What Are Muscle Spasms Of The Low Back?
Low back muscle spasms are continuous or interrupted cramps caused by undue stress or injury of muscles and ligaments of the back; their purpose is often to splint or protect a nearby painful nerve, joint, or ligament. Normally, as the body moves, muscles contract and relax in quick succession. However, when a muscle is overworked or injured it can go into a continuous contraction or spasm as a means of attempting to tell the body to put it to rest and let it recover. The blood vessels that bring it nutrients and carry off waste may constrict. Soon cells in the stricken muscle becomes oxygen-starved and the body calls to the nervous system for help by the production of painful sensations. Often there is a vicious cycle: pain–spasm–more pain–more spasm. Because spasms often occur in non-muscular (joint, ligament, disc space) injuries, people frequently mistake a mechanical low back or disc problems for a muscle injury.
