Massage for lower back pain

Lower back pain is such a common reason that brings people to try massage therapy. Many for the first time. Most people at some point have had back pain that has made getting around a challenge. It does not matter how active and fit you are, it happens  to anyone. The biggest reason for lower back pain is sitting too much. Many people are not aware how much of their day is sitting. Get up and move   This is what the new research is telling us. We are not meant to sit for 8 hours a day on a computer. You not only cause yourself back, neck and shoulder pain. We are now shortening your life by 2 years if you sit for more than 3 hours at a time. And it doesn't matter how healthy they are either, this scary new finding affects healthy and unhealthy people in the same way.

So how do you fix this? You can start by setting an alarm for every 3 hours so you will know to get up and walk around the office. We need to get the blood flowing back into your legs again. Don’t allow yourself to get wrapped up in a project. Your long term health is way more important than that deadline. Whatever you are doing can wait 10 minutes till you get back. If you are really lucky, you may be able to get a standing station.

At your next staff meeting, bring up that you want chair massages in the office at least once a month. This not only breaks up the day and gets you away from your desk. Chair massages have been proven to reduce office injury and increase production of the employees.

Our society has been getting too us to sit all the time. Now is the time to change this very unhealthy habit. While you are watching TV just do a simple yoga routine for about 15 minutes. 

Common causes of lower back pain

What is actually causing your lower back pain? I explain it to the client like this. The pelvis gets stuck in the sitting position from sitting too much. The hip flexors stay short for too long and they become weak. The hamstrings and glutes stay too long, they also become weak. Weak muscles do feel “tight”. When you go from sitting to standing the whole pelvis is so post to change its position as one unit. With this type of back pain. that does not happen. And what ends up happening long term is that many of these muscle groups do not work properly any more. That nerve function goes dormant. This is why people will mention struggling to feel the glutes working, as an example. Or The hamstring will take the load of the glutes. Then what ends up happening is the hamstrings can cramp quite a lot! So much so that cramping can go all the way down to the feet. 

How massage helps lower back pain

How does massage therapy help? It works by calming down the nervous system. Relaxed nerves reduce pain signals to the muscles. There is also lots of extra blood flow to the affected areas. For this type of injury. I tend to do a lot of joint stabilization strokes around the hips and tail bone. This helps to wake up that tissue so the pelvis will move into the standing position again. Quadratus lumborum muscle (QL) will also go into a full spasm when the pelvis is unstable. QL goes from the lower rib and into the hip. And right in the middle of that muscle near the spine a nasty little trigger point will form. That trigger point will send pain signals around the hip and down the leg. Massaging all around that area will help that quadratus lumborum muscle to stop spasming. This trigger point can also mimic sciatic nerve pain when it is in a full spasm. 

Types of massages that help with lower back pain

Now let's go over the type of massages that can help with lower back pain. The most popular service is the deep tissue massage. This type of massage is detailed focused work. To give pain relief you’ll need to book a one hour session. The areas I pay most of my addition to are. Right below the ribs to the tail bone. Hamstrings, all around the hips and glutes. While on your back I work the quads into the hip flexors. I find these are the main areas that will help to give your pelvis the most mobility. You can learn more about the Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage in this article. 

Clients can even get relief from the general full body Swedish massage. Not everyone does well with deep tissue massage. And that is ok. If you find you do better with light tough work. Craniosacral therapy can also help with back pain. There’s lots I can do from the waist down to help give all that tissue extra movement.

One size doesn’t fit all. So you may need to try a few different types of services to see what’s going to give you the most relief. This is why I ask when I do client consultations how their bodies respond to massage. This helps me make suggestions on what type of massages are best suited for your needs.         

When to see the doctor 

If you are not getting any type of relief from regular massages after about a month. You need to book an appointment with your primary care provider. If the sharp pain going down the leg and around the hip happening. It is time to explore other diagnoses. Most of the time you are going to get a prescription to physical therapy first. If you are still not feeling better with PT. Then imaging is usually ordered to see if your pain is a disk and or spin issue. You could even ask for a referral to get an injection if your are having a hard time functioning.

What to expect during a massage for lower back pain

Here is how a session tends to happen for lower back pain. If you are a new client there is a detailed health history form to fill out. And we go over why you are getting a massage. Your experience with massage. I tell people before we start the areas that are affected the most. Lower back right below the ribs down to the tail bone. Hamstrings, hips and glutes. And on the front of the body. Quads, IT band and hip flexors. Whether a client starts face up or down really depends on the angle of the pelvis. I have asked clients to change position while on the table after I’ve seen how the pelvis rotates. 

Your pain scale during the massage should be no more than a 6-7. It’s important as a client that you speak up if the pressure is too deep. No need to feel uncomfortable. A few days after it’s common to feel sore and maybe have some bruising. I always suggest clients use an ice pack that day. Ice will help to stop that soft tissue from becoming too inflamed and sore. 

Client's always ask how often they should come in. Here are my general guide lines. For chronic pain every week for 1 hour. Once the pain becomes tolerable then biweekly. Once the pain is pretty much gone, every 4-6 weeks. We adjust as need depending on how well your are responding to the massages. I go into a lot more detail on how often you should get a massage HERE.

FAQ

For lower back pain. Massage therapy works nicely with physical therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture. All of these modalities help to heal the body in different ways. Some gentle yoga and Pilates will also help to keep that tissue loose. And if the weather is nice enough going for a 20 minute walk can do wonders loosening up a tight lower back. Just try to keep moving. Too much sitting will or laying down can make you too stiff. . If your are dealing with ongoing lower back pain and want to explore safe, effective relief, massage therapy can be a valuable part of your wellness journey.    

---

Schedule Now

---

---

---