Many lower back problems can be treated through massage therapy. In fact, many studies have proven that a proper massage therapy can provide substantial healing and pain relief to all kinds of lower back problems.
When you target the right muscle, you’ll get permanent and lasting relief for pain caused by back strain. In this post, we’ll have a closer look at the reasons for the back strain related back pain, which muscles are contributing towards stabilizing our lower back, how a massage gives relief from back pain, and the benefits of massage in reducing back pain.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Here is how a massage can give you relief from back pain
The reasons for back strain related back pain
There is no doubt that a right massage therapist can give you long term back pain healing. So it’s critical that you choose the right massage therapist to work with your back pain related issues.
Although several reasons can be attributed to back pain, the changes in the bio-mechanics of a couple of muscles play a bigger role. These changes can occur due to strain or fatigue.
Usually what happens is when you experience this sudden change, you’ll get problems such as back pain, stiffness, or decreased mobility.
Which muscles are contributing towards stabilizing our lower back?
There are two particular muscles that contribute towards stabilizing our lower back. They are the quadratus lumborum and the gluteus medius.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, any changes in the bio-mechanics of these muscles results in lower back related issues. Below is a detailed description of each muscle, its role, and why you experience back pain when changes occur to its bio-mechanics.
Quadratus lumborum
The quadratus lumborum muscle extends throughout your lower back and consists of several layers. This particular muscle is an extension of your spinal cord and allows you to bend backwards.
It also allows you to bend sideways. Hence, it’s an important muscle in your lower back.
The quadratus lumborum muscle can become fatigued, strained, stiff, or painful when you perform certain daily activities such as lifting excessive wait consistently throughout the day, sitting in a chair for a long time, or running in uneven surface.
A sharp, stabbing like, urgent pain is an indication of tight quadratus lumborum. On the other hand, if you have a dull, stiff, and a constant ache means that you do any one of the activities mentioned above on a regular basis.
When you continue to do it without paying much attention for a long time, then this muscle will develop certain pain points which will lead to constant back pain. To avoid that, this single muscle must be stretched and massaged at the same time to reduce lower back pain.
Gluteus medius
The gluteus medius is a posterior hip/buttocks muscle. This muscle is pretty important in allowing you to lift your thighs sideways such as getting out of a car.
It’s also responsible for keeping your hips leveled when standing on one leg. Your spine and your hip muscles are interconnected, so any stiffness in your hip muscles result in lower back pain.
The gluteus medius can become painful due to imbalance from several causes such as constantly running on soft surfaces, overuse of weight lifting exercise equipments, sudden and strenuous physical activity, previous injury to the muscle, and blunt hit to the muscle.
Gluteus medius muscle pain largely affects your lower back and buttocks. The pain can also be transferred to the back of your thigh.
When you experience this pain, stiffness and fatigue is also present, limiting the movement of your lower back and your walking capacity as well. So, if you know that you have back pain, request your therapist to massage both the quadratus lumborum and gluteus medius muscles.
Benefits of massage in reducing back pain
As by brigadebodyspa there are several key benefits you can experience when you go for massage, if you experience lower back pain. In fact, you can get rid of back pain for a long time with massage therapy.
Below is a list of benefits you can get if you go towards massage therapy for lower back pain.
- You can manage your muscle stress. Massage often relieves muscle tension caused by stress. In addition to that, you enjoy a relaxing break from your routine or you can call it a time out period, when you go to regular massage for lower back muscles.
- Regular massage is beneficial for your overall tissue health. Massage helps to keep your soft tissues relaxed. When it happens, your overall tissue health will be improved significantly.
- Massage relieves chronic pain. Massage can definitely relieve chronic pain by easing muscle tension and increasing flexibility throughout your lower back. This’ll also reduce your want for pain medication.
- Improving your mood. The endorphins released during a massage session gives your mood a quick boost. Also, a quality massage can help to reduce sudden anxiety, muscle stress, and depression.
- A massage gives you faster recovery time. If you have sustained a back or a neck strain, then massage surely helps to speed up the recovery process.
- Preventing muscle related injuries. When your muscles are healthy and flexible, there is less chance of you getting muscle related injuries.
Conclusion
We hope that we’ve provided you a clear overview of how a massage gives you relief from back pain. There are endless benefits you can avail through massage therapy.
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