The lower back, or lumbar spine, can be vulnerable to many pain-causing injuries or
disorders because the lumbar vertebrae carry the most body weight and are subject to
the most force and stress along the spine. Muscular spasms and injuries,
especially of the multifidus muscles, is a major cause of chronic lower back
pain.
Spinal surgery can actually make back pain worse if not done for proper reasons. In
order to reach the vertebral column, a surgeon has to cut through the multifidus
muscles. Post surgery, the cut muscles are weaker and stiffer since the cut ends are
joined by thick non-elastic fibrous tissue rather than muscle. This is why patients who
have undergone major back surgery suffer from a stiff back. Surgery to treat spinal
disorders can thus actually disrupt the multifidus muscle, which leads to decreased
stabilisation and lower back pain. Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques strive to
minimise surgical trauma to these muscles in order to best preserve their function.
However even these techniques do cause some damage to the muscles. Hence don’t be
taken in by any surgeon who tells you that there will be absolutely no problems with
movements after back surgery.
Other muscles that support the back
Gluteus Maximus
The Gluteus Maximus, or buttock muscle, is the strongest and largest muscle in the
body. It is attached to the back of the hip bone at the top and to the thigh bone below.
Contraction of the Gluteus Maximus pulls the hip bone backwards thus assisting the
Erector Spinae muscles to straighten the back and maintain an upright position.
Hamstrings
These are groups of muscles located at the back of the thigh. They connect with the
lower part of the hip bone above and with the thigh and leg bones below. These muscles
also assist the paraspinal muscles in straightening the back.