The erector spinae are muscles of the lower back that stabilize and extend the lower spine. To stretch these muscles, curl your body forward, as in a toe touch exercise. This type of stretch should be painless. If you are feeling pain, you may have a problem that would require consulting your doctor.
Normal Muscle Pain
It is normal to have occasional discomfort in muscles, such as soreness, stiffness or aching, and usually it is related to an activity where overexertion is involved. Soreness in your lower back after raking leaves or starting a workout program is an example and should not be surprising. This type of pain typically goes away by itself with time.
Abnormal Muscle Pain
Sharp pain is a sign of inflammation and is your body's warning that you have tissue damage. Typically, the more you move that area, the worse the pain is felt. If you are feeling sharp pains when moving the erector spinae muscles in your lower back, you may have more than a muscle problem.
Possible Causes
The most common causes of sharp lower back pain are spasms and herniated discs. Disc herniation means the pad between the spinal bones has weakened and is bulging out and pressing on a nerve. This disc pressure on a nerve causes pain that radiates away from the back, into the buttocks or leg, and may produce tingling or numbness. This problem often is worse with coughing, sneezing, or straining to move your bowels. Spasms may occur to protect a strain but are more commonly associated with disc injuries. These problems may occur together, as in inflammation and muscle spasm around a disc herniation or disc tear. Fractures or spinal infections are more serious but rare conditions, causing sharp pain. If you have fever, pain that radiates around to your stomach or down your leg, numbness in you legs, or tingling associated with the pain, you should see your physician.
Getting Help
Most simple strains go away on their own and don't last more than two to three weeks. Ice or frozen gel packs may be applied to the area to reduce pain and inflammation. However, if you are having persistent, sharp lower back pain with stretching, talk to your doctor. He may refer you to a specialist such as an orthopedist or neurologist and you may have an X-ray or MRI scan to further investigate your condition. You also may see a chiropractor for a drug-free approach to understanding the cause of your pain.
