Massage therapy can give you back-pain relief
Regular massages are often looked at as a luxury or treat rather than a necessity for a healthy lifestyle. Some people recognize that massage is good for aches and pain or that can it can help after a hard workout. What a lot of people don’t realize is that massage therapy is a great natural painkiller. It can be used to help with chronic back pain and reduce the amount of pain medication or muscle relaxers that they are taking.
It’s estimated that approximately 31 million Americans suffer from back pain in their lifetime. On average Americans spend more than $50 billion every year treating back pain. If you’re one of the millions Americans who suffers with back pain you know how horrible it can be. Chronic back pain that lasts more than three months can have negative effects on your quality of life and daily activity. Often times those who suffer from chronic back pain rely on daily medication to get through their day to day living.
The cycle of pain
There are two common cycles of pain involving quality of life and pain management. When people are in constant pain and have to stop exercising or limit their daily activities they usually experience more pain because of inactivity. Many people resort to taking pain killers to manage the pain but all that does is mask the problem. Some strong pain medications contain pain killer opioids like codeine which your body builds a tolerance to over time. This tolerance leads many to increase the dosage or frequency that can bring unwanted side effects.
The ideal treatment would give you a way to manage your back pain without side effects. Research has shown that what you need is a regular massage. Regular massages can help you start living a more active life and may help you decrease the amount of pain meds you take to manage your pain on a daily basis.
How massage helps back pain
If you’ve heard me speak about massage you know that massage doesn’t just help you relax. It also improves blood circulation, reduces stress, works wonders for your mood and it can help promote tissue repair. Recent research showed that regular massage therapy along with exercise has helped people suffering from chronic back pain reduce their pain, improve their quality of life as well as help them feel anxiety about their condition. The study, which was conducted at a pain management clinic in Western New York, was done on sixty chronic low back pain patients. The patients were split into two groups. One group had regular massages, twice a week for four weeks, along with their regular treatment, and the other group continued only with their prescribed treatments.
All of the participants recorded their own pain levels before and after their regular massages on a scale of one to ten. The participants who were having regular massages noted a significant difference between their pain rating before and after their massage sessions. The group who continued without massage therapy reported no change in their pain level.
If you struggle with back pain and want to try something different that will help without unwanted side effects make sure you book you’re your massage session now.