Massage therapy for lower back pain
“Oh, my back still hurts,” Jim groaned as he sat on the
bed and bent over to pick up his shoe.
“Why don’t you try a massage?” His wife asked. “My
friend Carol swears massage is the only thing that can help her back
pain.”
Jim sighed as he tied his shoe. “I suppose I have tried everything
else. The chiropractor says my back is fine, just the muscles are tight.
My doctor gave me muscle relaxants, which I don’t like to take,
and our insurance only covered four physical therapy visits. Massage
can’t hurt my back any more than it already does, I guess.”
Jim is typical of most Americans trying massage for the first time.
Many feel that it can’t hurt to try. But what does massage do? What
kind of massage should you try? How do you find a massage therapist?
Research on massage therapy
A July 2001 survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association
found that the number of adults receiving massages from a massage therapist
more than doubled since 1997.
Most healthcare providers are recognizing massage therapy as a legitimate
aid for lower back pain and an effective adjunct to lower back treatments.
Fifty-four percent of healthcare providers say they will encourage their
patients to pursue massage therapy in addition to medical treatment.
A study on massage and back pain conducted at the Touch Research Institute
at the University of Miami in 2001 found that: “Massage lessened
lower back pain, depression and anxiety, and improved sleep. The massage
therapy group also showed improved range of motion and their serotonin
and dopamine levels were higher.”
(International Journal of Neuroscience, 106, 131-145.)
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.
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