Do you feel tension in your upper or lower back?
Many suffer from back pain and while often dull and constant, it may include moments of sharp, shooting pain. The causes vary, yet there is hope with massage therapy as a quality solution to pain. The accounts below represent some true stories from our clients. Of course names have been changed.
Pain from computer work
Jen works as a bookkeeper at a small accounting office, reviewing documents, making phone calls and approving payments. Most of her work involves sitting in front of a computer screen, typing for over six hours each day.
She gets up to stretch and take breaks on occasion. Recently while beginning to stand up, she felt a searing pain run from the base of her neck to the middle of her back. Her pain was excruciating. Whenever she does a reaching movement, as in picking up the phone, the sharp stabbing pain returns.
In a study of computer office workers, researchers found nearly 55% of participants reported neck and shoulder problems. With computers all but ubiquitous, most people have experienced the sharp pain at the base of the neck which can grow to run up and down the spinal column and across the shoulders.
To help Jen, we combined techniques of Structural Integration Massage (anchoring and call for motion) to affect the fascia, and Ortho-Bionomy, to work with the proprioceptive reflexes within the joints and muscles. To get someone out of pain does not require more pain, but instead a massage with techniques that quickly deescalate the heightened nerve tissue embedded within the muscles and fascia.
In addition to massage, regular forms of exercise to strengthen weak muscles, combined with stretching shortened muscles, will help to decrease pain felt from daily computer work. In this case, this is a typical upper-cross pattern where the upper back is over stretched and weakened, needing to be strengthened with exercise. The front of the upper torso needs stretching and massage.
Low back pain
James works construction. He had difficulty sleeping due to low back pain, and the poor sleep was exacerbating his pain. We all need quality sleep to allow our bodies to enter NREM sleep and repair muscles. He had never tried massage before, but decided it was worth trying to break the pain and poor sleeping cycle. The relationship between pain and sleep works in both directions. Poor posture, according to WebMD’s area on Pain Management, can be a cause of musculoskeletal pain – and this includes sleeping positions which may put stress on similar muscle groups from one’s daily activity.
For James, sitting most of the day on large equipment and twisting to operate the payloader and backhoe caused both low back pain and upper neck and shoulder pain. The pain for James’s low back had been more alarming, so we addressed that first. We found both his Psoas muscles to be short and tight, and we found his Glutes to be weak. Additionally there was some rotation in the lower lumbar spine. It is typical of the lower-cross syndrome to have short, tight hip flexors and weak Glutes. Adding insult to injury, his sleeping position aggravated the pain. He slept predominantly on his abdomen, where he carried excess weight. Both his work and sleep accentuated the lumbar rotation.
We addressed the tight short Psoas with slow, deep fascial release work, some anchoring of the soft tissue, and having James do movement to help reeducate the body’s need for movement and length in the area. To address the minor twist in the lumbar we did Ortho-Bionomy releases, along with addressing obliques and Quadratus lumborum. We recommended proper strength and exercise by hiring a personal trainer who can design a program specifically for him. As far as his sleep position, side-sleeping with proper pillows positioned under the head, arm, and legs can keep a twist from happening in the low back, and the spine in good alignment.
Stress affects of back pain
Catherine was a mother of adult children. One of her daughters had lost her job and needed to move in with Catherine. The daughter had two young children, and was divorced. Fear, worry, the unknown, and readjusting to the new living situation all caused Catherine’s back to go into spasms.
The erector spinae are a group of muscles running along the spine.They can become very hyper-toned and cause back and neck pain. At PainScience.com, Paul Ingraham suggests these muscles “often feel ropy and hard.” “Along with the shoulders, lower back, and hips, it’s another common spot for stress and anxiety to express itself,” he adds.
We all experience stress in different ways. When we cannot attribute our pain to an activity, it may be that our reaction to the stresors in our life is the cause. For Catherine, we focused on long flowing strokes, a deep Swedish massage, and added some essential oils thought to help calm the nerves.
How does massage relieve pain?
According to a study by the American Massage Therapy Association, 89% of respondents said they believe massage therapy can be an effective form of pain relief, and 28% have used massage therapy for that specific purpose. In a Consumer Reports survey, 84% of respondents found massage therapy helpful in treating back pain.
“Knots” and tightness in the body cause many painful symptoms. There are still many theories on why massage relieves some of these symptoms. A study done in 2011 by Mark Tarnopolsky, a neurometabolic researcher showed massage compression on muscle tissue turns some genes off and others on. Those associated with inflammation get turned off, while those needed for repair get turned on.
The theory that massage helps release toxins, and therefore one must drink more water after a massage is just that, a theory. Many therapists, will recommend drinking water after a massage. The idea is to help the body flush out toxins. However there has been no studies to confirm this theory. Tarnopolsky’s study was the first to show on a bio-chemical and physiological level, what mechanisms are at work to reduce pain. Research has shown that massage may benefit some patients, but additional studies are needed to test the various theories and to determine how massage affects the body.
We do know this, massage feels good and can help with stress reduction and complaints of pain for many people. When there is less pain, we can move more easily. We know movement, stretching and strengthening, will keep us moving with less pain. And we know drinking water is healthy, but research has not identified the mechanism in massage that may affect water’s effect on the body.
Theories and research aside, take good care of yourself, and start with schedule your on line appointment, or call us to set up your appointment.
