There are many causes of back pain.  Injury, illness, herniated 
disks and poor posture are just a few. 

Muscle imbalances are one of the lesser side effects of improper 
use, posture, strain and injury, and are commonly the cause of 
the aches and pains associated with back pain.  Unfortunately, 
most doctors don't diagnose muscle imbalances until it is too 
late.  


Muscle Imbalances Defined

So what exactly is a muscle imbalance?  A muscle imbalance is 
exactly as it sounds, an 'imbalance' or inequality that exists 
within the muscles.  It occurs when two or more muscles in the 
body that oppose each other are disproportionate.  

An example of a common muscle imbalance occurs in the muscles 
of the quadriceps and hamstrings.  Most people work hard to 
strengthen the front part of their leg but often skimp when it 
comes to exercising the hamstring.  A muscle imbalance in this 
area of the leg can result in a 'popping' sound in the knee.  
It can also result in back pain.  

The single most common muscle imbalance leading to back pain 
is disproportionate abdomen to back ratio.  Think of it this 
way... it's like a teeter totter that isn't balanced because 
one end is shorter than the other.  It will still work but not 
optimally. 

Not exercising the abdomen can lead to severe back pain because 
the abdomen supports the back.  


Biology of Muscles

It will help your understanding a bit if you have an idea of 
how muscles work.  Muscles are fibrous tissues that connect 
to bones in the body, supporting the function of movement.  
To facilitate movement muscles contract and then relax.  So 
a muscle gets shorter and then longer in response to movement.  
A muscle imbalance may result in too much or too little 
contracting or relaxing.  Or, some muscles may get too strong 
while others aren't strong enough and can reduce a persons' 
stability.


Factors Contributing to Muscle Imbalances

One of the primary causes of muscle imbalances is poor posture. 
If you sit for too long in a bad position or continually stand 
with bad posture, your muscles adapt to your posture but in a 
bad way resulting in imbalances.  

Muscle imbalances can also result when you overuse a muscle.  
If you are right handed for example and use a pull lever on the 
job, and only pull with the right hand, the right hand/arm will 
be stronger than the left which presents an imbalance.  


The Benefits of Exercise

The good news is that exercise can help reduce and even 
eliminate muscle imbalances.  (If not careful however, 
improper training can also lead to muscle imbalances).  

You can exercise weaker muscles to catch them up to stronger 
ones and work to correct imbalances and maintain overall 
stability.  You can assess whether or not opposing muscles are 
out of balance by testing your lifting strength.  Try lifting 
your maximum on one side and then the other.  

For example, if you can lift a 10 pound weight during a bicep 
curl on the left side, but a 30 pound weight on the right, you 
have a muscle imbalance.  You should enlist the assistance of 
a trainer when testing muscle imbalances.  By working with a 
trainer, you can develop a fitness program that not only 
addresses muscle imbalances but improves overall tone and 
strength.  Usually a combination of strength training and 
physical therapy or chiropractic therapy can be used to 
correct muscle imbalances.  


Prevention

Prevention is critical when it comes to muscle imbalances and 
back pain.  One of the best things you can to correct and 
prevent future injury is seek out the help of a professional 
trainer.  A trainer can perform a physical evaluation and test 
the relative muscle strength you have on each side of the body. 
You can then work together to develop a strength training 
program that provides overall strength and eliminates potential 
problem areas.