San Jose Back Muscles Affected By Back Pain

The spine is maintained by several muscles. Back pain and degenerative spine disorders impact those muscles. Chiropractors like yours at Chiropractic Solutions deal with both the degenerative spinal pain condition and the associated degenerated spine muscles. San Jose chiropractic back pain treatment plans incorporate pain-relieving methods for both the spine and its musculature.

BACK PAIN AND MUSCLES’ RESPONSES

Back pain affects back muscles. Different San Jose back pain issues impact different San Jose back muscles, too. Paraspinal muscles present varied 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 documented. Increased fat infiltration of the multifidus muscle is also present 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 documented these degenerative muscle patterns. The multifidus muscle is seen as the stabilizer of the lumbar spine segments while the erector spinae muscles tend to be referred to 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 sufferers 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 San Jose chiropractor at Chiropractic Solutions takes great care in addressing these variations.

BACK PAIN AND BACK MUSCLES: STABILITY

Chiropractic Solutions also notes back pain and muscle response on spinal stability. Researchers explained 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 increase in upward scapular rotation in all shoulder abduction positions on both sides. The left side was more significant than the right. Further, they found increased latissimus dorsi muscle activities and reduced gluteus maximus activities in chronic low back pain. (4) Spinal manipulation is described as stimulating transient physiological responses of which paraspinal muscle activity and muscle spindle responses are included. (5) Your San Jose chiropractor will keep these in mind when treating your spine as well as in designing exercises to address weaknesses. 

CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions

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 better her muscle function and strength.