A back strain can happen in an instant. You bend to pick something up, twist the wrong way, or finish a hard workout, or even during everyday activities, and suddenly, your lower back locks up with sharp, seizing pain. For many people in Pittsburgh, that moment is the beginning of a frustrating cycle: days of stiffness, trouble moving, recurring spasms, and the lingering fear that something more serious might be going on.

Back strains, also known as muscle strains, are incredibly common, but that doesn’t make them any less disruptive. The good news is that most strains heal well with the right care. The challenge is that healing time varies wildly based on the severity of the strain, daily habits, posture, muscle tension patterns, and how quickly you seek treatment.

At Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center, we see back strain patients every day, including people who haven’t been able to find relief through other doctors or traditional approaches. The key to healing is understanding what’s actually happening inside the muscle and how to break the cycle of spasm, irritation, and inflammation that keeps the back from recovering.

Let’s walk through what causes a strain, how long these injuries typically take to heal, and the most effective, evidence-backed ways to get back to normal movement without lingering pain.

What Is a Pulled Back Muscle (Back Strain)?

A back strain, often called a “pulled muscle” happens when the muscles or tendons in the back are overstretched or partially torn, affecting either a muscle or a tendon. This can occur during heavy lifting, sudden twisting, repetitive stress, or even a simple movement done at the wrong angle. Strains happen suddenly, often as a result of accidental overstretching or abrupt movements.

When a back strain happens, the muscle fibers tighten immediately as a protective response. That’s why many people feel their lower back “lock up.” This spasm limits movement, increases inflammation, and can create deep, sharp discomfort with nearly every step or bend.

Back strains fall into three general categories:

Mild Strain: A small number of muscle fibers are overstretched. Stiffness and soreness are present, but movement is still possible.

Moderate Strain: A larger portion of fibers is affected. Pain may be sharp, bending becomes difficult, and spasms are frequent.

Severe Strain: A significant tear in the muscle or tendon. Swelling, bruising, and restricted movement are common. More severe strains typically require a longer healing time and more intensive care.

The severity level plays a major role in how long healing takes — but it isn’t the only factor.

How Back Strains Fit into the Bigger Picture of Back Injuries

Not all back pain is created equal. A strain is one type of soft-tissue injury, but many patients have underlying issues that complicate healing and contribute to low back pain.

Common categories include:

• Lumbar strains: Muscles or tendons overstretched or torn.
• Back sprains: A back sprain is an injury involving the stretching or tearing of ligaments in the back, often caused by sudden trauma or twisting.
• Strains and sprains: These common soft-tissue back injuries involve either muscle/tendon tears (strains) or ligament overstretching/tearing (sprains).
• Chronic tension patterns: Long-standing tightness that alters posture and movement.
• Disc compression/irritation: Not a strain, but symptoms can overlap.
• Nerve irritation: Often feels like a deep ache or burning sensation.

At Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center, we focus heavily on the muscle component of back pain because muscles are involved in nearly every movement the spine makes. Their relationship with joints and nerves determines whether the body moves smoothly or stiffens into protective patterns that cause pain to linger long after the original injury. It is important to distinguish whether you have a strain or sprain, as proper treatment and recovery strategies depend on the specific type of injury.

Understanding the exact type of injury is the first step toward creating a treatment plan that actually works.

Common Causes and Symptoms of a Back Strain

Common Causes

Most back strains come from:

• Heavy lifting
• Sudden twisting or bending
• Repetitive motions (yard work, sports, lifting kids, etc.)
• Poor posture over long periods
• Weak core or glute muscles
• Overtraining or exercising without warming up

These causes are common risk factors that increase the likelihood of back strain. Individuals with these risk factors are at greater risk for developing back injuries.

Sometimes the movement itself wasn’t even intense; the muscle was simply overworked, tight, or fatigued beforehand.

Symptoms of a Back Strain

A typical back strain may include:

• Sharp or pulling pain in the lower back
• Muscle spasms, often caused by strained muscles
• Difficulty bending, twisting, or standing up straight
• Stiffness after sitting
• Bruising (moderate to severe strains)
• Tenderness when pressing on the muscle
• Pain and discomfort resulting from strained muscles in the lumbar region

If numbness, tingling, or shooting pain into the legs is present, that may indicate nerve involvement. That doesn’t necessarily mean the injury is severe but it does mean a proper evaluation is important.

