How to Get Relief From Back Spasms

Muscle spasms in the middle back can often be relieved by stretching. If that doesn't help, try hydrotherapy—ice, moist heat, or a warm bath or shower. Over-the-counter pain relievers like Aleve (naproxen), Advil (ibuprofen), or Tylenol (acetaminophen) can also ease the discomfort of back spasms.

If muscle spasms do not respond to at-home treatments or occur frequently, talk to your healthcare provider. Middle-back muscle spasms can be due to an underlying problem like a herniated disk in the thoracic spine.

This article explains the different causes of mid-back muscle spasms, how to treat them, and possible ways to prevent spasms.

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What Causes Mid-Back Spasms?

Back muscle spasms happen when the muscles spontaneously contract and tighten. These spasms or cramps can vary in intensity from a mild twitch to very sharp and painful. Muscle spasms can seriously impact quality of life if uncontrolled.

While many times spasms stem from the muscles themselves, they can also be a result of a more structural problem such as disc herniation. When this is the case, the muscles are trying to stabilize the affected area and prevent you from moving in such a way as to cause further damage.

Potential Causes for Mid-Back Spasms

There are many factors that can lead to muscle spasms in the middle back, including:

  • Anxiety 
  • Arthritis
  • Being sedentary
  • Dehydration
  • Electrolyte imbalance
  • Injury
  • Over-exercising 
  • Poor posture
  • Sitting at a desk for too long
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spondylosis
  • Stress

In some cases, back muscle spasms may be due to problems with an internal organ. Gallstones, kidney stones, and kidney infections can also cause back pain and muscle spasms.

How to Ease Mid-Back Muscle Spasms

Ultimately, the best thing you can do for a back muscle spasm is stretch, said Dr. Loren Fishmen, a physical medicine, and rehabilitation specialist in New York. (Fishman is also a yoga instructor.)

When back muscles spasm they are hard at work. The contraction clamps down on blood vessels causing acid build up in your muscle which can hurt—and makes for more spasms. It's a vicious cycle until you can relax the muscle, Dr. Fishmen explained.

Home Remedies for Back Muscle Spasms

Spasms can happen at any time—while exercising, simply sitting, or even sleeping. These remedies may help relieve the spasm:

  • Stretching exercises to release the tension caused by the spasm
  • Massage the affected area with your hands or a massage roller
  • Stand up and walk around
  • Apply heat or ice: put an ice pack together or apply a heating pad, or take a warm bath

Cold therapy is thought to reduce pain, blood flow, edema, inflammation, and muscle spasm while heat therapy relieves pain and increases blood flow and elasticity of tissues. There is limited research on the effectiveness of both therapies, but some studies have shown that heat therapy provides more pain relief than cold therapy.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies

Acetominophen (Tylenol) is often recommended first because it has fewer side effects than other drugs. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, may also be recommended before trying prescription medications. These medications can help reduce pain and inflammation.

NSAIDs and acetaminophen in high doses, or if taken for a long time, can cause serious side effects, including include stomach pain, ulcers or bleeding, and kidney or liver damage so should be taken with caution.

Prescriptions

Muscle relaxant medications are sometimes prescribed and have been shown to provide pain relief short-term, but the effectiveness of muscle relaxants for chronic back pain is unknown.

Examples of muscle relaxants include:

  • Carisoprodol
  • Cyclobenzaprine
  • Diazepam
  • Methocarbamol

Side effects of muscle relaxants are common and include:

  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

These medicines can be habit-forming and may interact with other medications, so talk to your healthcare provider about whether it's safe for you to take these medications.

Conventional Medical Treatment

If home remedies and medications don't take care of the muscle spasms, other treatment options may be tried to interrupt the blood vessel constriction-muscle spasm cycle, such as:

Ultrasound. According to one study, ultrasound may be useful for increasing range of motion, but research is very limited regarding the effectiveness of ultrasound for back muscle spasms specifically.

Injection. BOTOX injections have been shown to be effective in treating muscle cramping syndromes adn muscle spasticity in older people, but no research has evaluated the effectiveness specifically for back muscle spasms.

Physical therapy. To learn stretching and strengthening exercises specifically for your back muscles. Other techniques might include electrical stimulation to fatigue the muscles, thereby enabling them to relax.

Ways to Prevent Back Muscle Spasms

Although back spasms may not be entirely preventable, these habits may help:

  • Drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated
  • Maintain good posture
  • Strengthen the muscles in your abdomen and lower back
  • Avoid sitting for long periods of time
  • Exercise regularly
  • Manage stress

Summary

The most effective treatments for muscle spasms in the middle back are mostly home therapies, such as stretching, massage, heat or cold therapy, OTC medications, and when necessary, prescription medications.

If muscle spasms do not respond to these treatments or occur frequently, talk to your healthcare provider to determine if there may be an underlying condition that is causing muscle spasms.

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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Additional Reading

By Anne Asher, CPT
Anne Asher, ACE-certified personal trainer, health coach, and orthopedic exercise specialist, is a back and neck pain expert.