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Beyond Weak Nashua Back Muscles: How Exercise Reverses Hidden Spine Muscle Damage
If you're dealing with chronic back pain from spinal disc issues, you might be surprised to learn that your pain isn't just about the discs themselves. New studies show that spinal support muscles, especially the erector spinae along your back, can deteriorate as healthy tissue gets replaced by fat—a process called 'fatty infiltration. This process weakens your spine's natural support system and adds to ongoing Nashua back pain.
THE HIDDEN PROBLEM: FATTY MUSCLE INFILTRATION
When you have intervertebral disc disease, your paraspinal muscles experience more complex changes than simple weakening—they really 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 alterations, which decrease spinal support, potentially worsening disc health over time.
The relationship between disc degeneration and muscle fat infiltration is complex and bidirectional. 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 influence each other in ways that can continue back pain and dysfunction.
EXERCISE: YOUR PATH TO MUSCLE RECOVERY
So what's the upside? With the right exercise program, you can reverse these changes. A recent randomized controlled trial found that combined motor control training and isolated extensor strengthening gave superior outcomes compared to general exercise tactics for enhancing "lumbar paraspinal muscle health" in chronic low back pain patients (3).
This approach emphasizes retraining how your deep support muscles interact while you rebuild the erector spinae that have deteriorated. Unlike general exercise programs, these targeted interventions get to the root cause of muscle deterioration by improving muscle composition and reducing fatty infiltration.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RECOVERY
Working with your Nashua chiropractor at Moriarty Chiropractic to create an exercise program that incorporates both motor control training and specific strengthening exercises can help reverse the muscle changes associated with your disc problems. 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, while healing requires patience, research proves the right exercises can restore muscle health and eliminate pain for good.
CONTACT Moriarty Chiropractic
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.
