1. The Brawny Back
The human back is an array of large and important muscles that are relatively uninterrupted by bones, joints and organs. Since the human musculature is something like a system of interlocked rubber bands, one damaged or weakened back muscle can cause back pain, back spasms or the dreaded thrown out back. This means you not only have to think of all the muscles in your back in order to keep each individual muscle happy and healthy, but you also have to take other muscles in the human body into account as well.
2. Throwing Out the Back
One of the most common phrases heard in regards to the back is that someone threw out his or her back. In truth, there's no such thing as throwing out the back, in the sense that you sprain or twist a knee or ankle. What people mean when they use the term is that they experience a sudden, often debilitating pain in the back that's difficult to locate. Many think it's a herniated disc, but even this is very unlikely. What's more probable (though the mystery still remains) is that overuse, tension and muscle imbalance cause a spasm or rapid firing of nerve cells that cause the pain.
3. Take a Briny Bath
There's very little you can do for most acute back pain unless a doctor can diagnose a specific condition, though this is unlikely to be the case. To treat the pain immediately, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen is a good way to start. A simpler, cheaper and more soothing treatment, however, is a simple warm bath with Epsom salt dissolved into it. Just put a 1/2 cup of the Epsom salt into the water and agitate the bath to help the salts dissolve. Soak in the bath for about 1/2 an hour and then rinse off. You should notice the difference immediately.
4. Back Yourself Up
While anti-inflammatory medicines and Epsom salts are good ways to treat back pain, the only thing that will prevent recurrence is strengthening and stretching. Lying on the floor with your hands stretched straight up above your head is a very basic, but therapeutic back stretch. Standing up as you hold onto a pole with one hand and pull your hips away from the pull is another good back stretch. A strengthening program that uses pull down and rowing type exercises with some amount of weight will develop the large muscles like the lats (latissimus dorsi) and small but critical muscles like the rhomboids to the correct level.
5. Tangled Knots We Weave
Another facet of preventing injury, spasms and general pain in the back is getting rid of the terrible "knots" that plague most people's backs. Though not completely understood, researchers think muscle knots form when there is too much connective tissue between two different muscles. The muscles then clamp together and cause irritation and pain. Getting rid of knots is much simpler than understanding them: stretching regularly is the first line of defense, since it prevents knots. Massage is the next best way to go, especially since it has positive effects on the entire body. Lastly, applying pressure with a single finger to the center of the knot helps the knot release.
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