The Day My Back Tried to Destroy Me (And the 5 Things That Fixed It)

There I was.

Friday morning.

Coffee. Good mood. Ready to attack the day.

Then I picked up Parker.

And my lower back basically said:

“Yeah… we’re not doing that today.”

Instant lock.

Leaned sideways like a crooked tree in a hurricane.Right side of my lower back lit up like a Christmas tree.

If you've ever had a lower back muscle spasm, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Your brain starts doing math immediately:

• Can I still coach today?

• Can I ride my bike?

• Am I turning into a 90-year-old man?

  
  

But here's the truth most people don't realize:

Muscle spasms look scary — but they're usually fixable fast if you treat them correctly.

So here’s exactly what I did to calm it down.

First — Understand What Happened

Most lower back spasms come from one of the stabilizer muscles getting overloaded.

The usual suspects:

• Quadratus Lumborum (QL)

• Multifidus

• Deep lumbar stabilizers

  
  

These muscles are like the guy holding the scaffolding together.

When they get shocked suddenly (like lifting a kid, twisting, or reaching), they tighten up to protect the spine.

Your body basically says:

“We're locking everything down until we know it's safe.”

That protective tightening is the spasm.

Step 1 — Heat, Not Ice

Muscle spasms respond best to heat first.

Ice is better for swelling injuries, but spasms need relaxation.

I used:

• Hot shower

• Heating pad for 10 minutes

  
  

Within minutes you can literally feel the muscle start to soften.

Step 2 — The McKenzie Press-Up

This is one of the most famous exercises in physical therapy.

Lie on your stomach.

Hands under shoulders.

Press your chest upward while keeping your hips on the ground.

Hold 3–5 seconds.

Repeat 10 times.

This movement gently decompresses the lower spine and signals the nervous system that movement is safe again.

Step 3 — Stretch the QL

The muscle that often causes the “lean to one side” posture is the Quadratus Lumborum.

Here's the stretch:

Raise your right arm overhead.Lean slightly to the left.

Hold for 20–30 seconds.

Repeat three times.

You should feel the exact muscle that’s screaming at you.

Step 4 — Walk, Don’t Sit

This is the mistake most people make.

They sit on the couch and wait for it to go away.

But sitting actually compresses the spine more.

Walking resets the nervous system and improves circulation.

Even 5–10 minute walks help a lot.

Step 5 — The Tennis Ball Trick

This is my favorite one.

Lie on the floor and place a tennis ball under the tight muscle in your lower back.

Relax onto it.

Hold for about 60–90 seconds.

It acts like a mini massage therapist and can release the trigger point causing the spasm.

What NOT To Do

If your back locks up, avoid these for a day or two:

• heavy lifting

• sudden twisting

• aggressive workouts

• trying to “push through it”

• 
  

Your body is asking for calm movement, not heroics.

The Athlete’s Secret

The best athletes know something important:

Motion is lotion.

Gentle movement is often the fastest way back to normal.

Light cycling, walking, and mobility work tell the nervous system:

“We're okay. You can stop guarding now.”

Final Thought

Muscle spasms feel dramatic.

But most of them are simply your body trying to protect itself for a moment.

Respect the signal. Move smart. Recover well.

And if you're lucky like me, you get a good story out

of it.

Because every coach eventually learns the same lesson:

Sometimes the toughest opponent you face all week…

is your own lower back.

— Coach Pauly P