The back muscles support the entire body so that a person can hold himself upright and provide the necessary stability. A trained back musculature is important for performance and resilience, because it allows movements in a wide variety of directions. Inside, the back muscles protect the spinal cord. Back pain, among other things, is one of the most common causes of illness in Germany.
What is the back musculature?
Back pain is a classic symptom of the Western world. Sitting for long periods and little movement promote these complaints. The back muscles, especially the long back muscles, are the counterpart of the straight abdominal muscles. The long back muscles are responsible for stretching the spine, which in turn counteracts tension in the muscles. If the stretching is missing, it can easily lead to health problems in the back. In particular, the lumbar spine is very susceptible to back pain. Training is also very important for less athletic people, regardless of age, to maintain the resilience of the back muscles. Due to the often rigid sitting position at work or while driving, the back muscles are also not challenged much. Back pain and problems with the back muscles are partly due to the unhealthy lifestyle of today’s society.
Anatomy and structure
The back muscles are made up of various muscles that support the body’s range of motion and ensure smooth movements. The back muscles include the broad back muscle, rhomboid muscle, large and small round muscle and the so-called trapezius muscle. Furthermore, the back muscles consist of the long back extensor muscle, the upper back muscle and the lower back muscle. A distinction is made between the superficial, trunk muscles, and the deeper back muscles.
Function and tasks
The back muscles are heavily used. People usually sit most of the day, this can cause the muscles to slacken. However, neglecting the back muscles can lead to tension or even greater pain in the back. It also increases the risk of injury in case of accidents, lifting or carrying heavy loads. With decreasing movement and appropriate training of the back muscles, the mobility decreases. This is a vicious circle that is particularly noticeable on the back and can only be treated with targeted, regular training. In addition to pain and tension in the back, herniated discs or possible wear and tear on bones and joints are another reason to pay more attention to the back muscles. Incorrect loading, but also mental problems or stress at work are involved in problems of the back muscles. Due to the wrong load, the extensibility of the muscles in the back changes. This results in hardening, which subsequently leads to pain. Tension that starts in the neck or shoulder area, for example, often shifts from the upper spine area to the lower spine area via the back muscles.
Diseases and complaints
The muscles of the back are sometimes more prone to injury and more susceptible to tension or pain due to lack of exercise or too little strengthening through specific gymnastics. In the case of a herniated disc, light and slow movements and pain medication, combined with competent physical therapy and heat treatment, sometimes help. In particularly severe cases, however, surgery is necessary. Well-trained back muscles and a healthy lifestyle are effective measures. In acute lumbalgia, lumbago, an awkward movement triggers great pain. It is acute pain in the back. The cause may be severe muscle tension, which prevents trained muscles. If the lumbago is still noticeable after three days, a visit to the doctor is recommended. After lumbago, strengthening of the back muscles is strongly advised to prevent recurrence. Scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, often occurs at a growing age. Girls develop scoliosis more often than boys. In the case of scoliosis, the lateral bending and twisting cannot be compensated during an examination, which is possible in the case of a scoliotic malposition with legs of unequal length.Infantile scoliosis, which occurs in infancy, resolves on its own, supported by positioning therapy and accompanying physiotherapy. Older people in particular have problems with their back muscles and suffer from spinal stenosis. While sitting and bending do not cause pain in the back muscles, standing and walking are different. Often, spinal surgery is the only solution to eliminate the discomfort. Symptoms of spinal stenosis are severe pain in the legs or back, which increases especially when standing and walking. Sometimes there is also a feeling of heaviness in the legs, sometimes numbness in the buttocks that can radiate to the extremities of the legs. Another very painful condition in which the back muscles play a role is a vertebral body fracture. Vertebrae can fracture even without great force, but even with small movements. Signs of a vertebral body fracture are sudden or very severe back pain, but can also be bruises or bruises. To avoid irreparable consequences, it is necessary to treat a vertebral fracture as soon as possible.
