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Can Massage Therapy Really Help Your Back Pain?

If done correctly, massage therapy can really work wonders for people with back pain. It may not always be the right choice, and it may not work for everyone. But most people will get good results if the massage therapist has a good understanding of the human body, muscle imbalances, and how to work with them.

A word of caution: Massage therapy should never be considered a substitute for proper medical attention.

Massage therapy has grown in popularity and credibility to the point where the practice is now commonplace for those who suffer from back pain. There is no denying the positive effects massage can have on the body.

Most massage therapists use a variety of techniques during a session, such as energy techniques and stretching, along with traditional massage.

 The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami has coordinated over 100 studies that document the therapeutic effects of massage. One study on massage and back pain found that massage decreased back pain and depression while also improving sleep and range of motion for most joints.

What to look for in a massage therapist

As in many other professions, there are varying degrees of training and qualifications a massage therapist can have. It is up to you to find one who is trained in techniques that actually address issues of back pain. Some of the more popular styles of massage for back pain are: orthopedic massage and medical massage.  It would also be a good idea to look for a massage therapist who has comprehensive knowledge of muscle imbalances relating to back pain.

How does massage therapy provide relief?

You probably have heard that massage improves circulation, right? But exactly what does that mean? Well, throughout our bodies we have a clear fluid (lymph) that circulates around the body tissues. At the same time, we may have inflammation, which is an immune response to injury or infection that causes pain, redness, heat, and swelling in the affected area - in our muscles, around our muscles and even in the joints.

When the inflammation starts to accumulate in the body, the excess fluid will put pressure on blood vessels and our circulation will decrease, limiting blood flow to that area. As the pressure increases, it irritates the nerves, which will cause you to have pain.

 By helping the body remove excess lymph and inflammation, massage therapy can make your blood flow better, which will reduce the pressure that is irritating the nerves and get rid of your pain.

Massage provides a number of other benefits: relaxing the muscles, improved range of motion, improved sleep, and increased production of endorphins, which will improve your mood.

Is massage all you need to get relief?

As helpful as it is, massage has a very limited scope and cannot fully address your condition. It's great for removing inflammation and providing relaxation, but back pain is a physical condition that requires a physical solution.

A massage therapist may stretch your body a little. But that's not a substitute for identifying muscle imbalances and postural dysfunctions and then developing a very specific and very targeted action plan to correct them and restore the body's natural harmony.

If massage is part of an overall plan that includes working with a trained expert in muscle imbalances and postural dysfunctions, then you may be on to something. Unfortunately, most people don't go this route. The ones who do will get the best and fastest results.

When you go see a massage therapist ask the therapist what approach he or she will be taking so you know what to expect. The massage therapist has many different techniques to use to deal with your back pain, and some are better than others.

Is Your Job Killing Your Back?

If you’ve ever suffered from back pain, the problem most likely has nothing to do with your back.

Let me explain...

In today’s world, our bodies are constantly contorted into positions that are abnormal for us.
Whether it’s working at your desk for 8... 9... 10 hours a day, commuting to work or relaxing and watching television, your body isn’t meant to stay in the “sitting” position for very long.

What’s the result? Your body becomes misaligned… specifically your hips.

After a prolonged period of time, your hips start to pull on the tendons and ligaments that connect it to your back. And this pulling is what causes the sharp or dull back pain the majority of Americans who suffer from.

If you were to go to a regular doctor, you’d probably be told to do some stretches to “fix” your back.

But there’s a problem with this solution.
 
Most of these stretches are designed to loosen your joints. And the key factor that these doctors don’t know about is that you don’t want loose joints. You want them to be tight. Tight joints mean stable and strong joints. And help prevent injury in the first place.

That’s why I recommend the following stretches . It helps realign your hips to relieve stress on your back, but also works to help keep your joints nice and tight to help avoid injury in the future.

Here are some stretches from my friends over at the Healthy Back Institute that you'll want to perform daily to avoid back pain:

• Shoulder Stretch: You need to stretch and develop these muscles because they are very susceptible to injury. And tight shoulder muscles contribute to back and neck pain, especially if your head and shoulders droop forward.

How To: Stand in an open doorway. Raising your arm to a 90-degree angle with palm facing out, press your hand and shoulder against the wall and doorjamb. You should feel the wall against your armpit. Slowly increase the tension as you push forward. Hold for a 10 count. Then repeat with the other arm.

