How To Perform A Self
Although regular sessions with a qualified massage therapist are best, there are a variety of ways you can practice self-massage for lower back pain at home. Just as with massage by a trained therapist, let your comfort be your guide.
While self-massage might be a little uncomfortable, depending on the technique, it should not hurt so much that it leaves you sore or breathless. As you massage, take slow, deep breaths for even more release and relaxation.
Try these techniques between regular massage appointments.
Massage Therapy For Lower Back Pain
“Oh, my back still hurts,” Jim groaned as he sat on the bed and bent over to pick up his shoe.
“Why don’t you try a massage?” His wife asked. “My friend Carol swears massage is the only thing that can help her back pain.”
Jim sighed as he tied his shoe. “I suppose I have tried everything else. The chiropractor says my back is fine, just the muscles are tight. My doctor gave me muscle relaxants, which I don’t like to take, and our insurance only covered four physical therapy visits. Massage can’t hurt my back any more than it already does, I guess.”
Jim is typical of most Americans trying massage for the first time. Many feel that it can’t hurt to try. But what does massage do? What kind of massage should you try? How do you find a massage therapist?
Ways To Receive Home Massage For Sciatica
- Massage chairs: Massage chairs feature extensive personalization capabilities to deliver a full body massage, but are especially good for sitting at rest while receiving a massage on the lower back and upper legs. Modern features include zero gravity recline, stretching programs, multiple heat levels and even different pressure levels and techniques to provide the desired massage therapy.
With no additional travel time or per-session fee required, a massage chair can save you money compared with frequent visits to a massage therapist. If you prefer a full-body massage experience in the comfort of your own home, then a massage chair is a great option.
- Massage guns: The most conveniently portable option for massage therapy, massage guns can target your lower back, or any area of your body, with the push of a button. These devices are the most inexpensive option and can travel anywhere to provide relief. There are a few drawbacks, as they dont apply heat, have fewer pressure levels and cant reach areas that you cant reach yourself.
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A Guide To Massage For Sciatica
If you experience lower back pain, youre not alone a study from the World Health Organization estimated that between 60-70% of people in industrialized countries will experience some form of lower back pain in their lives. If your pain radiates from the lower back down along one leg and also causes numbness, tingling or weakness then you might be one of the 40% of people worldwide suffering from sciatica.
Fortunately, there are effective treatments to help alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by sciatica, one of which is massage. Massage has been shown to provide many benefits for general health, and several of those benefits can help treat sciatica. If you or someone you know are currently experiencing symptoms of sciatica, this is your guide for helpful tips and resources.
The Most Effective Massage Techniques For Back Pain
Various massage therapies can be useful in alleviating back pain:
- Swedish massage is a gentle, calming type of massage that can assist in reducing muscle strain and tension.
- Deep tissue therapy is a more rigorous form of massage that encourages the breaking up of knots and adhesions within the muscles.
- Trigger point massages specifically target areas of high muscular tension.
- Myofascial release involves working on the connective tissues surrounding the muscles.
- Neuromuscular massage targets the muscles and nervous system and can help restore both after a back injury or back pain. In addition, it can help to reduce inflammation, improve range of motion, and reduce pain. Itâs often used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as physical therapy or chiropractic care.
When you receive massage, your bodyâs physiology changes in several ways that you may not be aware of, but that can be very helpful in dealing with low back pain. For example, massage can help to increase blood flow and circulation, which can help to reduce inflammation and pain in your back and surrounding areas. Massage also releases endorphins, which are natural pain-relieving chemicals in your body. Finally, massage can help relax and loosen tight and constricted muscles, which can lead to reduced pain.
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Alternative Medicine For Scoliosis Relief
Since scoliosis is considered a deformity, the treatments discussed above are focused solely on reducing the progression of the problem. Due to the elongated musculature on one side and the shortened musculature on the opposite side, back pain, shallow breathing, sciatica, headaches and insomnia are frequent issues that a person with scoliosis must contend with. Consequently, many alternative treatments have been used to help reduce the problems caused by excessive curvature of the spine.
While Rolfing®, yoga, acupuncture, structural integration and exercise have a history of improving scoliosis symptoms, two massage therapy techniques also can help this condition:
The Best Sleeping Positions For Lower Back Pain
The best sleeping position for lower back pain is on your side with a partial bend in the knees. Keeping the knees bent helps balance the body and reduces pressure on the lumbar spine. Many people find it helpful to put a small pillow between their knees to make this position more comfortable.
