blog
january 07, 2010 09:15pm
Easing Back Pain With Massage
There's good news on the horizon for the millions of Americans who suffer from low back pain. Some studies have found moderate to strong evidence of the positive benefits of massage in treating this chronic, pervasive problem. In studies such as "Lower Back Pain is Reduced and Range of Motion Increased After Massage Therapy" (conducted in 2000 and published in the International Journal of Neuroscience), massage therapy not only eased chronic low back pain in adults, it also reduced depression and anxiety, improved range of motion and sleep, and increased serotonin and the catecholamine dopamine biochemical levels.
The findings of such studies are compelling and encouraging, as these data may suggest that massage therapy effectively reduces back pain, can positively impact the biochemical system, and attenuates psychological symptoms associated with back pain. Since the problem of chronic low back pain has such an adverse affect on job productivity and work absenteeism in our country, there is great hope that if the positive effects of massage therapy in back pain studies can continue to be replicated, it will be highly beneficial to the millions who suffer from the condition.
Why does massage seem to be so effective in treating back pain? Because, in essence, alleviating pain is one thing massage therapists are trained to do, whether they do it directly by gently manipulating and palpating muscles and soft tissues, or indirectly by reducing overall stress and tension in the body, allowing the patient to relax. Massage therapists are trained in anatomy, physiology, and pathology, and they spend many hours concentrating on and performing bodywork. Whether it is lower back pain, arthritis or fibromyalgia, massage may be able to relieve the associated pain. Happily, massage is completely compatible with other therapies such as chiropractic and acupuncture treatments.
The beauty of all this is that studies are clearly showing that massage is one way to ease pain, but more importantly, there are plenty of undocumented instances occurring everyday in which people are experiencing pain relief from massage. Each individual, however, experiences pain differently and for different reasons, so it's important to consult your physician or health care professional for diagnosis and treatment advice. All in all, it can be argued that all of this research, along with the unreported success stories happening all the time, is giving a renewed since of hope to chronic pain sufferers.
