Treat Lower Back Pain With Massage Therapy.
Back pain is a very common ailment for moms,
gardeners, mechanics, weekend sports warriors,
and those who sit a lot.
Most back pain suffers have tried
traditional pain relief like muscle rub creams,
muscle relaxant pills, chiropractors, and even
physical therapy.
If your pain is still nagging you, massage
should be something you are willing to
investigate. The American Massage
Therapy Association found in 2001 that
massage clients have doubled since 1997.
Healthcare professionals are recognizing the
value of massage therapy and recommending to
their patients to include massage therapy as
part of their pain management treatment
plan.
As much as 54% of healthcare professionals,
are in favor of using massage therapy, in
additional to more traditional treatments.
There was a study on back pain and massage
therapy conducted in 2001 at the University of
Miami that found that massage does lessen lower
back pain, depression, anxiety and improved
sleep.
It also showed that massage improved range
of motion and improved serotonin and dopamine
levels (as reported in the International
Journal of Neuroscience, 106, 131-145).
Research shows that massage has the
following benefits to those who suffer from
back pain:
- It improves blood circulation, which
aids in the relief of sore muscles from
physical activity
- It relaxes muscles so that range of
motion can be improved
- Relaxation also improves sleep, which
can be a problem for those who suffer from
back pain
- It increases endorphin levels.
These endorphins are chemicals that the body
produces to make you feel good, which helps to
manage pain The massage therapy that has been
the most beneficial to lower back pain
sufferers has been "neuromuscular therapy".
This therapy is also called "trigger point
myotherapy". This is useful for those who
suffer back pain as a result of muscle strain.
The technique uses alternating levels of
concentrated pressure for the areas of spasming
muscles. The therapists uses the fingers,
knuckles and elbow to apply the
pressure.
The pressure should not vary for ten to thirty
seconds, once applied to a spasm. When someone
is suffering from back spasms the muscles are
painful to the touch.
The muscle is lacking in blood flow, which
causes the pain. The blood brings oxygen to the
muscle and without proper oxygen the muscle
produces lactic acid. The lactic acid makes hte
muscle feel sore after physical activity.
Massage relaxes the muscle which in turn,
releases the lactic acid from the muscle. Now
the muscle should be receiving more blood and
thus more oxygen.
This massage will feel painful at first
until the lactic acid is released from the
muscle. The therapist will respond to the
physical level of pain as experienced by
the client.
The therapist will adjust the pressure
based on what the client tells them. The
massage should never be overly painful.
Theraputic Massage Terms and
Facts.
A deep massage,
which is applied with a lot of
pressure around the lymph nodes
and the lymphatic channels
helps to improve the lymph
flow.
This is also
why pressure should always be
applied in the direction of the
heart. basically imagine you
are moving all the waste to
where it can escape, which in
massage is thought to be the
central region around the
heart.
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The client will usually describe the pain
as being a good pain when describing the
pressure.
The saying, "it hurts so good" comes to
mind. The client should experience a fading
of soreness following the therapy after 24
to 36 hours has passed.
Muscles should remain relaxed following
therapy for 4 to 14 days, depending on the
amount of muscle stress experienced, your
activity level and the severity of your
pain level prior to the massage.
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