How Back Strains Are Diagnosed

Diagnosis normally involves:

• A physical examination, where a healthcare professional will assess posture, movement, reflexes, and areas of tenderness to help determine the cause of pain
• Review of health and activity history
• Palpation to identify trigger points, muscle tension, and movement restrictions
• Range-of-motion testing

The goal of diagnosis is to provide relief by identifying the underlying cause of pain and guiding appropriate treatment.

Imaging like X-rays or MRI is recommended only if symptoms suggest something beyond a soft-tissue injury, such as damage to the spinal discs or other deeper structures.

How Long Does a Back Strain Take to Heal?

Healing time depends on the severity of the strain and how quickly it’s treated. The healing process typically involves several stages, including initial rest, gradual return to activity, and ongoing care to support tissue repair. Here’s a general breakdown:

Most mild to moderate back muscle strains improve significantly within two weeks, and many people recover fully with proper rest and care. In fact, most mild strains resolve within a few weeks, allowing patients to return to normal activities. The goal of treatment is to achieve full recovery and prevent future injury.

If symptoms continue beyond the expected timeframe, additional treatment may be necessary to ensure complete healing.

Mild Strain: 3 Days to 2 Weeks

Most mild strains heal within two weeks and often resolve in a few weeks with movement, rest, and conservative care. These are the strains that feel like sudden tightness rather than intense ripping pain.

Moderate Strain: 2 to 6 Weeks

Moderate strains are the ones people tend to “push through” longer than they should. These injuries typically cause moderate pain, which is a common symptom during the healing process and can last several days to weeks depending on severity. Without proper care, inflammation builds and muscle patterns tighten, slowing recovery.

Severe Strain: 6 Weeks to Several Months

Severe strains take the longest because more tissue is damaged. These injuries often cause severe pain, which can indicate a more serious problem and requires careful management. Scar tissue develops, and the muscle may remain tight or weak without structured treatment.

What Can Make Healing Take Longer

There are many reasons healing stalls:

• Returning to strenuous activity too soon
• Sedentary behavior or extended bed rest
• Poor posture at work
• Weak core and hip muscles
• Loss of muscle strength and flexibility due to inactivity
• Chronic stress
• Not addressing muscle spasm directly
• Underlying disc irritation or joint stiffness

Muscle spasm can sometimes be managed with muscle relaxants, but these should only be used under medical supervision to avoid dependency. Over the counter medications, such as NSAIDs like ibuprofen, can help reduce pain and inflammation during recovery.

This is where specialized muscle-focused care can dramatically shorten the recovery window.

Treatment Options: What Actually Works for a Back Strain

For most people, self-care helps but only to a point. The primary goal of treatment is pain relief, allowing you to return to normal activities as soon as possible. Early intervention is important to reduce pain and prevent the injury from becoming chronic. Both self-care and professional treatment can relieve pain and support healing.

A strain may start as a simple injury, but once the muscle locks into a protective spasm, it often requires targeted treatment to release that cycle and restore normal movement.

Self-care options include rest, gentle stretching, and the use of ice packs or heat packs to manage discomfort and swelling. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can also help control inflammation and provide pain relief.

For persistent or severe cases, physical therapy plays a key role in strengthening muscles, aiding recovery, and preventing future injury.

Step One: Immediate Self-Care

The first few days should focus on:

• Short periods of rest (avoid prolonged inactivity)
• Ice packs during the first 48 hours
• Heat packs after the acute phase
• Gentle walking and light mobility
• Anti inflammatory medications if appropriate

However, if symptoms aren’t improving after a few days, hands-on care becomes important.

How Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center Helps Back Strains Heal Faster

Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center specializes in treating pain that hasn’t responded to traditional approaches. As a healthcare provider, the clinic plays a crucial role in assessing your condition and developing a personalized treatment plan for back strains. Their methods focus on the muscle system, which is responsible for the majority of back strain symptoms. Healthcare professionals at the clinic offer expert guidance to ensure safe and effective recovery. If your symptoms persist or worsen, it is important to seek medical help for proper diagnosis and management.

NimmoCareSM Trigger Point Technique

This is Cohen Chiropractic’s signature approach. Also known as Receptor-Tonus Technique, this method applies precise pressure to trigger points — small, tight knots in the muscle that keep it stuck in spasm.

By interrupting the nerve signals maintaining the spasm, NimmoCareSM allows the muscle to relax and restore normal biomechanics. This often gives patients relief quickly, especially when other treatments haven’t worked.

Cold Laser Therapy (NimmoCareSM Laser)

This therapy stimulates healing on a cellular level. The cold laser:

• Reduces inflammation
• Promotes tissue repair
• Increases blood flow to the injured area, supporting healing and pain reduction
• Helps muscle fibers heal from the inside out

When combined with trigger point work, it’s especially effective for strains involving deep muscle layers.

