Will Sports Massage Therapy Help My Back Pain?
Posted on 16th August 2022 at 15:55
Back pain is a complaint we see and treat almost every day, and we find that sporty and non-sporty individuals can both be affected by it. Many of the people we treat have tension and posture-related pain which we can help with.
In most cases, back pain resolves itself over time – but that’s no reason to ignore it. Your back pain may have been caused by a number of things, some of which are not always easy to explain, and some which may need more than massage.
At Fire & Earth our therapists are trained to identify appropriate times to treat you, as well as times when you need to be referred to your doctor. That said, in most instances, massage therapy can be helpful for managing your symptoms.
What is sports massage and how can it help?
Sports massage is a deep-tissue treatment which works by stretching and manipulating the soft tissues of the body to increase circulation, promote relaxation of the structures and break down any adhesions.
Here are some ways that sports massage can help your back pain:
Increased circulation
Increased flexibility
Reduced pain
Reduced tension-both physically and mentally
Reduced recovery time post-event
Increased quality of training
Prevention of injury
Faster rehabilitation after an injury
Thixotropic effect
Some of the properties that make up our body’s tissues are prone to changing shape when put under stress. Tissue that’s hardened will become softer when under manual stress.
Muscle stretching
Some of the muscles of your low back are difficult to stretch by yourself, and so you’ll most definitely see a greater benefit having physical input from your therapist.
Joint mobilisation
The small joints on either side of your spine, which allow one vertebra to sit on top of another, may sometimes become stiff at certain levels and on one or both sides of the spine. These small joints move together, and not independently, to create the larger movement at the spine that we see when we bend over or sit up tall. Physical mobilisations at specific joint levels can help move these smaller stiff joints that otherwise would not be able to move independently of the whole spine.
It feels so much better afterwards!
Dampen the nervous system
Muscle tone and muscle stiffness are two separate entities. Muscle stiffness is predominantly due to properties that make up the muscle itself, whereas muscle tone is due to the nerves that make them work. However, you’ll probably get the feeling of ‘tightness’ regardless. One benefit of massage therapy is to help dampen the nervous system, reduce muscle tone, and relieve that feeling of tightness. Bliss!
Movement
A large proportion of patients experiencing back pain will often unknowingly avoid using their low back and find alternative ways of completing tasks. Failure to incorporate movements at this level can and will lead to more problems further down the line.
A key part of your treatment is to ensure that you’re aware of the movements and bring them back into your daily routine. Your therapist will have knowledge of these specific movements and can provide you with some exercises to complement your massage treatment.
Are you suffering with low back pain?
We’d suggest booking a sports massage and/or therapy to help. Not sure which treatment would be best for you? Just get in touch and we’ll do our best to get you on the way to recovery.
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