Beyond Weak Auburn Back Muscles: How Exercise Reverses Unseen Spine Muscle Damage
If you are suffering with chronic back pain from spinal disc issues, many people do not realize their pain involves more than just disc problems. New studies explain that spinal support muscles, particularly the erector spinae along your back, can weaken 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 Auburn back pain.
THE HIDDEN PROBLEM: FATTY MUSCLE INFILTRATION
When you have intervertebral disc disease, your paraspinal muscles don't just get weak—they really change at a cellular level. Research shows 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 changes, which decrease spinal support, potentially degrading 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 prolong back pain and dysfunction.
EXERCISE: YOUR PATH TO MUSCLE RECOVERY
The good news? With the right exercise program, you can reverse these changes. A recent randomized controlled trial discovered that combined motor control training and isolated extensor strengthening produced 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 stabilizing muscles work together while specifically strengthening the erector spinae muscles that have been compromised. Unlike general exercise programs, these targeted interventions fix the real issue—getting rid of that fat and building back healthy muscle.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RECOVERY
Working with your Auburn chiropractor at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. to create an exercise program that incorporates both motor control training and specific strengthening exercises can turn around the muscle damage that came with your disc issues. As Rosenstein et al. (2025) showed, this comprehensive approach addresses both the mechanical and neuromuscular aspects of your condition, offering hope for long-term improvement rather than just temporary pain relief.
Remember, recovery isn't instant, but studies confirm that targeted exercise rebuilds stronger back muscles and provides lasting pain relief.
CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.
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 alongside exercise.
