What causes back spasms?
What causes back spasms?
There are a number of possible causes for back spasms:
- Not using your muscles enough. If you sit too much, have poor posture, don’t exercise or rarely use your back or stomach muscles, those muscles can get weak and spasm.
- Using your muscles too much. Athletes and those who do a lot of heavy lifting may experience back spasms. Such activities can cause a muscle strain, which is a tear, and that can cause inflammation.
- Dietary issues. Back spasms can be caused by too little water, potassium and/or calcium in your diet.
- Mental/emotional health issues. Anxiety and stress can tense up your muscles.
- Trauma. You may injure your back in a fall or car accident.
Sometimes, your back spasms may mean that you have a serious condition, including:
- Epidural abscess.
- Gallstones.
- Stiff person syndrome.
- Ankylosing spondylitis.
- Kidney stones.
- Kidney infection.
- Tumor.
You’re more likely to experience pain that’s like a back spasm — but isn’t actually a back spasm — if you have any of the following disorders:
- Spinal arthritis.
- Herniated disk.
- Spinal stenosis.
- Curvature of the spine: scoliosis or lordosis.
- Spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis.