The Back muscles supports the entire body so that a person can stand upright and provides the necessary stability. Well-trained back muscles are important for performance and resilience, because they allow movements in a wide variety of directions. Inside, the back muscles protect the spinal cord. Back pain is one of the most common causes of illness in Germany.
What are the back muscles?
Back pain is a classic symptom of the western world. Sitting for long periods of time and not moving much promote these complaints.The back muscles, especially the long back muscles, are the counterpart to the straight abdominal muscles. The long back muscles are responsible for stretching the spine, which in turn counteracts tension in the muscles.
If there is no stretch, it can easily lead to health problems in the back area. The lumbar spine, in particular, is very prone to back pain. Training is also very important for less sporty people, regardless of age, in order to maintain the resilience of the back muscles.
Due to the often rigid sitting position at work or when driving, the back muscles are not challenged much. Back pain and problems with the back muscles are partly due to the unhealthy lifestyle of today's society.
Anatomy & structure
The back muscles consist of various muscles that support the body's freedom of movement and ensure that movements run smoothly.
The back muscles include the broad back muscles, rhombus muscles, large and small round muscles and the so-called trapezius muscle. The back muscles also consist of the long back extensor muscles, the upper bone muscle and the lower bone muscle. A distinction is made between the superficial core muscles and the deeper back muscles.
Function & tasks
The back muscles are heavily used. People usually sit most of the day, which can slacken the muscles. However, neglecting the back muscles can lead to tension or even greater pain in the back area.
The risk of injury also increases in the event of an accident or when lifting or carrying heavy loads. As the movement decreases and the back muscles are trained accordingly, mobility decreases. A vicious circle that is particularly evident on the back and can only be treated with targeted, regular training. In addition to pain and tension in the back, slipped discs or possible wear and tear on bones and joints are another reason to pay more attention to the back muscles.
Incorrect stress, but also emotional problems or stress at work, are all involved in problems with the back muscles. The wrong strain changes the elasticity of the muscles in the back. This leads to a hardening that leads to pain. Tensions that start in the neck or shoulder area, for example, are often shifted from the upper spine area via the back muscles to the lower spine area.
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The back muscles are sometimes more prone to injury and more susceptible to tension or pain due to a lack of exercise or insufficient strength through targeted gymnastics. With a herniated disc, light and slow movements and pain relievers, combined with competent physiotherapy and heat treatment, sometimes help.
In particularly severe cases, however, an operation is necessary. Well-trained back muscles and a healthy lifestyle are effective measures. In acute low back pain, lumbago, clumsy movement causes great pain. It is acute pain in the back. The cause can be strong muscle tension, which prevents well-trained muscles. If the lumbago is still noticeable after three days, a visit to the doctor is recommended.
After a lumbago, strengthening the back muscles is strongly recommended to avoid relapses. Scoliosis, i.e. curvature of the spine, often occurs during growth. Girls are more likely to develop scoliosis than boys. In the case of scoliosis, the sideways bending and twisting cannot be compensated for during an examination, which is possible in the case of a scoliotic incorrect posture with legs of unequal length. Infant scoliosis that occurs in infancy resolves itself, supported by positioning therapy and accompanying physiotherapy.
Elderly people in particular have problems with their back muscles and suffer from spinal stenosis. While sitting and bending down do not cause pain in the back muscles, it looks different when standing and walking. Surgery on the spine is often the only solution to avoid the discomfort. Symptoms of spinal stenosis are severe pain in the legs or back, which increases particularly when standing and walking.
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pain
Sometimes there is also a feeling of heaviness in the legs, sometimes a feeling of numbness in the buttocks, which can radiate into the leg extremities. Another very painful condition in which the back muscles play a role is a vertebral fracture. Vertebrae can break even without excessive force, but also with small movements.
Signs of a vertebral fracture are sudden or very severe back pain, but also bruises or bruises. In order to avoid irreparable consequences, a vertebral fracture must be treated as quickly as possible.