There are many causes of back pain. Injury, illness, herniated disks and poor posture are just a few.

Muscle imbalances are one of the lesser side effects of improper use, posture, strain and injury, and are commonly the cause of the aches and pains associated with back pain. Unfortunately, most doctors don't diagnose muscle imbalances until it is too late.

Muscle Imbalances Defined

So what exactly is a muscle imbalance? A muscle imbalance is exactly as it sounds, an 'imbalance' or inequality that exists within the muscles. It occurs when two or more muscles in the body that oppose each other are disproportionate.

An example of a common muscle imbalance occurs in the muscles of the quadriceps and hamstrings. Most people work hard to strengthen the front part of their leg but often skimp when it comes to exercising the hamstring. A muscle imbalance in this area of the leg can result in a 'popping' sound in the knee. It can also result in back pain.

The single most common muscle imbalance leading to back pain is disproportionate abdomen to back ratio. Think of it this way… it's like a teeter totter that isn't balanced because one end is shorter than the other. It will still work but not optimally.

Not exercising the abdomen can lead to severe back pain because the abdomen supports the back.

Biology of Muscles

It will help your understanding a bit if you have an idea of how muscles work. Muscles are fibrous tissues that connect to bones in the body, supporting the function of movement. To facilitate movement muscles contract and then relax. So a muscle gets shorter and then longer in response to movement. A muscle imbalance may result in too much or too little contracting or relaxing. Or, some muscles may get too strong while others aren't strong enough and can reduce a persons' stability.

Factors Contributing to Muscle Imbalances

One of the primary causes of muscle imbalances is poor posture. If you sit for too long in a bad position or continually stand with bad posture, your muscles adapt to your posture but in a bad way resulting in imbalances.

Muscle imbalances can also result when you overuse a muscle. If you are right handed for example and use a pull lever on the job, and only pull with the right hand, the right hand/arm will be stronger than the left which presents an imbalance.

The Benefits of Exercise

The good news is that exercise can help reduce and even eliminate muscle imbalances. (If not careful however, improper training can also lead to muscle imbalances).

You can exercise weaker muscles to catch them up to stronger ones and work to correct imbalances and maintain overall stability. You can assess whether or not opposing muscles are out of balance by testing your lifting strength. Try lifting your maximum on one side and then the other.

For example, if you can lift a 10 pound weight during a bicep curl on the left side, but a 30 pound weight on the right, you have a muscle imbalance. You should enlist the assistance of a trainer when testing muscle imbalances. By working with a trainer, you can develop a fitness program that not only addresses muscle imbalances but improves overall tone and strength. Usually a combination of strength training and physical therapy or chiropractic therapy can be used to correct muscle imbalances.

Prevention

Prevention is critical when it comes to muscle imbalances and back pain. One of the best things you can to correct and prevent future injury is seek out the help of a professional trainer. A trainer can perform a physical evaluation and test the relative muscle strength you have on each side of the body. You can then work together to develop a strength training program that provides overall strength and eliminates potential problem areas.

About The Author

Steve Preston, President of Fast Fitness has been training and counseling clients for 15 years. He offers personal fitness training, metabolic testing and customized fitness and nutrition plans. His new guide *The Better Back Guide: 6 Weeks to Improving Strength and Reducing Pain Without Surgery* teaches people how to reduce, eliminate and prevent chronic back pain using a six week program. You can read more about his guide and his other fitness guides and services at: http://www.fast-fitness.net. Learn More about Back Pain at: http://www.backpainworkout.com

Although the common wisdom is that we spend a third of our lives sleeping, many of us don't get the quantity or the quality of sleep we need. Our hectic lifestyles and the 24-7-365 availability of distractions such as cable television and the Internet can cause us to cut back on the seven to nine hours of sleep that experts recommend we get each night. But even if we shoot for an adequate quantity of sleep, back pain and other problems can prevent us from getting the quality of sleep we need. When lower back pain, neck pain, snoring, or a sleep disorder prevents us from getting the sleep we need, we accumulate what experts term a "sleep debt." One or two nights of restless or inadequate sleep won't harm us, but a pattern of sleep disruptions can have serious repercussions on our health, ranging from mental fuzziness and mood swings to cessations of breathing and even death. According to the National Sleep Foundation, "Sleep deprivation has been linked to health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behavior, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job, and on the road." When back pain or neck pain causes sleep disruptions, it may be time to invest in a new mattress. Mattresses that use natural fibers, such as cotton, tend to harden over time, while box springs can begin to sag. A mattress that has outlived its usefulness forces you to sleep in positions that cause or exacerbate lower back pain and neck pain. While a new mattress set is an investment, it is one that will repay you a hundredfold in the form of mental alertness and physical energy that comes from getting restful sleep. Sleep culprits like neck pain and snoring can often be alleviated with a new pillow. Special posture pillows are available that provide back and neck support, and that can raise your head enough to reduce snoring. A sleep posture pillow may take a period of adjustment, since your body will need to get used to a new position, but the positive effects should kick in within two to three weeks. Keep in mind that severe snoring can sometimes be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where the tissues at the back of the throat block the airway. This causes the person with sleep apnea to stop breathing for a moment and then awaken. Sleep apnea can cause dozens of awakenings each hour, and can be a life-threatening condition. The bed partner of a person with sleep apnea is often the first to know something is wrong, since he or she can hear the person snoring and hear pauses in breathing, usually followed by a snort or a loud snore. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, it's important to have the condition properly diagnosed through a sleep study conducted overnight in a sleep lab. Treatment is most often the use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine that pushes air through the throat and into the lungs during sleep. Like a sleep posture pillow, a CPAP machine takes some getting used to. But it's a minor adjustment compared with the benefits of restful sleep.

One of the first things to do to stop neck pains is to relieve tension and stress. You can also try sleeping with a pillow which keeps your neck in the correct position. If you spend extended periods of time in front of a computer, make sure that the monitor is at a proper level so that your neck is not bent for extended periods. If the angle is wrong for you, adjust the monitor.Reading in bed on your side can also cause tension in the neck, causing neck pains. Stress at work can also cause neck pains. The main thing to remember about neck pains is to stop them before they start whenever possible. Proper position while sleeping, a supportive pillow, proper rest, and proper working angles are all ways to help prevent neck pains in the first place. If you have your neck bent in an unnatural position, you are almost certain to develop neck pains at some point.Tension from many sources can cause neck pains. The pain occurs when the muscles in the neck tighten, and may spasm. If you do a lot of typing and the typing position is not comfortable, causing you to strain, you […]

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