Why Massage Therapy for Back Pain Is Essential for Pain Management

Published

November 11, 2022

Authored

Derrick Allen

Back pain is unpleasant, but it is manageable. Here’s why massage therapy for back pain is the perfect solution for your problem.

When you rise every morning, the nightmare of your chronic pain resurfaces time and time again. And you don’t know how much longer you can live with the discomfort plaguing your back.

You’re not alone. Research shows that more than 72 million people in the United States battle chronic pain in their lower backs.

The good news is that even though back pain is unpleasant, it is manageable with massage therapy. Here’s a rundown on why massage therapy for back pain is essential for pain management.

Let’s jump in! 

Massage Therapy for Back Pain Relieves Discomfort

Massage therapy can help with treating back pain because it eliminates the muscle tension causing your pain. A massage can also help to decrease the inflammation and spasms in the impacted area, thus further relieving discomfort in your back.

Massages are so effective because they promote the flow of blood in the back.

The blood brings nutrients and oxygen to your muscles’ cells. It also removing lactic acid in the muscles that has accumulated due to exercise, for example. This helps to relieve the soreness in your back.

Reduces Stress

Yet another reason to choose massage therapy for back pain is that it helps you to manage your stress levels, which can cause your muscles to tense up. When you book a massage, you give yourself a relaxing “time out” from your busy daily routine, which can help you to feel less anxious and, in turn, minimize your back pain.

The main reason why massage therapy is so relaxing is because it releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. These endorphins are also natural painkillers, as they decrease inflammation.

Massage therapy also helps to reduce stress because it boosts your serotonin levels. Serotonin helps to regulate your sleep cycle, improves social bonding, and even promotes appetite control.

Massages also decrease the level of cortisol — a stress hormone — in your body. Likewise, massage therapy lowers your respiration rate and decreases your heart rate. This will allow you to further feel calmer overall and thus keep your back pain at bay.

Promotes Health Overall

Massage therapy can also help you to overcome soft tissue pain by promoting the health of your soft tissue.

For instance, massages speed up your muscles’ recovery process if you have strained your back. In addition, massage therapy keeps your muscles flexible and healthy, therefore lowering your risk of injury. It also enhances your tendons’ and joints’ strength.

Massage therapy also helps to eliminate back pain by improving your blood’s circulation. This brings healing to your injury sites and removes metabolic waste from your muscles.

Finally, massages will increase your awareness of your own body, including which massage approach works best for your back (more on that next). This will give you greater control over the condition of your back.

Swedish Massage Approach

An excellent massage therapy approach to begin with to eliminate back pain is the Swedish massage. This type of massage helps with easing muscle tension and therefore managing minor pain in the back.

With a Swedish massage, your massage therapist will use long strokes and joint movements to provide you with relief. They will also employ deep circular movements, tapping, and kneading to target your pain.

Deep-Tissue Approach

This massage approach involves applying higher levels of pressure to your muscles than you would experience with Swedish massages.

The extra pressure may help people with chronic back muscle pain as well as muscle soreness and some back injuries. This massage option can also benefit you if you suffer from immense stress and anxiety due to its ability to release muscle tension.

A deep-tissue masseuse will use slow stroking motions and deep pressure from the fingers to reach your soft tissues’ and muscles’ deeper layers.

Shiatsu Approach

A Shiatsu massage is a Japanese therapy that received its inspiration from traditional medicine in China. Its purpose is to stimulate and regulate your hormonal, circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.

For this reason, this form of massage can help individuals who struggle with back pain and chronic stress. It can also help those suffering from other debilitating issues, like sciatica, sprains, and arthritis.

A Shiatsu masseuse will use their thumbs, fingers, and palms to place pressure on your body. The pressure will promote the flow of energy to correct any imbalances in your body. Following this type of therapy, you should experience improved pain relief along with more flexibility and coordination.

Therapeutic Approach

Yet another popular massage option for back pain suffers is the targeted therapeutic massage approach.

With this approach, your massage therapist will examine your back pain symptoms. Then, they will create a plan that will address these particular symptoms. This will be done instead of simply giving you full-body massages.

The goal of this approach is to both relieve your pain and structurally change your soft issues. Over time, your therapist may adjust your sessions to accommodate your changing symptoms.

How We Can Help with Massage Therapy for Back Pain

Massage therapy for back pain can do wonders for you both physically and emotionally. If you’re living with back pain, not only can massage therapy reduce tension in your muscles but also it can decrease the stress contributing to this tension.

At Allen Therapeutic Massage, we take pride in offering quality individualized massages to help you to repair and relax your body. Get in touch with us to learn more about our services and schedule an appointment today.