massage for back pain
Back pain affects just about everybody at some stage in their life. Active and sporting people are no different - and massage for back pain provides a very quick and effective solution. Our Remedial Massage Therapists and Myotherapists assess the cause of your pain, and work to relieve symptoms and prevent recurrence.
Today for the first time in months I was able to walk without pain in my hips and lower back and legs! Chrissy
what is back pain?
'Back pain' can be caused by any number of issues - from bulged discs and nerve irritation to biomechanical dysfunction and weakness. Most people experiencing low back pain who are otherwise strong (gym junkies, athletes, generally active people) find the condition confusing and debilitating. It often comes with no warning and is strong enough to stop them participating in their chosen activity, so they stop for a while to rest but the next time they start again it starts to niggle again. Other people seem to get constant low-level pain during activity which they hope will go away when they 'strengthen their core', but it continues no matter what they do.
If your back pain also continues into your hip or leg, click here to learn about SCIATICA.
My scan shows significant findings, am i always going to have pain?
Many people with significant or long term back pain end up being referred for imaging such as X-Ray, CT or MRI. Often there will be indication of some type of injury or degeneration, such as a disc bulge, narrowing of the canal or facet joint arthritis. However, this may not correlate with the pain that you are experiencing, and indeed there have been studies that show a high percentage of the population who are asymptomatic (pain free) and also have these conditions.
This shows that the findings in the scans can be irrelevant in some cases - they may have been present before your pain started and don't indicate that you need to suffer with back pain forever more. We take any imaging findings into consideration, but look more generally at your posture, biomechanics, strength and pain patterns to determine the best treatment protocol for you.
This shows that the findings in the scans can be irrelevant in some cases - they may have been present before your pain started and don't indicate that you need to suffer with back pain forever more. We take any imaging findings into consideration, but look more generally at your posture, biomechanics, strength and pain patterns to determine the best treatment protocol for you.
How we treat it
Unlike physiotherapy, we have the luxury of long appointments at Pain Free Fitness: up to a full hour with your therapist or coach. With more hands-on time, we can get much faster results in terms of pain reduction and prevention of recurrence.
We don't just focus on releasing the local area around the low back to treat your pain. We go much more in depth to our assessment and treatment by addressing your specific regional neuromuscular patterns, biomechanical function and strength balance from your neck to your feet. From there, we treat by:
We don't just focus on releasing the local area around the low back to treat your pain. We go much more in depth to our assessment and treatment by addressing your specific regional neuromuscular patterns, biomechanical function and strength balance from your neck to your feet. From there, we treat by:
- addressing the balance or torsion of the pelvis to reduce mechanical pressure on the lumbopelvic region
- addressing any reduction in range of motion in the hips, which can significantly impact the mechanics of the lower back
- assessing the function of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and vertebral joints and ensuring proper function of the muscles around the lumbopelvic region
- releasing trigger points and muscular tension in the low back to stop referral pain to the hip area
getting you back into pain-free activity
Many of our clients express concern about getting back into the gym, sport or activity after stopping because of pain. They have been on the 'merry-go-round' where pain stops when they stop, but returns when they start again. This is where we can bridge the gap between traditional therapy and return to exercise.
The final part of our treatment will include a full movement assessment, taking into account your usual activities or sport. This enables us to establish your 'weakest links' (and likely cause of the issue) while actually performing your activity - not just while on the massage table. For example:
By going through this process, we can fully address the cause of your original pain, and prescribe you a specific program where the exercises constitute the final piece of the therapy puzzle. We use this as an education opportunity, and just about every client we work with has several lightbulb moments during these sessions as to why they move the way they do.
Our goal is for you to be able to self-manage your pain (rather than requiring ongoing therapy) and to re-program the way you move so you don't ever have to put up with this problem again. You will be stronger and have an improved overall foundation to build more strength and better performance.
If this process sounds like something you need, please click the button below to book a massage or myotherapy session.
The final part of our treatment will include a full movement assessment, taking into account your usual activities or sport. This enables us to establish your 'weakest links' (and likely cause of the issue) while actually performing your activity - not just while on the massage table. For example:
- For runners, can you stabilise the pelvis and efficiently absorb the forces when you are on one leg mid-stride? And can you then fully extend the hip to push forward, rather than use your low back to generate force?
- For gym junkies, do your lumbopelvic mechanics start with glute activation, or are the glutes inhibited by overachiving adductors and hip flexors? Is this natural patterning having an impact on your back pain?
By going through this process, we can fully address the cause of your original pain, and prescribe you a specific program where the exercises constitute the final piece of the therapy puzzle. We use this as an education opportunity, and just about every client we work with has several lightbulb moments during these sessions as to why they move the way they do.
Our goal is for you to be able to self-manage your pain (rather than requiring ongoing therapy) and to re-program the way you move so you don't ever have to put up with this problem again. You will be stronger and have an improved overall foundation to build more strength and better performance.
If this process sounds like something you need, please click the button below to book a massage or myotherapy session.