Beyond Weak Largo Back Muscles: How Exercise Reverses Unseen Spine Muscle Damage
If you're dealing with chronic back pain from spinal disc problems, you might be surprised to learn that your pain isn't just about the discs themselves. New studies show that spinal support muscles, particularly the erector spinae along your back, can deteriorate as healthy tissue gets replaced by fat—a process called 'fatty infiltration. This process diminishes your spine's natural support system and contributes to ongoing Largo back pain.
THE HIDDEN PROBLEM: FATTY MUSCLE INFILTRATION
When you have intervertebral disc disease, your paraspinal muscles undergo changes that go beyond basic weakness—they actually change at a cellular level. Research demonstrates that "fatty infiltration of the erector spinae at the upper lumbar spine could be a breakthrough for low back pain" (1). This creates a vicious cycle: disc problems lead to muscle changes, which reduce spinal support, potentially worsening disc health over time.
The connection between degenerating discs and fat-infiltrated muscles works both ways, with each condition potentially triggering or worsening the other. As noted by Jiang et al. (2), there exists a critical interaction between lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration and fat infiltration of paraspinal muscles, where these conditions affect each other in ways that can perpetuate back pain and dysfunction.
EXERCISE: YOUR PATH TO MUSCLE RECOVERY
The positive takeaway? With the right exercise program, you can reverse these changes. A recent randomized controlled trial discovered that combined motor control training and isolated extensor strengthening gave superior outcomes compared to general exercise tactics for bettering "lumbar paraspinal muscle health" in chronic low back pain patients (3).
This approach focuses on retraining how your core stabilizers work as a team while targeting the weakened back muscles. Unlike general exercise programs, these targeted interventions address the root cause of muscle deterioration by improving muscle composition and reducing fatty infiltration.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RECOVERY
Working with your Largo chiropractor at Hollstrom & Associates Inc to develop an exercise program that incorporates both motor control training and specific strengthening exercises can turn around the muscle damage that came with your disc issues. As Rosenstein et al. (2025) showed, this comprehensive approach addresses both the mechanical and neuromuscular parts of your condition, offering hope for long-term improvement rather than just temporary pain relief.
Remember, it takes time, but the right exercises genuinely rebuild your back muscles and keep pain away.
CONTACT Hollstrom & Associates Inc
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. John Murray on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the effective gentle protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management combined with exercise.