Unfortunately, many back and stomach sleepers have a hard time changing their sleeping position. Even so, they can take steps to reduce strain on their lower back:
- Back sleepers can put a pillow under their knees, legs, and/or lower back to support the natural curve of the spine and minimize lumbar pressure.
- Stomach sleepers should opt for only a thin pillow under their head and place a more supportive pillow under their hips and abdomen. This works to prevent the lower back from sinking into a U-shape that pulls the spine out of alignment.
Some people with back pain use an adjustable bed that makes it easy to raise the upper or lower part of the mattress in a way that decreases tension in the lower back.
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How Does A Lower Back Massage Break Down Scar Tissue
A lower back massage helps break down scar tissue. Scar tissue is formed as a result of injury or surgery. Scar tissue can be restrictive resulting in muscle tightness and tension.
A lower back massage aims to loosen and break down scar tissue to relieve muscle tightness and tension.
As muscle temperature is increased, the temperature of the scar tissue also increases. Increasing the temperature of scar tissue allows them to be broken down more easily as they begin to loosen. As scar tissue is broken down, the collagen fibres making up the scar tissue are realigned, reducing restriction. Increasing temperature of scar tissue also improves its elasticity. Improving elasticity of the scar tissue further reduces restriction therefore relieving muscle tightness and tension.
For Gluteal And Hip Pain Sciatica Bursitis Low Back Pain
When you have back pain, buttock pain, hip pain, or leg pain, much or even all of your trouble may well be caused by trigger points in the obscure gluteus medius and minimus muscles, a pair of pizza-slice shaped muscles a little forward of your hip pocket. Other muscles in the region are usually involved as well, such as the gluteus maximus, piriformis, and the lumbar paraspinal muscles. However, the gluteus medius and minimus are a bit special: their contribution to pain in this area is particularly significant, and yet people who have buttock and leg pain rarely suspect that much of it is coming from muscle knots so high and far out on the side of the hip.
| for pain: in the low back, hip, buttocks , side of the thigh, hamstrings | muscle: gluteus medius and minimus |
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Relaxing Soft Tissues With Massage Therapy
Every day, roughly 31 million Americans suffer from lower back pain, making it the leading cause of disability in the United States.
Needless to say, lower back pain can result from a host of different causes. However, certain lower back conditions respond exceedingly well to massage therapy. These include:
Does Massage Help Back Pain
There is a lot of published research that demonstrates massage can help back pain. The American Massage Therapy Association points to the research to support the belief that therapeutic massage is effective for persistent low back pain and able to provide long-lasting benefits. The benefits of back massage include the following:
- Reduces or eliminates pain
- Assists with easing feelings of stress and anxiety
- Speeds up the return to normal activities
- Supplements conventional treatments, like taking anti-inflammatory pain relievers and applying ice or heating pads
A physical therapist or a massage therapist can provide therapeutic massages. A physical therapist will include massage as one element of a treatment plan that may include activities like light exercises and stretching. If the low back pain is due to muscle strain, many people find a massage therapist on their own. The massage for muscle strain is often all it takes to experience pain relief.
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Do Massages Help Patients With Back Pain
Recovering from a lower back pain flare-up could take several weeks to months. Although many people depend on conventional care, such as taking anti-inflammatory pain medications, getting physiotherapy treatment, and staying physically active, back pain massage therapy offers relief and relaxation.
Over the last few decades, massage has gained popularity as alternative care for people with back pain. When added to the mix of conventional back pain treatment, the magical and soothing touch of a professional massage therapist can promote substantial healing and pain relief to a painful back. By targeting the correct muscles, the pain, soreness, and tension can be controlled at their source. Healthcare professionals recognize back pain massage treatment as a safe and natural relief for lower back pain and effective aid to various pain treatments. Furthermore, healthcare providers even encourage back pain patients to seek massage therapy in addition to medical treatment.
Various pieces of evidence support the effectiveness of massage to the nonspecific chronic low back, showing its benefits in terms of improving symptoms and function.
Here are other several amazing health benefits of massage therapy:
The Language Of Inflammation
What is pain really trying to tell you?
When it begins, pain is usually an indication you are running out of energy. Its kind of like the light that comes on in your car when you are running low on fuel. Pain tells you that you need to rest or refuel to keep going it is nothing more than a red-light warning telling you that your body is running out of energy. The longer you try to ignore it, the more convincing and limiting it will become.
