Acute lumbar sprain

For a lay person:

An acute lumbar sprain is a sudden injury to the muscles or ligaments of the lower back, often from lifting, twisting or a sudden movement. It causes pain, spasm and stiffness that can make it hard to bend or stand straight. Most cases improve a lot within a few days to weeks.

For a trained medical person:

A strain or sprain of the paraspinal muscles, fascia or ligaments presenting as non-specific mechanical low back pain without radicular signs. Diagnosis is clinical after screening for red flags; imaging is not needed for uncomplicated cases. Management is reassurance, staying active rather than bed rest, simple analgesia such as NSAIDs where appropriate, heat and graded return to activity.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Mild Case: Qi Stagnation Obstructing Collaterals; Severe Case: Obstruction due to Blood Stasis. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: Get urgent medical help for back pain with numbness around the groin or buttocks, loss of bladder or bowel control, leg weakness, fever, or after a significant fall or accident. See a doctor if pain is not improving after a few weeks.