Massage away Back Pain

Back Massage - a proven method to relieve Back Pain
By Dr. Michael Berke Massage Master.net, L.L.C.

Causes - Back Pain
In 95% of back pain cases, the cause is linked to the way the bones, ligaments, and muscles of the back work together. It comes on suddenly, but can also be due to strain over time rather than a result of overdoing it just once. Most people who suffer from this sort of back pain are adults. The pain is often in the low back, and may also spread (due to nerve pressure) to the buttocks and thighs. It will come and go at different levels of activity.

Back Pain Triggers
1. Poor posture
2. Lack of exercise
3. Standing or bending down for long periods of time
4. Sitting in a chair that doesn’t provide back support
5. Sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t provide enough back support
6. Lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling loads that are simply too heavy, or done in the wrong way
7. A trip or a fall

Poor posture is the most common cause of back pain. Poor posture can weaken muscles and strain joints, leading to repeated episodes of pain. There are other causes of back problems that are much less common. Compression of a nerve root, which is usually caused when a vertebral disc becomes displaced or bulges out from its normal position, can cause the radiation of pain down the extremity. This is called a slipped disc. The pain is sometimes called sciatica when in the buttock, thigh and leg because the nerve that runs down each leg is called the sciatic nerve.
Ways to relieve - Back Pain
Pain in the upper back is usually located in the rhomboids, which are the muscles underneath each scapula (wing bones). The pain usually feels like a huge knot between your shoulders. To get relief, lay face down and pull your arm back so that the top of your hand is resting on your back. Your scapula will protrude out a little more to make getting to the rhomboids more accessible. Have your partner use good amount of pressure or a “trigger point” tool to stroke the muscle until it softens. Pain in the mid-back can be relieved by massaging the areas on each side of the spine. The spine frequently carries tension from day to day stress, emotional anxieties, and incorrect posture. Low back pain can be helped with a combination of stretching and deep pressure to the low back. A good stretch to do is to lie on the floor and bring the legs up to the chest one at a time. Hold the position for at least a minute.

Despite the common-sense notion that massage therapy can help ease back pain, few scientific studies have confirmed beneficial results - until recently. Since 1999, four major randomized, controlled trials and one systematic literature review have evaluated the efficacy of massage for treating back pain. The most recent (and perhaps most convincing) of the five appeared in the April 23, 2001 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine5, a publication of the American Medical Association. In their conclusion, lead author Daniel Cherkin and colleagues note: "Therapeutic massage was effective for persistent low back pain, apparently providing long-lasting benefits. Traditional Chinese Medical acupuncture was relatively ineffective. Massage might be an effective alternative to conventional medical care for persistent back pain."

Is massage an effective therapeutic treatment for back pain? No doubt about it. It's good to see that, slowly but surely, the research is proving what the massage community, and the people it serves, have always known. Please be aware that Back Pain can have other causes as well so I suggest that the first step is proper diagnosis by a health care professional.

If you have any questions related to this subject, feel free to email me at relax@massagemaster.net

After 20 years of clinical practice treating all sorts of back conditions, I discovered & patented a powerful new way for people with Back Pain, Spasm & Stress to easily reduce their pain and work on their Posture. Learn easy massage & back pain relief at home-Imagine getting a massage anytime you want it". Dr. Michael Berke- Chiropractor/ Inventor http://www.massagemaster.net/