You literally can’t believe it. You’re bent forward dropped tissue in hand and this horrible pain is tearing through your back. You’re not sure you can stand back up but the embarrassment of calling for help seems worse than the pain you’re currently feeling. The real thought racing through your mind is, “How could picking up a freaking TISSUE have gotten me into this mess?!” Stop the self-sabotage and hear me out. The act of picking up a tissue that weighs 0.001 pounds is not what’s making your back feel this way. This is your body crying out for help and it’s time to listen up. Let’s uncover what’s actually going on here and how to fix a thrown-out back.

The buildup before the injury

It’s nearly impossible that picking up something as light as a tissue would be the single, standalone cause for an injury. That being said, I see this scenario ALL. THE. TIME. Your “tissue” may be sneezing, rolling over in bed, reaching for your phone across the couch, putting on a pair of pants, or any simple movement that leaves you wondering just how in the heck you got hurt doing it.

This my friends is a case of the straw that broke the camel’s back. It’s very likely that your body was already in a state of stress, overwork, or had been compensating for a long time. Then the tissue incident happened and your body waved the white flag saying, “I’m done! You gotta do something different and help me out here!”

What’s actually happening?

While you may have visions of discs sliding out of place, vertebrae being out of alignment, or your spine just completely falling apart, it’s not likely that you’ve done any structural damage. Luckily, the spine is inherently strong and stable. It would take a lot more force than a simple bend or twist to cause the kind of damage you’re afraid of.

This is not to minimize the pain you’re feeling. I’ve been there before and I know it’s intense. What’s likely happened is that the muscles running up and down the spine have spasmed. This can make any little movement (even breathing) very painful while making you feel like your back is locking up. Spasming is your muscles’ way of screaming for help.

If you look at this picture you can see all the muscles in the spine. The most superficial ones run most of the way up and down while the deepest ones span two to three vertebrae. These are marathoner muscles, meaning their job is to work all day, every day, to keep you upright. In contrast, sprinter muscles are the core, glutes, and leg muscles designed for strong power moves like lifting, pushing, and pulling.

These spine muscles can get tight, weak, and overworked just like any other muscle in your body. Oftentimes, I find that they are a combination of all three–weak, tight, and overworked. This can be a result of not doing exercises to strengthen your back and core, poor mobility in the spine and hips, too much mobility in the spine and hips, and/or repetitive bending and lifting activities. All of these things make the muscles that run up and down the spine work much harder than what they are designed to do, and with fewer resources (aka limited strength and mobility). This all creates the perfect storm for the tissue incident to become a reality. 

Non-invasive treatments for relief

If you’re not dealing with an emergency injury and want to know how to fix a thrown-out back, there are some non-invasive steps to take. First off, get a heating pad on your back or take a hot bath or shower. Heat promotes blood flow and helps muscles relax. This will take the edge off of the pain you’re feeling.

Once you’ve got your chosen method of heat applied, BREATHE. Everything is likely tensing up and breathing is a beautiful way to help un-clench and relax your body. Try to inhale and exhale through your nose to a count of four. Do this for 5-7 minutes.

The next step is to call your favorite bodyworker. I’d recommend a massage therapist, chiropractor, or physical therapist. These professionals can continue to help your body calm down and start releasing the tension in your back. 

Once you start to feel better, find a great physical therapist to work with. Physical therapists can really offer the whole package of treatments that are most needed and effective. Remember how I mentioned that oftentimes this type of back pain is caused by movement compensations over time? To move better you must get to the root of the problem. Weak areas need to be strengthened (typically the core, back, glutes, and hamstrings) and tight areas need mobility (typically the hips, pelvis, and mid back). This will not only help you recover more quickly, but it will reduce the likelihood of something like this happening again. Trust me, I know you don’t want to end up back there again! 

When something more serious may be going on

If you’ve experienced significant trauma, feel a sudden onset of intense numbness or tingling down your leg, or have loose bowel or bladder control go to the emergency room immediately and seek treatment.

Chances are, you’re not dealing with a life-threatening injury. I hope you take comfort in knowing that under the right circumstances, anyone can get hurt picking up a tissue. Now you know how to fix a thrown-out back so you can get return to feeling like yourself in no time! Need help from a professional? Let’s chat