Massage Therapy for Lower Back Pain

Massage therapy will always make you feel a little better, if not a lot better. Two things you should be careful about are the type of therapy and the nature of the injury. Knowing the difference between a strain and a sprain will make you determine which massage technique is appropriate.

Time Frame

• Depending on how long you have the injury will determine if you are in the acute phase of the injury or have a chronic condition that you have had on and off for a long period of time. Many people confuse the two because many chronic conditions do go away but sometimes reappear. With an acute injury, it is usually in a new area that you have not had a problem with before and can even happen from a simple move like picking up a pencil off the floor. You do not want to receive a deep or vigorous massage if it is a new injury.

Types

• The best type of treatment for a new injury is to get a light massage that will help move out the swelling that usually occurs after a new injury. Receiving a relaxing, soft and gentle type of massage treatment will move the fluids out of the injured area and into healthy tissue, where the fluid will be pumped out by the lymphatic system. Once the swelling goes down, the pain usually subsides tremendously.

Benefits

• If you receive a massage that is light with soft, gentle strokes before you receive a deeper one, the healing process will likely go quicker. Some people enjoy a deeper massage that causes a little pain. This is because your body releases endorphins that provide a sense of pleasure. This deeper type of massage should be avoided at the beginning of your therapy protocol. This type of poking and pushing on an already-injured muscle can cause the injury to worsen and take longer to heal. After a week or two, when the swelling decreases, the massage therapist can increase pressure to start to loosen up the tight muscle.

Misconceptions

• Many people expect to be healed after one or two treatments. If you have been injured, it can take as long as six months or more to fix the injury. If you have a chronic condition from working or sleeping in a awkward position, you may need routine care to help balance out the improper body mechanics that may be occurring. Some people sit incorrectly in their work chairs, some sleep on their stomach too much, some stand at their jobs and bend and lean over all day. With a little correction in chair heights, working areas and floor mats, many chronic conditions are eased and sometimes disappear completely.

Warning

• Always make sure you are receiving your treatments from a licensed professional and that the massage therapist has professional liability insurance. It is rare to be injured from a massage but you can never be too safe. Working with a professional with many years of experience, especially when dealing with an injury, is your best bet.