Lumbo Sacral Strain: Understanding and Managing the Most Common Cause of Backache

There are some incidents in life that get etched to our memories. Lumbo Sacral Strain reminds me of one such insightful experience.  When I was in college, we encountered a patient, who was a dental postgraduate, an Iranian student. He came to the outpatient department and complained of sharp lower back pain. He was very scared thinking it was disc prolapse. 

Dr. R V Pakkannavar, my professor in Belgaum and an ace doctor with great knowledge and experience was in the OPD. My professor made him sleep on the couch. He lifted the patient’s right leg to 90 degrees and then repeated the process with the left leg. The patient was able to raise his legs with ease. 

The straight leg raise test is negative. He announced, “It’s not disc prolapse”. It’s been more than two decades now and still, I have the visuals of that day in my mind. No x-ray, no MRI, but a simple leg raise test, and the doctor rightly made the analysis.

Often, I get patients with the same complaints, piercing pain in the back, doubted to be disc prolapse, but it’s not! It is a less severe condition called Lumbo Sacral Strain.

What is Lumbo Sacral Strain?

Lumbo Sacral Strain is a stretching injury in which the ligaments, tendons, and/or muscles of the lower back suffer from tiny tears. It mostly occurs when you stretch the muscles too far due to overuse, improper use, or trauma in the back muscles. Lumbo Sacral Strain is the most common cause of low back pain. 

Also Read: Text Neck – Pain in neck from spending too much time on the phone

Symptoms

• Sharp pain in the lower back that might extend up to the buttocks. 
• Stiffness in the low back area, restricting the range of motion
• Inability to maintain normal posture 
• Muscle spasms 
• Pain that persists for a maximum of 10-14 days
• Pain is not radiated to the legs.

Treatments

• Rest but not complete bed rest. 
• Ice packs or heat and compression 
• Guided Exercises 
• Oral medication and Massage
• Protective equipment
• Maintaining good posture

5 ways to prevent Lumbo Sacral Strain

• Core strengthening exercises should be done regularly. Swimming, cycling, brisk walking, and aerobic exercises are good to add to your daily routine. Stretching especially Hamstring and lumbosacral stretches are helpful.
• Pay attention while lifting heavy objects. Squat and lift. Do not bend your back and keep the object close to the body while lifting.
• Maintain correct posture. Use support to the back while sitting.
• Avoid stress.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight around the waist puts a strain on the lower back. 

The pain of lumbar strain shall not last more than a month. In case the pain persists then consult an Ayurvedic doctor.