Beyond Weak Montreal 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, particularly the erector spinae along your back, can weaken as healthy tissue gets replaced by fat—a process called 'fatty infiltration. This process diminishes your spine's natural support system and contributes to ongoing Montreal 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 landmark 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.
The relationship between disc degeneration and muscle fat infiltration is complex and bidirectional. As pointed out 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 influence each other in ways that can continue back pain and dysfunction.
EXERCISE: YOUR PATH TO MUSCLE RECOVERY
So what's the upside? Targeted exercise can reverse this process. A recent randomized controlled trial discovered that combined motor control training and isolated extensor strengthening produced superior outcomes compared to general exercise tactics for bettering "lumbar paraspinal muscle health" in chronic low back pain patients (3).
This approach emphasizes retraining how your deep stabilizing muscles function together while specifically strengthening the erector spinae muscles that have been compromised. Unlike general exercise programs, these targeted interventions tackle the underlying muscle deterioration by restoring healthy tissue and reducing fat infiltration.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RECOVERY
Working with your Montreal chiropractor at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic 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) demonstrated, this comprehensive approach addresses both the mechanical and neuromuscular parts of your condition, opening the door to real recovery rather than quick fixes.
Remember, it takes time, but the right exercises genuinely rebuild your back muscles and keep pain away.
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
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.
