Back Spasms & Triggers & Treatments · Whelton Methods® Free Group

Back Spasms & Triggers & Treatments

I have mainly a chronic low back pain clinic (SI Jt/Sacral Torsion Shear). In any given time of year (except the holiday season) 10-20% of my patients go into a a full back spasm. When I check these patients they have acute SI Jt/sacral torsion and shear. The severe ones take 3 days to get out of bed and 1-3 weeks to calm down. I check if they have bowel and bladder dysfunction and myotome weakness and make sure there was no trauma. If none present, it is back spasm. These need to calm down you cannot exercise your way through it I find it makes my patients worse. I tell them let it calm down stop everything and slowly re-enter their exercises when you are SURE you are back to baseline.

Over the years I have found these to be the triggers of that neuro protective state:

Emotional Stress! (major one), general stress increases or even severe deaths/grief process which can be delayed.
Vacuuming, sweeping mopping
Long car rides
Plane flights

How you manage your patients psychological state when these happen dictate if they quit and stop the rehab or let it calm down and finish the rehab and get better. It is an art!

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