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Does Massage Therapy Really Help with Back Pain

A lot of people suffer from back pain these days. The reason could be anything from working on laptops constantly or driving cars for a long time to sitting a whole day in an office or elderly age. One thing you may want instant when you experience back pain is relief from the pain. In this regard, it’s necessary to understand the value of massage therapy. However, the question arises here, does massage therapy really help with back pain? So, let’s get started on whether massage therapy works or not.

Many published evidence suggests that massage therapy can help get rid of back pain (Furlan, et al, 2015). So, yes, it does help with back pain. It has the tendency to provide long-term benefits as it eliminates pain.

Massage therapy relaxes tight muscles and improves blood circulation to ease the pain. You may be able to return to normal activities as massage speeds up relief from pain. The correct muscle is targeted while massaging back pain, and it controls the pain from where its origin.

The quadratus lumborum and the gluteus medius, two major muscles, play a significant role in supporting and stabilizing the lower back and hips. Strain and fatigue make changes in the biomechanics of these muscles that eventually lead to severe back pain, decreased mobility, and stiffness.

Quadratus Lumborum Muscle Massage

Quadratus lumborum muscle extends all over your lower back and comprises various layers. Basically, this muscle helps you bend your torso as it works as an extensor of the spine. During lifting something heavy, leaning over something like a sink, sitting slumped for a long time, or running on a pavement that is not even, this muscle becomes stiff, fatigued, and strained. However, when you get the right massage therapy that triggers this muscle, it must be stretched and reduce pain. Without massage therapy, the stress over the muscles cannot be released and relaxed.

Styles and Types of Massage for Back Pain

Two fundamental types of massage include structural massage and whole-body massage. The whole body massage tends to boost general relaxation of your body. However, structural massage may possess various spine massage techniques targeting connective tissues and specific muscles.

The ultimate purpose of all massage types and styles is to relieve pain and improve blood circulation (Joseph, et al, 2018). The ideal style with the most influence is based on the causes of back pain. These styles may include

Acupressure (Shiatsu)

Shiatsu is a Japanese style of whole-body massage in which pulse pressure is used, and targets the main areas of the body that requires attention or cause pain.

Swedish Massage

It is a whole-body massage that works gently in order to relax muscles and relieve muscle knots. It is one of the most commonly used massage therapy as it boosts blood circulation and moves metabolic wastes out of the body. Research shows that Swedish massage helps reduce back pain, joint stiffness, and arthritis (Netchanok, et al, 2012).

Trigger Point massage

In this style of massage, the focus is on the trigger points (tightness) in muscle tissues that become the cause of pain. It is a whole-body massage and works on specific areas of pain. This massage may help ease the knots that cause back pain. It restores blood circulation in the tight areas.

Deep Tissue massage

Deep tissue massage is a whole-body massage in which pressure is used to relieve tension in the deeper layers of muscles and connective tissues.

Other massage styles may include sports massage or reflexology. Study shows massage therapy is one of the best ways of relief for those who experience back pain. Every person has a different situation and verity of pain, which requires a different number of sessions. Therefore, consult your therapist to get the best massage for your specific condition in order to get rid of back pain for a long time.

References

Furlan, A. D., Giraldo, M., Baskwill, A., Irvin, E., & Imamura, M. (2015). Massage for low‐back pain. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (9).

Joseph, L. H., Hancharoenkul, B., Sitilertpisan, P., Pirunsan, U., & Paungmali, A. (2018). Effects of massage as a combination therapy with lumbopelvic stability exercises as compared to standard massage therapy in low back pain: a randomized cross-over study. International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 11(4), 16.

Netchanok, S., Wendy, M., & Marie, C. (2012). The effectiveness of Swedish massage and traditional Thai massage in treating chronic low back pain: a review of the literature. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 18(4), 227-234.