Traction / Flexion Distraction

Using a specialized table, traction stretches the lower back, reducing pressure on discs and relieving tension in the surrounding muscles. By focusing on the injured area, this technique helps promote recovery by improving blood flow and reducing muscle tension. This is particularly effective when a strain is accompanied by disc irritation or stiffness.

Chiropractic Manipulation

Small, controlled adjustments restore joint mobility, which reduces the mechanical stress placed on surrounding muscles.

Rehabilitation & Strengthening

Once pain begins to decrease, the doctors may recommend:

• Core strengthening
• Hip and glute activation
• Postural correction
• Functional mobility exercises
• Strengthening exercises

These routines should specifically target both the abdominal muscles and back muscles to promote spinal health. By focusing on these areas, patients can improve overall muscle strength, which helps prevent re-injury and supports recovery. It is important to exercise regularly to maintain these benefits and reduce the risk of future back strains and sprains.

Nutrition Counseling

Inflammation impacts recovery. Dr. Joshua Cohen’s nutritional guidance helps patients reduce systemic inflammation, improve energy, and support overall healing. Maintaining a healthy weight is also emphasized, as it reduces stress on the spine and promotes better spinal health and recovery.

Types of Back Injuries That Mimic Strains

Sometimes the pain feels like a strain but may actually be:

• A ligament sprain
• Facet joint irritation
• Disc bulge of the spinal discs
• Nerve compression
• Spinal stenosis
• Chronic muscular tension pattern

This is why a precise diagnosis is so important, especially if symptoms persist.

Preventing Future Back Strains

Lifestyle Strategies

• Strengthen the core, hips, and lower back
• Support the upper body by maintaining proper posture and building upper body strength
• Stretch regularly
• Improve posture during sitting, standing, and lifting
• Maintain flexibility in the hamstrings and hip flexors

Daily Habits

• Avoid sudden twisting
• Bend with the legs, not the back
• Take breaks from prolonged sitting
• Warm up before activity

Supportive Tools

Cohen Chiropractic also offers Foot Levelers custom orthotics, which help balance the body from the ground up and reduce stress on the lower back.

The Role of Stress in Back Strain Recovery

Stress is one of the biggest and most overlooked obstacles to healing. High stress increases muscle tension and slows tissue repair. Patients who address stress often recover faster.

Helpful strategies include:

• Deep breathing
• Gentle stretching
• Light walking
• Better sleep routines
• Mindfulness or relaxation exercises

Using these stress management techniques can help relieve pain by reducing muscle tension and improving sleep, which supports recovery.

At Cohen Chiropractic, we frequently see patients with “stress-driven” muscle patterns that keep the back locked long after the initial injury. Breaking these cycles is key to long-term relief.

Complications if a Back Strain Isn’t Treated Properly

Ignoring a back strain may lead to:

• Chronic pain
• Recurring strains
• Compensatory movement issues
• Hip or neck pain
• Nerve irritation
• Reduced mobility
• Tissue degeneration and long-term imbalance

If left untreated, back strains can also impact the spinal column, potentially causing problems within the spinal canal and affecting the spinal cord, which may result in nerve signal disruption and further complications.

Early treatment reduces the risk of chronic problems and shortens recovery time considerably.

When to Call Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center

You should seek professional evaluation if:

• Pain lasts longer than a few days
• The strain keeps coming back
• You struggle to stand up straight
• You feel sharp, limiting pain with movement
• You’re unsure whether it’s a strain or something deeper
• Symptoms seem to be getting worse
• You need medical help because your symptoms are severe or do not improve

If symptoms continue despite initial treatment, further evaluation may be necessary.

Cohen Chiropractic specializes in helping patients who haven’t found relief elsewhere, and most people see meaningful improvement much sooner than they expect.

Final Thoughts

Back strains, including a pulled back muscle, can disrupt your life, limit your mobility, and create a frustrating cycle of pain. But with the right treatment, recovery doesn’t have to take long. Most people heal well when the real cause — muscle spasm, irritation, and inflammation — is addressed directly.

Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center has helped countless patients in Pittsburgh get back to normal movement using NimmoCareSM muscle therapy, cold laser treatment, traction, chiropractic manipulation, and personalized rehabilitation plans.

If your back strain isn’t healing the way it should, help is available. The sooner you address the injury, the faster and more complete your recovery will be, helping you recover fully.

Whenever you’re ready, Cohen Chiropractic Trigger Point Center is here to help you move better, feel better, and get back to your life without pain.