Hello, I'm Dr. Molly from Your Goals Physical Therapy, and if you've ever experienced sudden lower back pain after a simple cough or sneeze, you're not alone. It's a surprisingly common occurrence, and it can be both disconcerting and extremely painful. How could something as routine as coughing or sneezing lead to such intense back pain? Let's dive into what's happening in your back to cause this and how you can find relief.
Understanding the Mechanism:
To illustrate this phenomenon, let's recount a recent incident with my daughter. I was standing at the kitchen counter when she came running in from behind and jumped on the back of my leg, wrapping her arms around it. The suddenness of it caused my knee to buckle, nearly sending me backward. Fortunately, I managed to catch myself, but it was a startling moment. This scenario is similar to what happens when we sneeze or cough and end up with a significant muscle spasm in our lower back.
In your lower back, you have five lumbar bones that are supposed to stack neatly on top of each other, forming a slight curve. These bones are surrounded by ligaments and muscles. The primary stabilizers and movers of your lower back are your abdominal muscles, but your low back muscles also play a role in stabilizing each vertebra to maintain an upright position.
When we suddenly cough or sneeze, there's an abrupt increase in pressure within our abdomen. Everything expands and contracts quickly, causing the muscles in our lower back to react by attempting to stabilize the spine. If these muscles are unprepared for the sudden pressure change and one of the bones shifts slightly, your spine signals the muscles to contract intensely to prevent further movement. This results in a muscle spasm, leading to sharp, intense pain in your lower back. This level of pain can be alarming because your back isn't supposed to hurt so severely after a simple cough or sneeze. As a result, many people seek medical assistance and may be prescribed anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants to manage the pain.
Additionally, you may undergo imaging tests, which often reveal a herniated disc. However, if you didn't experience pain before the cough or sneeze, it's likely that the herniated disc existed prior to the incident. Research shows that approximately 90% of the population has some degree of herniated disc without experiencing pain.
Hope and Relief:
The key message here is one of hope. Even if your pain is severe immediately after a cough or sneeze, especially if you were pain-free before, there's an excellent chance you can return to a pain-free state, possibly even 100%.
The path to relief involves calming the aggravated tissues in your body resulting from the sudden shift and reassuring them that your spine is stable. Strengthening the muscles around your spine plays a crucial role in achieving this.
Conclusion:
If you've ever been in a position where a mere cough or sneeze left you in excruciating back pain, know that you're not alone, and there is hope for relief. Understanding the mechanics of why this occurs is the first step, followed by targeted strengthening and stability exercises.
At Your Goals Physical Therapy, we specialize in helping individuals like you recover from unexpected setbacks like this. Don't let a momentary episode of pain define your future. Contact us today, and let's work together to restore your pain-free, active lifestyle.
Thrive Thursday- Nourish your body, fuel your soul, and let Your Goals PT guide you on your journey to holistic wellness. 🌱💪 #HealthyLiving #YourGoalsPT #WellnessJourney
27 авг 2024
