Is a Deep Tissue Massage Good for Lower Back Pain?
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people come to us for massage therapy. A deep tissue massage can help relieve back pain. Our spine plays an important role in protecting our nervous system, so when something goes wrong in the body, it often reacts by trying to protect the spine. One way it does this is by sending pain signals, which indicate to slow down and let your body heal. However, with busy schedules, many people often ignore this massage therapy.
Another way the body protects the spine is by tightening the muscles around it, which is known as splinting. While this can be helpful after an injury, it can also result in long-term pain and stiffness if it continues too long. Back pain massage helps to fix this issue naturally. Through massage, massage therapists at Urban Motion Clinic can help your muscular system and nervous system talk to each other. The massage sends signals to your brain that the injury is no longer there, and once your brain accepts this thing, it stops trying to protect the area. As a result, your muscles can finally relax, and the pain and tightness start to ease.
Should You Try a Massage to Relieve Long-Term Back Pain?
Massage therapists at Urban Motion Clinic use more focused and stronger techniques. However, it’s not meant to hurt you or make you feel overwhelmed with the massage. There is a point where adding more pressure doesn’t help and just causes pain.
The term “deep tissue” means the massage will feel more intense because of the more precise and stronger pressure. Still, the pressure should always feel manageable. We have expert massage therapists in Hong Kong who are well aware of the techniques used during massage, so you can feel relaxed. Here, we have mentioned a few techniques used in deep tissue massage therapy:
- Myofascial Release
Myofascial release uses slow strokes to work on the fascia of the body. Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that resides between your muscles and skin. It runs throughout your body, connecting tendons, muscles, and ligaments. On a microscopic level, it acts like glue that is responsible for holding your body’s cells together.
This deep tissue technique applies consistent and gentle pressure to loosen up the fascia. For many individuals, this helps alleviate stiffness and pain. It can also help you move freely.
The muscles most often treated with this method for back pain are the spinal erectors and the quadratus lumborum. Glutes and back-of-the-leg muscles can also affect back pain. Front-body muscles like the abs, psoas, diaphragm, and chest muscles also play a big role. All of these areas can be treated well with myofascial release.
- Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy is a very focused deep tissue technique. It uses just the tip of a finger or thumb to apply pressure to specific spots, known as trigger points. These are tender areas in muscles that often cause pain in other parts of the body. People often call them “knots,” though they’re really just small, tight spots in the muscle.
In this therapy, the therapist presses and holds the trigger point for a short time. At first, this may increase the pain or discomfort in that area or somewhere else. But after a moment, the tight spot relaxes and the pain often fades. Working on these points can reduce pain and help you move more easily. Trigger points in the lower back, glutes, upper legs, and connective tissue around the spine are common causes of back pain. Releasing these areas can provide you with relief.
Conclusion
Deep tissue massage is a natural way to relieve lower back pain, especially when performed by trained professionals. At Urban Motion Clinic, our experienced massage therapists use techniques like Myofascial Release and Trigger Point Therapy to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue that often contribute to back pain.