Back “Locks Up”? Here Is Why

Have you ever experienced that feeling when you bend down and, on the way up, your back suddenly catches or gets “locked” — making it feel almost torturous to stand back up?

It sounds like you’ve experienced an acute episode of back pain, which is usually accompanied by increased tension, pain, and a fear of movement. Let’s talk more about what happens during an acute episode of back pain.

Acute pain can result from an actual injury — such as a strained muscle or disc irritation — or it can result from a highly alert nervous system reacting to a perceived threat.

When it’s an actual injury, there is typically some damage to tissue that leads to an inflammatory response. This inflammation causes pain in the area and changes how the surrounding muscles and joints function. This is a normal response that helps the body repair the damaged tissue. The duration can vary depending on the extent of the inflammation, but improvement is usually expected within the first 6–8 weeks.

The other common cause is an alerted nervous system. This type of pain is less familiar to most people but very common. It’s the nervous system’s response to a potential injury — even when there isn’t one. If you’ve previously felt pain while bending or moving in a certain way, your body might associate that motion with danger. As a result, your nervous system stays on “high alert” and reacts as if there’s a threat, even when there isn’t. This false protective response can make your back “lock” or “catch” when standing up from bending or when reaching down without proper spinal movement.

The approach to managing these two types of acute pain is different, and a proper evaluation is needed to determine whether there’s an actual injury or an overly sensitive nervous system that needs to be reset. Whatever the case, complete rest is never the answer when it comes to back pain.

If you’re experiencing acute low back pain — don’t wait. Contact us today to get the right help