Think about the headache you get at 3:00 p.m. when you are hungry or tired. That headache pain is telling you that you need to rest or eat. Consider how your back will start to hurt after working in the yard for a couple of hours. This pain is telling you your body needs to rest and recharge to finish working, or it needs to stop for that day it will continue to get more impressive until you do stop. It is there to protect you from injuring yourself.
There are different levels and types of pain, but general pain is basically just a signal. If you listen to and heed it, you stay more in line with health. If you ignore it, there can be consequences to many structures in the body.
There are two ways massage therapists can approach inflammation: directly and indirectly, and which way we choose depends on each clients ability to heal.
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Treat Back Pain At Reflections Therapeutic Massage
Searching for a back pain massage near me? At Reflections Therapeutic Massage, our experienced, trained therapists use specific massage techniques for back pain to ensure you walk out of our clinic feeling relaxed, refreshed, and fully-functioning again.
When you arrive for an appointment, your massage therapist will provide a quick consultation to get an idea of where the pain resides and how much pressure you prefer during your massage. Soon after, youll lie down on the massage table where theyll use tailored massage techniques for back pain on your back, neck and shoulders to get rid of the pain and stiffness.
Ready to relax? Book your appointment for massage therapy in Clearwater today.
Conquering Lower Back Pain With Massage Therapy
Suffering from stubborn lower back pain that isnt responding to medication? Massage therapy might be the answer.
Massage therapy involves gentle or firm palpation of the bodys soft tissues for medical purposes. Using various techniques and levels of pressure, your massage therapist will manipulate sore muscles, fascial adhesions, inflamed tendons/ligaments, and more.
The overarching goal of massage therapy is pain reduction. However, patients may be surprised to learn that massage therapy also boasts the following benefits:
- Enhances flexibility and range of motion in stiff joints
- Improves blood flow to an injured area, stimulating the healing process
- Encourages and supports a robust immune system response
- Relieves anxiety, depression, stress, and insomnia
- Boosts endorphins, our bodys natural reserve of painkillers
- Offers a safe alternative to potentially habit-forming medications
- Releases muscle tension, spasms, and fascial adhesions, common culprits of lower back pain
- Stimulates the lymphatic system to assist in toxin removal
- Instills a sense of overall wellness and contentment
The verdict is in: Not only does massage therapy work, it works well.
According to the American Massage Therapy Association, 88% of participants reported experiencing significant pain reduction after undergoing a course of massage therapy. And, 70% agree: Massage therapy should be regarded as a legitimate form of interventional medicine.
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How Can I Massage My Own Back Pain
Self-massage for back pain
What Does The Research On Massage For Back Pain Say
Several scientific studies have been conducted on massage therapy and its efficacy in treating various conditions, including low back pain. One systematic review looked at ten randomized controlled trials that included a total of 1,759 participants. The review found that massage therapy was effective in reducing pain and improving function in people with chronic low back pain.
Another systematic review looked at 29 randomized controlled trials that included a total of 3,032 participants. This review found that massage therapy was effective in reducing pain and improving function in people with acute and chronic low back pain.
A third systematic review looked at 11 randomized controlled trials that included a total of 1,068 participants. This review found that massage therapy was effective in reducing pain, improving function, and reducing disability in people with chronic low back pain.
There is strong evidence to support the use of massage therapy for treating low back pain. Massage therapy is a safe, natural treatment that can provide relief from chronic back pain. If you are suffering from back pain, massage therapy may be an effective treatment option for you.
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Getting The Right Massage For Low Back Pain
Massage therapy can provide substantial healing and pain relief for many lower back problems. Specifically, for pain caused by a back strain, when the correct muscle is targeted, the pain can be controlled at its sourcefor quicker and lasting relief.
A skilled massage therapist can provide substantial back pain healing. ReadMassage Therapy for Lower Back Pain
Two major musclesthe quadratus lumborum1 and the gluteus medius 2 play an important role in stabilizing and supporting your lower back and hips. When there is a change in the biomechanics of these muscles due to strain or fatigue, several problems, such as lower back pain, stiffness, and/or decreased mobility can occur.
Massage Therapy For Lower Back Pain: The Ultimate Guide
According to the World Health Organization , 60 percent of the world has reported suffering lower back pain.
If you experience back pain, you know that even the most moderate sensation makes you feel terrible. One of the top solutions is massage therapy.
If you are looking for your ultimate guide to massage therapy for lower back pain, weve got your back . Continue reading for more information!
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