If you’ve lived with unbearable lower back pain for over 12 weeks, you are most likely suffering from chronic back pain. This type of back pain usually requires treatment from a professional. Whether it’s from typical ageing, sitting too much, lifting too much or over-exercising, massage therapy could help you find the relief you’ve been looking for.
The massage professionals at Newmarket Health & Wellness Centre have combined their skills and knowledge on low back massage techniques to create this guide for back massage. It also explains how massage for lower back pain can help to ease and treat lower back pain.
Lower Back Muscles
Your lower back muscles, often referred to as the lumbar region are composed of several vertebrae in your spine and tendons that link the bones to your muscles. When it comes to supporting your hips and spine, two muscles do the work – the gluteus medius and the quadratus lumborum. If these muscles are injured, you will feel sore, tired, and stiff.
There’s also a possibility that this pain could be caused by something worse. A disease such as spinal disc degeneration can cause this type of lower back pain. This can be caused by extreme stress, lack of physical activity, bad posture, and working a job where you’re forced to sit for hours at a time. And it’s integral that you maintain good back health, or one day you could find yourself unable to tie your shoes or sit at a computer for hours.
Can Massage Therapy Alleviate Back Pain?
There is a lot of scientific evidence that backs the positive benefits of using back massage techniques. Many experts believe that therapeutic massages are a great way to reduce back pain and strengthen your back muscles.
Some known benefits of lower back massage include:
- – Relieving anxiety and stress
- – Complimenting the effectiveness of pain relief drugs and anti-inflammatory medications
- – Improving your blood flow
- – Reducing and eliminating pain
- – Relaxes tight muscles
Enlisting the services of a licensed massage therapist or physical therapist will be complementary to other medications, stretches or exercises that may be prescribed by your healthcare provider. And in the best-case scenario, a simple session of massage therapy might be what’s needed to get relief from the pain.
Quadratus Lumborum Muscle Massage
The muscle which runs across the lower end of your back and is made up of several layers is called the quadratus lumborum. This muscle works with the spine, allowing you to bend backwards and twist sideways with your torso. It can start to hurt when you do any of the following:
- – Doing dishes while leaning over a sink
- – Slumping over in your car’s seat
- – Jogging on an uneven surface such as pavement
- – Leaning over to lift something out of the trunk of a car or a baby from a crib
Gluteus Medius Muscle Massage
The buttocks muscle is also known as the posterior hip muscle or gluteus medius. This muscle allows you to raise your thigh and leg in a sideways motion, like if you are swinging your leg to exit a vehicle. And as many people don’t know, your hips and back are connected. If there’s something wrong with your hip, it can often lead to chronic back pain in your lower back.
Weakness or imbalance in the gluteus medius muscle can occur from any of the following situations:
- – Physical activity that is strenuous or sudden
- – Previous injury
- – Blunt trauma from a hard impact
- – Overuse of the muscle on exercise equipment
- – Running on overly soft surfaces such as sand or snow
Different Types of Massage
There are two main types of massage you can choose from – structural and whole-body massage. A whole-body massage helps to relax your entire body. Meanwhile, a structural massage targets specific muscles in your neck, back, and buttocks to help relieve the lower back pain that you’ve been suffering from.
And while different massages can target different parts of your body, every type of massage is likely to help relieve your pain in some shape or form. When considering which type of massage is right for you, consult a healthcare professional who can advise you on the right type of massage for your situation.
Here are a few examples of the different types of massages available to you and what they can help to treat:
- Shiatsu massage: This whole body massage originated from Japan. Using pulsing pressure, your massage therapist will target the specific parts of your body that are giving you trouble.
- Deep tissue massage: Pressure is used on your various layers of muscles and tissues to relieve tension, pressure and ultimately pain.
- Trigger point massage: This is a full body massage but can still focus on particular points of pain usually caused by your muscle tissues’ tightness.
There are other, less common types of massage such as sports massage and reflexology, but the ones we’ve talked about in this article are the most common options for the majority of patients.
So, what’s the best massage for back pain, and how much do you need? You can’t say for sure how many sessions of massage you’ll need for any of these types because every patient is treated as a unique case.
Contact Us
Do you need a massage for back pain? Feel free to use this guide when you’re ready to speak to a massage therapist at Newmarket Health & Wellness Centre. All of our massage therapists are experienced and trained to deliver the most comfortable and effective massages for all of your body’s aches and pains. Our experts will help you determine which muscle or body part is causing pain, and we’ll work with you to develop a strategic treatment plan.
We always promise to minimize your pain and the amount of time required for treatment. We know your time is important – that’s why we offer flexible scheduling for your appointments with friendly staff who care about your well-being.
Contact Newmarket Health & Wellness Centre today to book your appointment.