Beyond Weak Ashburn and Herndon Back Muscles: How Exercise Reverses Unseen Spine Muscle Damage

If you are suffering with chronic back pain from spinal disc problems, many people do not realize their pain involves more than just disc problems. Studies describe how erector spinae muscles—the key stabilizers running along your back—can experience fatty infiltration, a degenerative process where adipose tissue displaces healthy muscle fibers. This process diminishes your spine's natural support system and contributes to ongoing Ashburn and Herndon 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 actually change at a cellular level. Research explains 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 reduce spinal support, potentially degrading disc health over time.

Disc degeneration and muscle fat infiltration influence each other in a two-way relationship. As noted by Jiang et al. (2), there happens to be a critical interaction between lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration and fat infiltration of paraspinal muscles, where these conditions impact 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 discovered 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 core stabilizers work as a team while targeting the weakened back muscles. Unlike general exercise programs, these targeted interventions target the core problem—replacing fat with healthy muscle.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RECOVERY

Working with your Ashburn and Herndon chiropractor at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn to develop an exercise program that includes both motor control training and specific strengthening exercises can help reverse the muscle changes associated with your disc problems. As Rosenstein et al. (2025) explained, 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, it takes time, but the right exercises genuinely rebuild your back muscles and keep pain away.

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. John Murray on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares the effectiveness of the gentle protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management alongside exercise.

Schedule your Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic appointment soon.