Ashburn Back Muscles Affected By Back Pain

The spine is supported by many muscles. Back pain and degenerative spine conditions affect those muscles. Chiropractors like yours at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn deal with both the degenerative spinal pain condition and the related degenerated spine muscles. Ashburn chiropractic back pain treatment plans incorporate pain-relieving methods for both the spine and its musculature.

BACK PAIN AND MUSCLES’ RESPONSES

Back pain alters back muscles. Different Ashburn back pain issues involve different Ashburn back muscles, too. Paraspinal muscles present different responses to spinal degenerative conditions. Alterations in the lumbar spine paraspinal muscles of low back pain patients have been described. Atrophy of the multifidus muscles in patients with back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and lumbar degenerative kyphosis are particularly noted. Intensified fat infiltration of the multifidus muscle is also seen in patients with lumbar radiculopathy and lumbar degenerative kyphosis. (1) In a report on 78 patients with either degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis or degenerative lumbar kyphosis, researchers described these degenerative muscle patterns. The multifidus muscle is explained as the stabilizer of the lumbar spine segments while the erector spinae muscles tend to be seen as the stabilizers of spinal sagittal balance. Multifidus muscle degeneration was more significant in the patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Erector spinae degeneration was more significant in the degenerative lumbar kyphosis patients as well as more directly linked to the severity of spinal kyphosis curvature. (2) Continuous chronic low back pain patients as compared to non-continuous and recurrent low back pain sufferers were found to have greater EMG activity in erector spinae and multifidus muscles in extension. (3) Your Ashburn chiropractor at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn pays close attention to these differences.

BACK PAIN AND BACK MUSCLES: STABILITY

Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn also notes back pain and muscle response on spinal stability. Researchers stated that chronic low back pain weakens spinal stability of its sufferers. In looking at the activation patterns of the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and upward scapular rotation muscles of chronic LBP patients, researchers documented a significant rise in upward scapular rotation in all shoulder abduction positions on both sides. The left side was more significant than the right. Further, they found greater latissimus dorsi muscle activities and reduced gluteus maximus activities in chronic low back pain. (4) Spinal manipulation is explained as eliciting transient physiological responses of which paraspinal muscle activity and muscle spindle responses are added. (5) Your Ashburn chiropractor will carefully note these responses when treating your spine as well as in setting exercises to address weaknesses. 

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paulette Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. She describes her use of spinal manipulation, namely the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management, for a 77-year-old patient to reduce pain and improve muscle function and strength.