Beyond Weak Williamson Back Muscles: How Exercise Reverses Unseen Spine Muscle Damage
If you're dealing with chronic back pain from spinal disc issues, many people do not realize their pain involves more than just disc problems. Recent research informs that the muscles supporting your spine—particularly the erector spinae muscles that run along your back—can develop what's called "fatty infiltration," where healthy muscle tissue is gradually replaced by fat. This process weakens your spine's natural support system and adds to ongoing Williamson 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 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 decrease spinal support, potentially degrading disc health over time.
It's not just one causing the other: disc problems and muscle deterioration create a vicious cycle. 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 impact 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 reported that combined motor control training and isolated extensor strengthening gave superior outcomes compared to general exercise approaches for bettering "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 tackle the underlying muscle deterioration by restoring healthy tissue and reducing fat infiltration.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RECOVERY
Working with your Williamson chiropractor at Apple Country Chiropractic to create 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) demonstrated, this comprehensive approach takes on both the mechanical and neuromuscular aspects of your condition, opening the door to real recovery rather than quick fixes.
Remember, recovery isn't instant, but studies confirm that targeted exercise rebuilds stronger back muscles and provides lasting pain relief.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
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 combined with exercise.
