How to Tell a Pulled Muscle From a Back Injury

You may have trouble telling a pulled muscle from a more serious back injury---especially since both involve a significant amount of pain. A pulled muscle will typically cause muscle spasms, stiffness and tightness. A back injury, on the other hand, will result in swelling, bruising, and loss of functional ability, and may involve the spinal bones, the intervertebral discs or the soft tissues of the back.

Things You'll Need

• Rest
• Ice pack
• Heating pad or warm bath
• Anti-inflammatory pain medication

Show More

Instructions

Differentiating

• 1

  Check the area for swelling, bruising, or redness. If present, these symptoms may indicate a back injury as opposed to a pulled muscle.

• 2

  Get some rest. If the pain persists even when resting, you may have a back injury.

• 3

  Try over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication; it may help reduce the pain.

• 4

  Apply ice packs twenty minutes at a time, four times a day for the first forty-eight hours to reduce swelling. If your pain subsides, you may have a minor pulled muscle. If it doesn't, you may have a more severe muscle pull or back injury.

• 5

  After a couple of days, start to move around and apply moist heat to the area. A pulled muscle will likely show some improvement by this time.

• 6

  If you see no improvement after forty-eight hours, consult a doctor.