Do Muscle Imbalances Cause Back Pain?

This page discusses muscle Imbalance and the role in sciatic and back pain along with muscle balance therapy to balance your body and reduce risk of serious injury. Is it possible that some forms of back pain can be caused or contributed to by other muscles in the body not being in balance?

It is very important in assessing back pain that testing and assessment and treatment of muscle imbalances are considered and effective back pain exercises carried out.

Most people develop imbalances over time and especially if they have poor posture, that can lead to eventual back or sciatic pain.

Back pain exercises such as those in lose the back pain system can be very effective at correcting muscle imbalance in the body to ease pain and prevent further imbalances developing

Personally many things were explored to find the cause of my back and sciatic pain and it was not until muscle imbalances were highlighted, then treated that I got any relief from the pain. It is well worth you considering it along with the other possible reasons.

Gentle hugs

jasmine ann

Many conditions can have their root cause in muscle imbalances. Barring accident, a birth condition or sudden injury most conditions occur more gradually. You may suddenly feel the pain but it may have been lurking for some time.

This is not a definitive list of conditions.

Full body sleep pillows are excellent at helping you get a good nights sleep if you have back or sciatic pain.

The reason is that they support you r whole body and are made in such a way that as you sleep you r neck, hips and spine are in much better alignment thus taking pressure off your body.

When does pain occur?

A muscle imbalance occurs when there is over developed and tight muscles in one area of the body while the opposing muscles are weak and stretched out of their normal position. These imbalances can happen anywhere on the body. They may occur as a result of everyday activities like sitting,playing sports or as a result of injury.

It may not just be people displaying signs of back issues who have imbalances. To some degree everyone has muscle imbalances, regardless of age, sex, or level of fitness. It does not have to be a major imbalance. Even the smallest imbalance can over time pull the body out of balance and place uneven pressure and wear and tear particularly on the vertebrae, discs, spine and its supporting muscles.

If the core muscles are out of balance - from strength versus flexibility perspective - front to back or side to side, there will be at least one postural dysfunction and many people may have more than one. When the core muscles are out of balance the pelvis will be pulled out of its normal neutral position. As the pelvis is at the base of the spine and controls the position and curvature of the spine, the spine may then go into abnormal curvature.

The position and curvature of the spine is determined by the amount of balance in numerous muscle groups like the thighs, hips and torso. The skeleton may have mechanical problems and pressure points which then causes pain due to its root cause of muscle imbalances.

When the spine and body are pullled out of alignment, the level of stress increases on certain muscles, bones and joints.

Lovely for when you are sitting a lot at work, in the car or at home or even when traveling.

With memory foam to mold to the contours of you r body giving comfort.

With a massage function to ease those aches and pains.

Support for your lumbar region of the back which often requires the most help when sitting.

Try this book to help you sort back pain.

Read this book to help you to understand your back and sciatic pain better, feel more confident discussing your symptoms with healthcare professionals and to find out what treatment options and pain relief is possible.

Back pain conditions

There are many conditions where muscle imbalances may be the root cause or form part of the cause of your pain or condition. A few are

* IT band syndrome

* SI joint syndrome

* Sciatica

* Frozen shoulder

* Knee pain

* Hip pain

* Back pain. Abnormal curvature of the spine is the root of much back pain - whether it's a pulled back muscle, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, SI joint syndrome or spondylilothesis to name some examples.

This lovely pillow is a full body pillow often helpful in pregnancy and in back pain.

It helps to better align the spine in sleep. In addition as you can see in the picture you can use it when sitting up to help give you more support.

As it molds to the natural curves of the body, it enables muscles to relax and you to sleep and rest in a good position.

What are the contributing factors to pain?

Except for when you might have an accident, the majority of back pain happens as a process and relieving it and addressing the underlying cause may also take some time.

Several things can contribute to and create muscle imbalances:-

level of activity

activities undertaken on a regular basis

amount and type of exercise

how you sit, stand and walk

Especially activities undertaken on a daily basis are significant as they may over time contribute to muscle imbalances.

It is also significant what type of work you do whther it is sedentary or active and any repetitive movements.

It's very important to note that nearly everyone has muscle imbalances.

Whether you do a lot of exercise or you are more sedentary there is a risk of developing muscle imbalances. However you may not experience pain until some time after the imbalance has been created.

If there is constant repetitive actions in a sport or job or lifestyle habit where some muscle groups become stronger or tighter than others then muscle imbalances may be created.

This memory foam pillow helps to relieve neck, back and shoulder pain, all common areas of pain many people experience on a daily basis.

It has a super soft removable velour cover which is practical as it is washable,

Memory foam is supportive yet cushions and cradles your neck and head for your comfort.

There is also a choice of high or low loft, whatever you feel will suit you best for your own neck support.

Testing posture

If your muscles become out of balance, over time, your body can be pulled out of proper alignment. This causes additional wear and tear on muscles, ligaments, joints, and even the spine.

It is not usually until your body is in significant pain or you have clear posture problems that most people go to seek help. It may be at this point that muscle imbalances may be considered.

While it does take time for muscle imbalances to cause enough pain for us to take any action, the first signs of trouble are often there in our poor posture.

Postural problems can be seen in the abnormal awkward position of the pelvis, head, neck, shoulder and even in the curvature of the spine. Pain may be felt anywhere and not always related to the particular muscles which are out of balance. I had a severe lordosis of the spine which was excessive curvature or "swayback" which it turned out was a significant cause of my pain.

Many people live with completely unrecognised muscular imbalances often without too much pain, or at least not enough to go to a doctor.

However, once a postural problem has developed, the body cannot continue for long this way before problems and pain are experienced.

