A lower back strain is an injury caused by an overstretched or torn muscle in your lower back area. This injury is also commonly referred to as a pulled back muscle. Together with lower back sprains, it is also one of the biggest causes of missed work days among adults in developed countries. It therefore has a major economic impact on the societies of these countries.
Generally speaking, lower back strains tend to mainly affect people aged 30 or older.
Another factor that can contribute to experiencing this injury is natural bone loss with advancing age.
Yet another is being physically unfit or overweight.
Having a job that requires plenty of lifting activity or maintaining poor posture can also be contributory factors. Lifting heavy weights with the legs straight and the back bent is poor lifting technique that can lead to lower back strains.
Athletes in certain sports that place demands on the lower back can also experience pulled back muscles. Sports like golf, baseball and cricket tend to cause a large number of lower back strains or other back injuries.
This is one of the more painful back injuries that you can experience. The key symptoms of it are:
If you have some or all of these symptoms, you should seek medical advice urgently. These are typical symptoms of a lower back strain.
However, these symptoms can also be “red flags” indicating the presence of more serious medical conditions. These can include problems such as a herniated disc or even a tumour. The lower back is a complex network of nerves, bones, muscles and ligaments. It is sometimes tricky to tell the exact cause of pain originating from the area.
Pain that radiates away from the lower back area (to the legs, for example) can indicate a more serious problem. For example, it may indicate the presence of nerve damage due to a herniated disc injury.
Lower back pain can also be the result of spinal cord compression due to the narrowing of the spinal canal. This injury is called spinal stenosis. Both of these conditions are potentially much more serious than lower back strains.
To diagnose the cause of your lower back pain, your doctor will review your medical history. He or she will also perform a physical examination of your lower back. The goal will be to determine the exact location of your pain and what makes it worse.
In addition to this information, your doctor may ask how the pain started. For example, what you were doing when you got the injury?
In many cases, your doctor may initially advise a period of conservative home care. Most lower back strains respond positively to this treatment within a short period.
However, your back may not feel better after a week or two of this care. If so, your doctor may suggest further examination. At this point, he or she may do some imaging studies of your back. These may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, X Rays or CT scans.
Your doctor will likely recommend a period of self care at home as an initial treatment for your muscle strain. This would include:
As part of your recovery process, your doctor may suggest a course of physical therapy. This will include back stretching and strengthening exercises. They will help you perform strenuous and demanding tasks upon your return to regular activity with less risk of reinjury.
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The Mueller Sports Medicine Adjustable Back Brace offers you custom fitting, courtesy of its tapered cut. The Adjustable Back Brace features eight steel springs with the flexibility that allows them to conform for superior lumbar support. Additional support comes from its main 9 inch elastic band. You can also adjust the tension using its 4″…
The Mueller Sports Medicine Adjustable Back Brace with Lumbar Pad features a removable lumbar pad for targeted lower back support, an internal molded plastic component to eliminate rolling or bunching and two outer elastic tension straps for adjustable support. You also benefit from additional back stability and support from the supporting springs positioned along your spinal column. This brace is a great treatment for lower back pain or for sprained, strained or aching backs.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Back Brace, White is a comfortable and lightweight solution to back sprains and strains, an arthritic back, moderate disc conditions, muscle spasms, sciatica, chronic unstable lumbar spine or for strains of sacroiliac area. Equipped with a 9 inch wide elastic band, a large foam pad and supportive steel springs. The pad conforms to your lower back area and supports your back in the most critical areas. There is also a second 6 inch wide outer elastic band to secure the pad and provide additional back support.
SIZING: (Measure around waist) SM 28 – 32″ (71 – 81 cm) MD 32 – 36″ (81 – 91 cm) LG 36 – 40″ (91 – 102 cm) XL 40 – 44″ (102 – 111 cm) XXL 44 – 48″ (111 – 122 cm)
Use Mueller’s Back Support with Suspenders to combine the health benefits of suspenders with less pain from sore and overworked back muscles.
The Bio Skin Baja 627 provides unrivaled lumbar support and pain relief, allowing you to return to normal activity. It has a double lacing system with the two banks of pulleys positioned on the sides of the torso. When the patient engages the cinching mechanism, the posterior panel is drawn forward, focusing the compression on the soft tissues that support the spine.
A recent study using the bilateral cinching mechanism of the Baja 627 showed an average reduction in VAS scores of 40% and a 41% improvement in Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire scores in patients with chronic low back pain.
The Power System of the LP EmbioZ Back Support Compression Top helps to enhance explosive and efficient use of your upper torso muscles. The LP EmbioZ Back Support Compression Top has a Power System positioned over the shoulders and the center of your torso. The Power System improves your proprioception in the region of your torso muscles and medial scapula. It also increases your torso and thorax flexibility. You will also experience better upper limb co-ordination and fluency. The Power System mimics the behavior of kinesiology tape by allowing your skin to slide and recoil over the underlying muscles and promote the resupply to these muscles of freshly oxygenated blood and the removal of metabolic waste. It also helps to increase your energy levels and improve the explosive power of throwing, shooting (as in basketball) smashing and spiking actions. The Compression Top will help optimize your performance in sports like baseball (pitching), volleyball, track & field, rifle shooting, gymnastics and archery. To get the best results from this product, we suggest positioning the 3D Weaved Channel below your chest.
The Mueller Green Back Brace helps protect against lower back pain, fatigue and weakness while providing optimal support. One size.
