Muscle Spasms or disc problems?

Hello Theresa

Could be a compression fracture. Have it checked out. It happened to me (twice) and I had to revise my workout routine. Good luck.

joanna t

Hi Theresa,

Most likely you overdid your exercise routine and pulled a muscle. Muscle pulls are most often indicated by an immediate sharp pain which, depending on where it happened (where exactly on your "right side" do you feel the pain?), could also be aggravated when you take a deep breath.

The fact that it went away and came back is also indicative of a possible muscle strain - you probably did some motion (either by trying to get back into exercising too soon or perhaps you just simply rotated your upper body too fast or too far and the muscle tore again). Muscle strains can often take many weeks to heal properly and you want to be very careful with your movements until they do (not only avoid exercise but be careful picking things up off the floor or reaching for things on a high shelf).

I take it the numbers in your screen name are your date of birth, which says to me you are pretty young and presumably (since you were trying to exercise) relatively healthy. Most serious back problems don't manifest from one sharp painful incident, they are the result of a long term deterioration of your back and don't appear until you are in late middle age.

But it IS possible, if your exercise routine was particularly vigorous, that you caused a small fracture of some sort so if you are worried, go see a doctor. A simple x-ray will show whether you had a fracture.

Good luck!

I'm absolutely "Not-A-Doc" but I have decades of personal experience and research into my maladies which include a replaced hip and knee plus five spine surgeries...three of them fusions. My opinion...

• Tylenol is good for pain but the NSAID ibuprofen (Aleve, Naproxen, etc.) is better for inflammation. If you "tweaked" something, I would suggest no exercise and a max of 10 days on an NSAID. Also, have your doc call in an RX for Voltaren Gel (generic diclofenac). Best topical anti-inflammatory out there. Apply 3X/day, especially at bedtime.
• If it's not gone in 10 days, I'd start with chiropractic as something may have been moved out of alignment causing your pain. This is the least invasive, least expensive path to take. I've had chiros fix a lot of my pain events for decades (I played hockey for 45+ years which is why I have FIVE pounds of metal in me). You can also try PT, acupuncture, etc. but I have found chiropractic to be the most direct path.
• Sometimes, a chiropractic maneuver will fix a problem instantly...some times it takes a few weeks. Depending on the source of your pain, an x-ray plus a chiro visit will direct your path.
• If the x-ray is inconclusive and chiro manipulation doesn't work, you keep climbing the "ladder of care". The chiropractor may be able to identify the source but can't fix it. Depending on their recommendation, you should be referred to an orthopedist (for hip and SI joint issues) or a neurosurgeon (for spine problems). They will probably do an MRI and recommend pain shots (cortisone injections) to alleviate the pain. This may or may not solve your problem...never did for me.
• If it is spinal in nature, MRIs are frequently inconclusive. A neurosurgeon will order up a CT/Myelogram with contrast. This is the "gold standard" spinal test and gives a neuro a very clear picture of the problem. Once the cause has been isolated, you may need a same-day surgery called a decompressive laminectomy. I've had two of these to excise bone spurs impinging on spinal nerves. Quick and easy, the huge pain is gone and the rest alleviated within a week.
• We will not talk about the next step (spinal fusion) here. Suffice it to say that I twisted something in January, 2019 on a piece of exercise equipment. After all the above steps, my neurosurgeon had to perform a fusion as I had destroyed the L1/L2 disk. It's too early for you to think that way right now so just start at square one by reducing the inflammation and pain with NSAIDS for 10 days max. You don't want the drug eating up your stomach lining. This will require you to take the med ON SCHEDULE so its healing properties are built up to the correct level in your bloodstream.

Here's some extra reading...

Sciatica

Remember... If it's just a muscle strain, STOP exercising and do 10 days of NSAIDs. If you are not better after that time, start climbing "the ladder of care" because it's probably not a muscle strain. You MUST be your own health advocate here!!! Ask all the right questions and demand the right answers. Also, stay away from the nerve meds (Gabapentin (neurontin), Lyrica, etc.). Too many side effects. You do not need them...what you need is a definitive diagnosis and a treatment plan. Good luck...