Muscle & Ligament Strain

Muscles

The back muscles provide support for the spine, allowing us to comfortably carry out our everyday activities. Back muscles can be grouped into three main categories. First, the extensor muscles allow us to stand up straight. Secondly, the flexor muscles allow us to bend forward. Finally, the oblique muscles enable us to rotate from side to side and keep everything stable and aligned.

If you think of the spine as a tall radio tower that must withstand the force of crosswinds, the muscles and ligaments of the back are the guy wires that provide support to the tower. The extensor muscles enable us to arch our back and are located in the back. Flexor muscles are also known as abdominal (stomach) muscles and are located in front of the spine. The oblique muscles are located on our sides, around the waist area, and they help stabilize our torsos and control the pelvis.
[top]

Joints

Facet joints are the main "hinges" in our backs, allowing the muscles and vertebrae to move properly. Joints can lose their lubrication, swell and become painful, but if "well-oiled" with exercise and gentle stretching, joints will remain healthy.



Maahir Haque, MD is recognized as a leader in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery. At Spine Group Orlando, Dr. Maahir Haque also provides second opinions for spine surgery and MRI reviews for those with back pain and neck pain. Dr. Haque emphasizes non-surgical options for back pain and neck pain where possible. This can include accessing a back pain specialist with expertise in pain-relieving spinal injections and spine therapists. Spine therapy can include back stretches that can be a future home remedy for back pain or neck pain. If spine surgery is necessary because of a herniated disc, spinal fracture, or spinal stenosis, Dr. Maahir Haque operates through tubular retractors that reduce the size of the incision, lessen blood loss, reduce time in the hospital, speed return to activity with a less painful recovery. This spine surgery expertise enables many patients to have outpatient spine surgery and be home the same day. Spine Group Orlando and Dr. Maahir Haque provides artificial disc replacement in the neck using the Mobi-C disc implant, the first FDA-approved disc for multiple levels in the neck. Prodisc-C is also used for artificial disc replacement in the cervical spine. Dr. Haque is also one of the few spine surgeons in Orlando, Florida to provide lumbar artificial disc replacement using the Prodisc-L artificial disc. Dr. Haque is also referred patients from across Orlando and north central Florida for artificial disc replacement surgery as an alternative to spinal fusion. Accordingly, Dr. Haque's patients travel from across north central Florida, including: Orlando; Jacksonville; Tallahassee; Lakeland; Gainesville; Tampa; Daytona Beach; and Cocoa Beach. The spine center, as a destination for medical tourism for some international patients from Mexico and the Caribbean, can provide recommendations to out-of-town patients on nearby hotels and tourist attractions. Dr. Haque is featured on the national site CentersforArtificialDisc.com as an author on the subject of artificial disc replacement for herniated discs in the neck. The Centers for Artificial Disc web site has content specific to disc replacement options and alternatives to spinal fusion. Click here to visit the Centers for Artificial Disc.