How can massage help back pain?

Muscle strain in the lower back or upper back/neck. Most episodes of acute lower back pain are caused by muscle strain, such as from lifting a heavy object, a sudden movement or a fall. The low back pain can be very severe and last for several hours, several days or even a few weeks. When back muscles are strained or torn, the area around the muscles can become inflamed. With inflammation, the muscles in the back can spasm and cause both severe lower back pain and difficulty moving. The large upper back muscles are also prone to irritation, either due to de-conditioning (lack of strength) or overuse injuries (such as repetitive motions). Upper back pain may also be due to a specific event, such as a muscle strain, sports injury, or auto accident. Massage can help work out the spasm/irritation and improve range of motion
One question patients often ask is: What kind of massage should I try?
Deep tissue massage is a type of massage aimed at the deeper tissue structures of the muscle and fascia, also called connective tissue. Deep tissue massage uses many of the same movements and techniques as Swedish massage, but the pressure will generally be more intense. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity (such as athletes), and patients who have sustained physical injury.
For specific pain points, such as a lower back muscle strain, neuromuscular therapy is an effective treatment. With neuromuscular therapy, the therapist applies alternating levels of concentrated pressure (10-30 seconds) on the areas of muscle spasm. The patient will feel some pain or discomfort from the pressure, but the muscle spasm should be lessened after the massage. Any soreness from the pressure should fade in 1 to 3 days, and the muscles that were worked should be less tight for a week or two afterwards. A typical massage therapy program for muscle spasms consists of four sessions over 6 weeks.
Massage Therapy Can Reduce Muscle Pain
Muscles that are in spasm will be painful to the touch. The pain is caused by ischemic muscle tissue. Ischemia means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow, usually due to the muscle spasm. This in turn creates the following undesirable process:
• Because the muscle is not receiving enough blood, the muscle is also not receiving enough oxygen
• The lack of oxygen causes the muscle to produce lactic acid
• The lactic acid makes the muscle feel sore following physical activity.
After the muscle is relaxed through massage therapy, the lactic acid will be released from the muscle, and the muscle should start receiving enough blood and oxygen.
Neuromuscular therapy will feel painful at first, but the pressure of the massage should alleviate the muscle spasm. At this point, it is extremely important to communicate with the massage therapist regarding the pressure - whether the pressure is too much, too little, getting better, getting worse. The therapist should listen and respond accordingly. The massage therapy pressure should never be overly painful. In fact, most people describe the pressure as “good pain”.
Benefits of Massage Therapy
According to the American Massage Therapy Association, research shows that massage therapy provides several important health benefits, including:
• Massage improves blood circulation, which aids in recovery of muscle soreness from physical activity.
• Massage relaxes muscles for an improved range of motion. The muscle relaxation also helps with insomnia.
• Massage leads to increased endorphin levels. The increase of endorphin levels is actually one of the greatest benefits of massage therapy. Endorphins are the chemicals the body produces that make you feel good, which is very effective in managing chronic pain.
Unlike classic massage therapy, which is used for relaxation, deep tissue massage usually focuses on a specific problem, such as:
• Chronic pain
• Limited mobility
• Recovery from injuries (e.g. whiplash, falls, sports injury)
• Repetitive strain injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
• Postural problems
• Ostearthritis pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Muscle tension or spasm
Massage is not recommended for certain people:
• infectious skin disease, rash, or open wounds
• immediately after surgery
• immediately after chemotherapy or radiation, unless recommended by your doctor
• people with osteoporosis should consult their doctor before getting a massage
• prone to blood clots. There is a risk of blood clots being dislodged. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor before having a massage
• massage should not be done directly over bruises, inflamed skin, unhealed wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, or areas of recent fractures.