What Happens When You Throw Your Back Out?

Have you ever bent down and felt something in your back pop, twinge, or pull as you return to standing? If so, you might have thrown out your back — and there are a range of symptoms linked with this low back injury.

Injuries like this are quite common: Up to 40% of adults report having back pain each year. Fortunately, there are at-home remedies you can do to help alleviate the pain.

GoodRx Health spoke to two experts — a licensed physical therapist and a chiropractor — about what it means to throw your back out, plus how to treat it and when to get medical attention.

What does it mean to throw your back out?

Generally, when you throw your back out, you have acute (sudden) low back pain after a specific event or injury. 

"Since the term ‘throwing out your back’ isn’t a medical diagnosis, the term can take on a lot of different meanings,” said Tom Oddo, DC, CSCS, and owner of City Integrative Rehab.

The pain may result from non-specific or specific factors. 

• Research suggests 85% of low back pain cases are classified as non-specific. That means it's not connected to a particular condition. Instead, mechanical factors — including muscle sprains, lumbar strains, or muscle tension — are likely to blame, said Oddo. 

• The other 15% of low back pain is related to specific causes. Examples include conditions that affect the joints, cartilage discs (such as a slipped or herniated disc), and nerve roots in the spine.

“Non-specific back pain is generally attributed to damage to the muscles and ligaments of the back,” Oddo said. A strain or a sprain can cause non-specific lower back pain.

Low back strain occurs when muscle fibers stretch past their normal length, explained John Gallucci, Jr., DPT and CEO of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy. "This can cause pain, spasms, swelling, and decreased mobility in the area of the acute injury," Gallucci said.

A lumbar sprain, on the other hand, happens when ligaments — or bands of tough tissue that hold bones together — tear.

“It can be challenging to separate a sprain from a strain in the lower back because the muscles and ligaments are densely packed, and they cover many of the same areas,” Oddo said.

This is why it’s critical to get checked out by a healthcare professional after throwing out your back. This way, your healthcare team can prescribe medicine and exercises to help alleviate your symptoms.

How does someone throw out their back?

The most common way people throw their backs out is by lifting something — especially heavy objects — with improper form, said Gallucci.

"When lifting an object, it’s important to keep your feet shoulder-width apart, bending at the hip versus the back while grabbing the object, and lifting slowly," he said. 

You can use this technique when you bend down to pick up a grocery basket, a box, a child, or a pet, for example.

But not all lower back injuries happen from sudden movements. Some occur gradually with overuse. 

"[Lifting something] isn’t the only mechanism that can cause a muscle strain in the back,” Gallucci said. Repetitive force on the muscles can cause this injury over time.

Oddo added that fatigue can also make people vulnerable to throwing out their backs. Think about it: When you're tired, you may not have the best posture or form while sitting, standing, walking, or exercising. As a result, the muscles in your back can become relaxed and vulnerable.

“Stressful spine positions can fatigue our muscles to the point where a seemingly innocuous task can create a back pain episode,” said Oddo. For example, sitting with poor posture at your desk or while traveling for prolonged periods can fatigue these muscles, he explained.

Weak abdominal or core muscles could also be the culprit. Oddo explained that weakened core muscles allow the spinal column to shift in ways that irritate its surrounding tissues. This can trigger low back pain and possibly repeated episodes of a thrown out back.

Lessening back pain is one of many reasons to do core-strengthening exercises often.

What are the symptoms of throwing your back out?

You'll know that you've thrown your back out when you experience a few (or all) of the following symptoms, said Gallucci.

These include:

• Low back stiffness

• Limited mobility

• Muscle spasms

• Intense back pain while at rest or with specific movements

• Areas that are tender to the touch

• Trouble maintaining proper posture

Depending on the severity, you may not be able to walk right after throwing out your back. And while the symptoms can be a bit of a mixed bag, Oddo said there are key signs of a slipped disc.

"Disc pain is generally sharper and can have other characteristics like a burning or electrical sensation, especially with bending and twisting," he said. "Disc pain often radiates. Two findings that appear frequently are difficulty rolling over in bed, and pain with coughing, sneezing, or straining."

Do's and don'ts when you throw out your back

Immediate treatment is important when addressing lower back pain — most of which you can perform in the comfort of your home.

Here are some tips to help you figure out the best treatment for a thrown out back.

Do's:

• Move as much as possible. "This suggestion seems counterintuitive because sometimes it hurts to move, but more movement is associated with improved long-term outcomes," Oddo said. It can also help prevent the injury from recurring. You can try gentle stretching and strengthening exercises to ease low back pain.

• Applying ice to the area can help with acute pain and inflammation, said Gallucci. 

• Take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers.

• Sleep in supportive positions, such as placing a pillow under your pelvis.

• Rest.

Don'ts:

• Make movements — like twisting or bending over — that worsen the pain.

• Lift heavy objects.

• Do intense exercise or deep stretches.

• Adjust your body mechanics to compensate for the pain. "This can cause further injury to the area or cause injury or pain in other areas," said Gallucci.

When should you see a medical provider for a thrown out back?

"The vast majority of lower back pain, despite how terrible it feels, isn’t a medical emergency," said Oddo. "There are very few instances where it's a good idea to go to the emergency room for back pain."

This includes any nerve-related symptoms, such as leg weakness and sudden bowel or bladder problems. It’s also important to get medical attention for sudden back pain if you’ve recently had back surgery.

Both Oddo and Gallucci said it's important to get non-emergency medical help if you experience severe pain carrying out daily activities. This is especially important if the pain doesn't lessen after a few days.

If you have severe pain that’s persistent or worsening, contact your primary care provider. They can help you determine what the best course of action is for treatment or further evaluation.

For Oddo, the most common and successful treatments for acute lower back pain are: 

• Joint mobilization

• Therapeutic exercises

• Massages

• Instructions to manage or mitigate pain

Chiropractors and licensed physical therapists can help with all of these things, he said.

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Written by:

Cheyenne Buckingham, BS

Cheyenne Buckingham is a journalist and editor who specializes in nutrition, women’s health, fitness, food injustice, and the relationship between chronic disease and diet. Before joining Nike as the staff editor for activity growth content, Cheyenne was the senior editor at Eat This, Not That!. She has a special interest in food justice and policy and believes everyone should have access to healthy and nutritious foods, at a price that's affordable to them.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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