Richmond Back Muscles Affected By Back Pain

The spine is supported by many muscles. Back pain and degenerative spine disorders affect those muscles. Chiropractors like yours at Johnson Chiropractic deal with both the degenerative spinal pain condition and the associated degenerated spine muscles. Richmond 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 Richmond back pain conditions involve different Richmond back muscles, too. Paraspinal muscles present varied responses to spinal degenerative conditions. Changes in the lumbar spine paraspinal muscles of low back pain patients have been described. Wasting of the multifidus muscles in patients with back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and lumbar degenerative kyphosis are specifically documented. 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 documented these degenerative muscle patterns. The multifidus muscle is described as the stabilizer of the lumbar spine segments while the erector spinae muscles are usually referred to as the stabilizers of spinal sagittal balance. Multifidus muscle degeneration was more significant in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients. Erector spinae degeneration was more significant in the degenerative lumbar kyphosis patients as well as more closely connected 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 higher EMG activity in erector spinae and multifidus muscles in extension. (3) Your Richmond chiropractor at Johnson Chiropractic takes great care in addressing these differences.

BACK PAIN AND BACK MUSCLES: STABILITY

Johnson Chiropractic also notes back pain and muscle response on spinal stability. Researchers stated that chronic low back pain weakens spinal stability of its sufferers. In examining the activation patterns of the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and upward scapular rotation muscles of chronic LBP patients, researchers discovered 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 described as eliciting transient physiological responses of which paraspinal muscle activity and muscle spindle responses are included. (5) Your Richmond chiropractor will carefully note these responses when treating your spine as well as in setting exercises to address weaknesses. 

CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic

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