Lumbar Sprain/Lower Back Sprain

About Lumbar Sprain/Lower Back Sprain

When you suffer a lower back sprain, you just can’t get comfortable no matter what position you try. Standing, sitting, lying down, moving and standing still all cause your lumbar spine area to hurt. Before you start relying on over-the-counter painkillers to make it through your day, seek out an experience spine specialist for a more permanent solution. Dr. Amr Hosny and a team of spine experts at the Spine & Rehab Group have eight locations in New York City and northern New Jersey to offer compassionate and effective care. Call for a consultation today.

Is a Lumbar Sprain Common?

The main reason 70 percent of people complain of lower back pain is because of a lumbar sprain, a twisted ligament in your lower back. You can inadvertently injure or damage the soft tissues that surround your spinal bones — the ligaments, muscles and tendons — by moving awkwardly, exercising improperly or playing sports forcefully. The result is varying degrees of back pain.

Any back pain is potentially serious. Your pain may be due to a lower back sprain or another problem altogether, such as:

• A herniated disc
• A bulging disc
• A pinched nerve in your spine
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease

Before you can receive treatment for your lower back pain, you require an accurate diagnosis from a spine specialist like Dr. Amr Hosny. At his practice with other spine doctors, the Spine & Rehab Group, you find expert and compassionate care from top doctors in New York City and northern New Jersey. The earlier you get your spine examined, the sooner you can get lumbar sprain treatment.

How Can I Cause a Lower Back Sprain?

Your spine helps you to stand tall while supporting your weight and protecting your organs. Your lower back provides the flexibility you need to bend, turn and twist. When you move with a sudden jerk, especially if you’re not properly warmed up, you can aggravate the soft tissues around your spine. When you hurt your back in a sports injury, you may have bent or twisted your spine in a clumsy way that inflamed or created micro-tears in those tissues. Lower back sprains usually happen to people between the ages of 20 to 50. Other ways you may have caused a lumbar sprain include:

• Lifting heavy objects without properly balancing the weight, which can also cause knee injuries
• Doing repetitive movements that involve bending or twisting from the waist
• Overusing your back muscles
• Having tight hamstring muscles, which force you to use your back muscles more
• Being involved in a traumatic car accident or a fall
• Exhibiting poor posture, such as slouching or slumping while standing or sitting
• Having extra weight, especially around the belly, that puts added pressure on your lumbar spine
• Being pregnant, which also puts extra pressure on your lower back as your stand, walk and sit down
• Having a forward-tilted pelvis or excessive curvature of your lower spine
• Living a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise
• Having weak back and stomach muscles due to long periods of inactivity

What Happens When I Get a Lumbar Sprain?

Pain is the first way you know there’s something wrong with your lower back. You also may have felt a pop or a tear when the injury occurred. Getting to a spine doctor is your best course of action, as only an experienced, board-certified specialist like Dr. Hosny can accurately diagnose your condition and prescribe effective treatment.

Dr. Hosny and his team of spine experts in NYC and northern NJ rely on state-of-the-art medical technology to learn how severe your injury is. And they know how to treat a lumbar sprain. Besides the first rush of pain, other symptoms that alert you to a lower back sprain include:

• The pain spreads into your buttocks and upper thighs, causing hip pain.
• Your lower back becomes stiff and sore, which makes moving around difficult.
• You may get muscle spasms that cause severe pain whether you move or stay at rest.
• Sometimes, the stiffness can be more severe in the morning, which is also a sign of arthritis.
• The pain usually lasts for 10 to 14 days. If it lasts longer, your pain is considered chronic.
• Due to the pain and stiffness in your back, you may not be able to stand or sit properly.

What’s Involved in Lower Back Sprain Treatment?

Unlike treating upper back pain or middle back pain that can signal a life-threatening condition like a heart attack, lumbar sprain treatment isn’t a complicated affair. When Dr. Hosny explains how to treat a lower back sprain for mild to medium cases, he usually starts with conservative pain management techniques, such as:

• Over-the-counter pain medication
• Hot or cold compresses
• Therapeutic massage
• Acupuncture
• Physical therapy
• Light stretching exercises

Sometimes, your lumbar sprain causes severe pain. It may have become chronic. For this, you need other forms of lower back sprain treatment, such as:

• Lumbar epidural steroid injections
• Trigger point injections
• Facet joint injections
• Caudal epidural steroid injections
• Radiofrequency rhizotomy

You can book an appointment at any of the eight convenient locations like Cranford, East Brunswick, Paramus, Riverdale or Englewood Cliffs in New Jersey or the Financial District, Midtown Manhattan or Greenwich Village in New York City. Contact the Spine & Rehab Group nearest you for a consultation today.