Lumbosacral Strain
A Lumbosacral Strain is an injury to the muscles of the lower back. It is usually caused by a forceful or rapid twisting or bending movement.
Symptoms of a Lumbosacral Strain
- Pain in the lower back area.
- Pain is often located to one side of the back, but may be on both sides.
- Pain gets worse on movement and improves with rest.
- Reduced range of motion to the opposite side.
- Muscle spasm.
- Tenderness to touch the muscle.
- They may have been a popping sound or feeling at the time of injury.
Causes
Lumbosacral strains are muscle injuries which occur in the lumbar and sacral areas of the spine (lower back / upper buttocks). They are usually caused by a sudden forceful movement and most often the injury is at the musculotendinous unit (where the muscle and tendon meet), close to the bone. This makes it tricky to distinguish between a muscular and ligament injury.
Treatment of Lumbosacral Sprains
- Rest from movements or activities which aggravate the injury.
- Apply ice and cold therapy products to ease pain and inflammation.
- A Doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory medications.
- After the acute period (3-4 days) sports massage may be helpful to relax muscle spasms and improve the blood flow to the injury.
- Once comfortable to do so, gentle stretching will help to regain full movement.
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