"Threw my back out"

[Jen[Minarets & Sunsets]]

OK, I feel a little silly asking this, after all this time in the business!

When somebody says "I threw my back out" or "My back went out," what exactly are they talking about? Does it tend to be one specific thing, or several different things all lumped under this description?

I see plenty of people with varying situations of chronic back pain, sometimes traced to a distant remembered injury, usually not that specific. But for some reason I just really don't see many people right around the time of an injury, and really no "my back went out" people anyway. So what the heck is it? What are they describing to you?

 

[rukkit]

I find it usually is either a subluxation of a vertebrae (or several) or a major trigger point or contracted tissue in the lower back or glutes radiating up, or a combination of the subluxatioin and the TP's. I find it is usually people lifting something, or making a bed...

 

[Burning like Antartic ice]

That makes sense, since they're always seeing chiros about this.

 

[j b]

It seems to mean, "sudden pain" hit them, generally in the lower back. I think people use it to describe their situation, but it's never been defined, so it doesn't tell us much. I always ask, "How did you do that?" When my dad's back "goes out", he bent over for something, and when he tried to stand up straight again, he couldn't get all the way up, and had sudden pain in the lower back. His deep abdominals, specifically QL's, psoas and illiacus contracted appropriately to bend over, but then held the contraction when he tried to stand.

 

[My Puppet Hands]

It seems to mean, "sudden pain" hit them, generally in the lower back. I think people use it to describe their situation, but it's never been defined, so it doesn't tell us much. I always ask, "How did you do that?" When my dad's back "goes out", he bent over for something, and when he tried to stand up straight again, he couldn't get all the way up, and had sudden pain in the lower back. His deep abdominals, specifically QL's, psoas and illiacus contracted appropriately to bend over, but then held the contraction when he tried to stand.

i completely agree. unfortunately i am one who suffers from this same thing. i'll tell ya, it's no fun at all. (i guess no one really would think that it was fun but hey, ya never know!) i know for me and many others it's like sharon explains. especially the QL. you can pretty much guarantee that if someone tells you they "threw their back out" you can go directly to the QL and help them tremendously by treating it.

it's definitely a sudden pain thing. you go to do something - simply bending &/or twisting down, try to get back up and and you suddenly can not move. it's terrible. this is the reason i quit doing housecalls. too many times "throwing out my back" heaving my table into the jeep.

 

[divineintervener]

Yes, the QL is such a nasty muscle... that is where it usually gets me!

 

[Jakob Karytt]

"Threw my back out"

When somebody says "I threw my back out" or "My back went out," what exactly are they talking about? Does it tend to be one specific thing, or several different things all lumped under this description?

I always wonder too. I think it means that their back hurts for some reason.

I also wonder why people always go to a chiro after shoveling snow and they are in a little pain. It is likely just a strain or pull or overuse and over tired. Why pay for xrays and all that extra crap the chiros charge when they just need a good massage?