Can Sports Massage Help With Lower Back Pain?
Posted on 14th April 2022 at 10:47
Lower back pain is one of the most common injuries that we see in the clinic and is considered a significant health problem. Some patients experience mild pain, however some patients find lower back severe and can it disrupt their everyday life. As you’ll know if you’ve ever suffered from lower back pain, it can be pretty debilitating and leave you feeling miserable.
Pain in the lower back can be caused by many different reasons.
Back pain can be set up by muscles that are either too weak, too tight or, more often, not in balance. The low back pain can then be ‘caused’ by a fall or an injury. This injury can be treated but so can the underlying muscle imbalance that led you up to this point.
But what if you haven’t knowingly injured your back? Well, that wouldn’t be unusual. Many cases of low back pain that we see don’t have a specific onset; they’ve just begun and got a little worse over time. Life’s busy, but our lives have become more sedentary. This is especially true now that so many people are working from home. Generally speaking, we don’t move enough, and this affects our muscles as well as our joints. Back stiffness, discomfort, and pain can then creep on as a result.
What causes lower back pain?
Lower back pain can be caused by impairment of the soft tissues that support the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. The lower back muscles tighten or become sore for various different reasons, including:
• improper lifting of heavy objects • prolonged sitting at a desk • leaning over a sink • running on uneven platform • sudden movement or fall • improper body posture • gradual overuse of muscles
As therapists, our main goal is to reduce your pain and improve your movement as much as possible so you can complete everyday activities pain-free.
How can massage help?
Several studies show that regular massages in the course of a few months can provide a remarkable remedy to lower back pains. Massage therapy can provide substantial healing and pain relief for many lower back problems. When the correct muscle is targeted, the pain can be controlled at its source—for quicker and lasting relief.
If you have tight muscles in your lower back, a lower back massage helps warm up muscles and increases blood and lymphatic circulation, encouraging more healthy nutrients to be passed around the body and more toxins to be removed.
Relaxation is key.
Massage has been also shown to reduce stress by physically and mentally relaxing the patient. This also applies to the evidence with lower back pain, as it’s shown to relax the nervous system, allowing more pain-free movement for the patient. Massage can be used to relax the muscles physically but can be used in conjunction with other interventions to get the best results.
In particular, we see lots of office staff complain of lower back pain due to sitting for long periods. However, massage of the hips, glutes and lower back have been shown to have a huge impact on lower back relief. By identifying weak and tight muscles we can get the best possible results using massage and exercise.
We can help.
Let a professional Fire & Earth massage therapist assess your needs and offer you the treatment that will get you the fastest results in dealing with your lower back pain. Get in touch today to get on the road to recovery.
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