Although it is often the case we may mask the pain with painkillers or ignore the problem if it is mild, it is important to seek treatment and diagnosis. The earlier the issue is identified the easier it is to correct.

I have this Freedom back massager and in fact am using it right now!

I find it very supportive for my spine and it is firm and comfortable and turns any chair or seating into a comfortable place for me and my back.

I do love the massage function too which is very relaxing and soothing especially if I have been sitting for a while.

I tend to use this one at home or an office type environment. I do not find it as good for traveling as it is larger than many other ones that are very protable, but for the home/office it is perfect.

How to correct muscle imbalance

If your back and sciatic pain is caused by muscular imbalances then treatments that focus only on treating the pain will be less effective or not effective at all if they focus only on the pain. The pain is a symptom of a larger problem that should also be addressed. Pain from an injury may continue as long as the muscle imbalance continues unaddressed and may even become worse.

Pain may be addressed with pain killers or injections or other treatments to relieve it. However, without thorough assessment and educating the person about how to address any muscle imbalances they may have, the pain will only be masked and the imbalances may increase which may lead to more serious conditions.

If pain is as a result of muscle imbalances, the muscle imbalances must be addressed to reduce and eliminate the pain otherwise the pain is likely to continue or become worse over time

Any treatment program must address the symptoms, often in the form of pain and the root cause of the pain, which may be muscle imbalances, to be most effective and long lasting.

It is also important that you engage in the process of looking after your back and conducting the necessary exercises or treatment regime and learning to look after your back for a healthy life.

In order for this to occur you must be informed about and have an understanding of your condition and root cause and how the treatment will support your back to a healthy state.

I often sit at my computer using a stability ball. It helps me to use my core muscles and puts my back into a great position. Once you are used to it it is very comfortable and eased a lot of my back pain when sitting.

I think it is important to build up use of a stability ball gradually so use for a few minutes to start with then build up as you get stronger.

Muscle Balance Therapy

Back pain often develops as a process. Muscle Balance Therapy addresses the underlying cause of the condition while at the same time brings relief to symptoms. In essence, it attempts to reverse the process that brought pain and bring the body back to a more neutral state.

Muscle Balance Therapy is an approach to eliminating back pain. It starts with a careful yet simple assessment of all the muscles that affect the stability of the hips, pelvis, and spine and considers them from the perspective of strength and flexibility.

It is most effective when specific physical and visual assessments are done to ensure an accurate confirmation of any dysfunctions. The physical should confirm the visual, and the visual should confirm the physical.

Without proper assessments, any generic stretching and strengthening exercises given are at risk of stretching or strengthening the wrong muscles, which can make the condition worse. This happened in my case where the generic stretches I was given to do not only did not help me, but my sciatica moved from being only in one leg to being in both from my hips to my toes and I was in a lot of pain.

If you get a stiff neck and back pain, especially when you travel in often uncomfortable seats, this sleeper can assist with keeping you spine in its proper alignment which is good for your body.

It is lightweight and can be used in full or folded up in half which then gives more lumbar support for you .

Muscle balance therapy was designed to first identify and then address muscle imbalances. The Muscle Balance Therapy approach uses the results of the assessments to design an individually targeted program of corrective exercises to help take the stress off muscles, joints, and ligaments in order to achieve a more balanced body and eliminate the cause of the pain.

This type of therapy is effectively a very "unbalanced workout" to get the body back into proper balance. Once muscles are more balanced and pain eases, normal activities should be resumed. It is useful however to review the body every 6 months for any emerging muscle imbalances.

You must be engaged in the process and willing to devote some time and effort as you will need to commit to undertaking the exercises on a regular basis. In this sense it is a very active treatment, unlike some of the more passive treatments for back pain which require the back pain sufferer to do very little.

Back pain can be somewhat masked with pain killing drugs and some other treatments temporarily but the underlying cause must be addressed.

There are recognized Red flags of back pain that you need to be aware of so that you can seek medical attention immediately when you need it.

These include and are not limited to:_

Loss of bowel or bladder function

Paralysis or persistent numbness of any part of the body and/or pain in the arms and chest.

Back pain that is constant and getting progressively worse

Back pain and you have, (or have had cancer in the past).

Back pain after an accident /injury e.g. been in a road traffic accident needs investigation.

Also if back pain is accompanied by any of the following it needs urgent medical attention:-

Fever

Feeling very unwell

Urinary tract infection

Progressive motor weakness

Unexplained weight loss and back pain

Back pain becomes apparent after a transplant operation

Even minor back pain, should be taken very seriously. The body is indicating something is wrong.

If there is a failure to address the back pain situation when it is minor it may result in a higher level of pain and you having to work much harder and longer to get back to a pain-free state.

I am a recovering back pain sufferer and not a medical expert.This lens contains personal opinions that are not intended as medical advice. The contents are not intended to diagnose, treat or give a medical opinion.

The information here is no substitute for medical diagnosis and guidance. Consult a physician in all matters relating to health, particularly concerning any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Never disregard medical advice, or delay or change treatment because of something you have read here. For assistance with back pain, or any other medical condition, always consult a qualified healthcare professional. You health is your responsibility.

Love to hear from you if you found this interesting, useful or you wish to share.

I do appreciate you taking the time to comment. If you like this page please share with your friends and social sites. Thank you

I would also like to thank Steve Hefferon and Jesse Cannone from The healthy back Institute for helping me to understand muscle imbalances in general and my own specific back and sciatic issues in particular. For Steve also a Thankyou for mentoring me through my back pain into recovery. Along with my husband(for putting up with me!) you deserve a medal for all the questions you so patiently answered.

Gentle Hugs

jasmine ann