight: 140lbs

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Featured Answer

23 UpVoted this answer
Strain/strain is likely the correct diagnosis, however; it's not always the muscle strain itself that creates the extreme pain, it's how your body is reacting to it (inflammation, muscle spasm, etc.) This process may ramp up and take a few days, sometimes. Sometimes, it starts getting better over time, but the dysfunction is still there and your body makes a "workaround" movement pattern, just to get by. This has likely happened before, but maybe only resulted in some soreness and maybe not pain, so your body adapted (workaround). A "workaround" is when your body figures out how to make it work, using what it has, even if it isn't optimal, kinda' like using duct tape to hold it together, but doesn't fix it. Chiropractors sometimes call this "subluxation", osteopaths call this an "osteopathic lesion", but that's another topic.

Unfortunately muscle strains can be pretty painful. The pain meds and anti-inflammatory pills, etc. are to decrease that process from happening and may address the symptoms, but you need to ask yourself why it happened? Did you injure yourself while working out? It may be one specific incident, or a lot of little ones accumulating to end up where you are. Chiropractic care can help with both causes.

Muscle spasm is what is causing your torso to "lean". Your muscles are protecting themselves from getting strained again (splinting), but may be "over reacting" a little, the meds can help with that, but doesn't fix the dysfunction. The meds may help you get through this, and may allow your body to do a workaround again (patch itself), but set itself up for it to happen again, or it can heal on it's own, possibly, and maybe not optimally (a "functional workaround").

The reason it may have happened in the first place is because when you needed your lower back to do something, it just didn't move when it was supposed to (possibly due to a "workaround"). This made another part of the lower back have to work much harder to do that motion and was too much for that area, which injured that part. After the injury, they body responded. It has probably been progressively getting to this point, if it wasn't a specific injury.

Chiropractic care would be very helpful to fix this while you are healing as well as make sure it moves well enough to prevent future issues.

If you're wondering how chiropractic could help with a strain/sprain, think of it this way. If we can adjust the spine so it can move better, it can allow the other segments of the spine to "help out" as needed, which puts less stress on the already injured area. You probably developed this problem because when you were working out, your back needed to have "assistance" and coordinated movement from other parts of the spine (coupled motion, etc.). It didn't do that, possibly because of overlaying "workarounds" that your body figured out to use to do a certain motion and it just couldn't withstand the demand and got injured.

Chiropractic care can help it move better, allowing more coordinated movement and ability to disperse the physical stresses on it by adjusting it, possibly some therapy, too. After that, the more you "use it" (correctly), the more your body will adapt to a more biomechanically optimal movement pattern which allows your body to use the areas of your spine when called upon to do so. I hope that's not too complicated an answer, but if you know how you got there, you're less likely for it to happen again.

I would encourage you to wait to work out again until you are able to work out with good form, not before then otherwise, you "re-write" the muscle memory and movement pattern, like practicing something wrong, and it will set you up for it to happen again in the future by reinforcing bad biomechanics. When you start working out again, start out with less weight and ramp up until you can go back to where you were. Make sure your form is good with the amount of weight you are using. Ask your chiropractor to advise you on how to work out correctly if you're not sure about form.
William M Thomas
20 UpVoted this answer
Unfortunately they missed one of the tell tale signs that your condition may be more sever than a muscle strain. When your torso leans to one side and your lower back spasms, it is a protective mechanism of your body. This is called an antalgic lean. Your body is trying to keep pressure off of an intervertebral disc. You may have a slight bulge or possibly a herniation. The severity can also be determined by radiating pain. The meds that they gave you may put you more at risk of injuring yourself more. You may have a decrease in pain and spasm and then put more pressure or weight on the disc that it can handle and exacerbate the situation. Rest is very important as well as further diagnostic imaging. In this case an MRI or CT scan is warranted. If a disc herniation is found it is important to correct the reason for the herniation in the first place. Decompression is a good idea for acute symptoms and regular chiropractic care can help correct posture or muscular imbalances that could have been contributory to your condition.
14 UpVoted this answer
I see this a lot. Typically chronic repetitive strains. The muscles get sore here and there and it's gone in a day or two. Then you go to the gym or work with a little bit of a sore back and the muscles completely lock up to protect them from further damage. Massage, ice, chiropractic daily until it subsides. It will usually take anywhere from 5-14 days to resolve. Get X-rays to rule out anything sister.
Chris D. Senko
11 UpVoted this answer
Muscle strain can be very painful. When the core muscles are weak, it makes them easier to strain. (abdominal muscles and back muscles make up the core muscles.) A good stretch to do gently while your back muscles are healing is lying on your back and pulling one knee to your chest and feel the stretch in your low back and gluteal muscle. Then switch. Use ice pack on your back as it heals. Then get into a good program such as yoga or stretching and muscle strengthening program to strengthen your core muscles.
11 UpVoted this answer
Sounds more like disc displacement with nerve irritation to me which would definately cause the muscles to go into spasm.
10 UpVoted this answer
No, the muscle spasm are jsut a small part of your symptoms. You need an evaluation by a doctor that understands these types of problems, To say you have muscle spasms as a diagnosis would be similar to having muscle spasms in your chest when you are having a heart attack.
Stephen G. Toth
9 UpVoted this answer
It sounds like you're dealing with pretty severe muscle spasm. You may have a sprain/strain injury of the deep stabilizing muscles in your back. Chiropractic can help by mobilizing the joints and therefore helping to reduce the spasm. Gently stretching your low back by pulling your knees to your chest can help to mobilize the area in between visits. Ice and anti-inflammatories can help to reduce infinflammation and pain associated with that. When you're feeling better you need to get on a program of specific exercises to target this area and strengthen it so this is less likely to happen again.
5 UpVoted this answer
Many causes for such a problem. please seek a chiropractor's care or go to your doctor for an evaluation.

look into nutritional supplements from a qualified practitioner who uses all natural organic whole food products.

you also want to take proper mineral supplements for muscle rejuvenation.
Thomas Kollars
4 UpVoted this answer
Thank you for the question. Sorry you are in pain but I see this very frequently. Leaning to one side is called "antalgia." It is a response to very spastic musculature that causes the spinal segments to turn or lean to one side. It is, as you know, very painful. Usually, when you go to an ER, you will leave with a prescription that may help the pain but likely, it is masking the real problem which, often, is a rotated lumbar spinal segment or two. Sometimes, the sacroiliac joint is involved as well. Bottom line, is it is painful and until the problem is corrected at the spinal level, you will likely continue to have pain. If you are experiencing any numbness or tingling in the legs or bladder or bowel symptoms, please call our office as soon as you can. In any event, i have handled a lot of these cases over the years and we can likely get you back on the right track. -- Dr. Smith
3 UpVoted this answer
I think you need better evaluation than you had. P visit your PCP, chiropractor or orthopedist to get better evaluation. I would avoid narcotic pain mess if possible.
Robert Talac