How Can Stiff And Tight Muscles Result In Back Pain

It’s no secret that stressing your muscles will make them tight and painful for several days. Strenuous workouts, stress and not drinking enough water have all been linked as culprits behind sore muscles. So, how can stiff and tight muscles end up causing back pain? Let’s find out!

Why Do Tight Muscles Hurt?

What makes tight muscles hurt so much, especially when you do not recall what you did to strain your muscles? Well, the answer is not so simple, as it requires a chemical and biological explanation. Whenever you stress a muscle, it will release lactic acid.

Actions like drinking water, cooling down and relaxing will flush out the acid rather quickly. However, if the acid is allowed to stay in the muscle for a decent amount of time, it will irritate the newly damaged muscle. This will eventually cause swelling and stiffness in the area.

What Will Happen When You Loosen Tight Muscles?

In order for muscles to loosen the lactic acid level, any inflammation must subside first. Once this occurs, pain and soreness will be greatly reduced. Even as soreness goes down, it’s crucial to continue hydrating to ensure the acid levels do not increase.

Rest is another important component at this stage of relief. You need to allow your muscles to recover from any ordeal and begin only gradually working your way back up to not cause more harm to the muscles. Keep in mind that bed rest is not the best way to relax muscles. This can actually cause more harm than repair.

How Can Tight Muscles Cause Back Pain?

Simply put, tight muscles are not able to expand and contract as normal, resulting in pain whenever the muscle is moved. Certain movements are meant to elongate muscles and contract them to keep your body moving normally. Tightness greatly reduces this ability. Pain is the body’s signal that something may be off.

What Causes A Stiff Back?

Many factors can cause muscle stiffness in the back, including:

• Dehydration
• Mental stress
• Sudden injury
• Strenuous workouts
• Inadequate stretches
• Improper lifting techniques

How Long Does A Stiff Back Last?

Of course, pain levels will vary based on the individual experiencing discomfort. The duration of the pain will also depend on the culprit. For example, stress-related pain, typically in the upper body, can subside quickly. Relaxation, reduction of stressors and rest will help to relieve the pain.

Workout and injury pain can take longer to subside. Persistent sharp pains after a few days of rest should be evaluated by a medical professional. Most severe issues should lessen after three days, but the pain may linger for days to weeks afterward.

How To Relieve Back Pain

Again, techniques to relieve pain will vary by person. You may be able to reduce soreness by taking these actions:

• Light exercise
• Targeted stretching
• Hot and cold compresses
• Reduced sedentary behavior
• Increased water intake
• Better sleep

Can A Chiropractor Treat Back Stiffness?

Instead of just dealing with or covering up the pain, you’ll want to get this issue corrected. The good news is a chiropractor can help fix this issue! If you have persistent back pain, have been in an accident, or injured while working or playing sports, then We Care Chiropractic of Glendale Arizona is here to help.

We know living with back pain is a constant distraction.  The aching, pain, tightness, and limited mobility prevents people from getting work done and enjoying free time. The licensed professional can then treat the problem naturally without the need for medication(s) or surgery.