La Grande Back Muscles Affected By Back Pain

The spine is supported by several muscles. Back pain and degenerative spine disorders impact those muscles. Chiropractors like yours at Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC address both the degenerative spinal pain condition and the related degenerated spine muscles. La Grande 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 La Grande back pain conditions affect different La Grande back muscles, too. Paraspinal muscles exhibit different responses to spinal degenerative conditions. Alterations in the lumbar spine paraspinal muscles of low back pain patients have been detailed. Wasting of the multifidus muscles in patients with back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and lumbar degenerative kyphosis are specifically 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 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 closely connected to the severity of spinal kyphosis curvature. (2) Continuous chronic low back pain sufferers as contrasted with 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 La Grande chiropractor at Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC pays close attention to these differences.

BACK PAIN AND BACK MUSCLES: STABILITY

Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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 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 greater latissimus dorsi muscle activities and decreased 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 La Grande chiropractor will keep these in mind when treating your spine as well as in designing exercises to address weaknesses. 

CONTACT Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paulette Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. She discusses 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 strength and function.