• Hip Flexors: You need to do this stretch, particularly if you sit all day at work. Sitting all day puts pressure on the hip flexor muscles. This is a major cause of minor lower back pain. Stretching your hip flexors muscles several times a week will prevent this kind of lower back pain.

How To: Stand in a modified runner stance, with right foot forward and left foot back, feet flat on floor. Put your hands on your hips and keep your back and hips in straight alignment.

 Push forward with your hips, while maintaining your erect posture. Slowly, push your hips forward only until you feel a comfortable level of tension. Hold for a 10 count. Switch sides by reversing your leg stance and repeat.

Give these a try. They work for me. Start off every other day and go from there. Consistency’s the key.

 

To Your Good Health

3 Common Back Pain Questions Answered

 

Millions of people struggle with back pain and fail to get lasting relief and the primary reason is a lack of knowledge and understanding about back pain. So the purpose of this article is to educate and inform anyone suffering from back pain by answering these common questions and by giving specific recommendations and actions to take.

Question #1 - Is my excess weight causing my back pain?

 

While excess body weight is a factor, it by itself typically isn't enough to create a condition that would cause back pain. Excess body weight in the form of excess body fat can worsen a pre-existing condition and can also make recover more difficult.

Also, it's important to understand that if you are overweight it's very likely that your muscles are out of balance. When your muscles are out of balance, it forces your body to function and move in an unbalanced way and this places uneven pressure, strain and wear tear on your body. And it's this process that is responsible for creating any conditions or physical dysfunctions that are causing the pain. Unfortunately, most people aren't even aware when this is happening with their body. 

Action to take:

Don't worry so much about your weight right now. First focus on eliminating your back pain by identify the muscle imbalances that are throwing your body out of balance and work on improving and correcting them. Then, once your back is feeling better you can focus more on losing weight. 

Question #2 - I've tried everything but nothing has worked, what should I do?

 

First off, while it may seem like you've exhausted every possible treatment, it's not likely that you've tried everything. So unless you've given up and plan on living the rest of your life in pain, you need to make the decision to be open-minded and continue to identify and experiment with other available treatment options. But, before you try any other treatments, it's important that you understand why what you've already tried hasn't worked.

The reason nearly all back pain treatments fail to deliver long-term relief is because they treat just the symptoms and fail to address the actual, underlying cause. For example, let's talk about back surgery. While removing a piece of a herniated disc may, if you're lucky, reduce or eliminate your pain, the fact is it didn't deal with what caused the disc to herniate in the first place.

In fact, a study published in the June 2004 issue of Spine, an international journal for the study of the spine, found that 40% of people who underwent back surgery had no decrease in their pain even though their doctor/surgeon had assured them of the results.

So in order for you to get long-term, lasting relief you need to identify and address the underlying cause of your pain.

Action to take:

Identify the underlying cause of your pain by identifying the muscle imbalances that are creating your physical dysfunctions and conditions. Make sure any treatment you are given or perform addresses both the symptoms (condition and pain) and the cause (muscle imbalances and dysfunctions).

Question #3 - My doctor told me not to exercise, what should I do?

 

Find a new doctor. Too many research studies have shown that people with back pain who avoid exercise and activity, end up suffering longer and have a more difficult time getting relief.

While you may need to rest for a few days initially to let things settle down, after that you will get better results by staying active because by continuing to move you keep your blood circulating and your muscle active, which will prevent them from getting weaker.

But that's not enough.

Even though staying active may help; it's not enough to get rid of the underlying cause of the pain. In order to do that, you must identify and address your imbalances and dysfunctions.

And the generic exercises that almost every back pain sufferer receives from their healthcare professional, may or may not help it can even worsen the condition. And the reason is, these exercises do not address the specific muscle imbalances and dysfunctions that are responsible for their pain.

Action to take:

If your doctor or healthcare professional hasn't taken the time to educate about the effect of muscle imbalances and importance of performing targeted and specific, corrective exercises and stretches, it's time to look elsewhere

Conclusion

If you're a back pain sufferer, you well know that these are just a few of the many questions that you may have. The fastest way for you to get lasting relief from back pain is to become an expert on it and your body and you do that be educating yourself

.

I strongly encourage you to learn as much as you can about back pain, how it develops and the various treatment options that are available. And lastly, stay focused and don't give up.

 

Do you have Back Pain on your Left or Right side?

Back pain on the Right or Left side of your body, is a somewhat vague description and is not a diagnosis of your condition. It is highly recommended that you get a proper diagnosis of your back pain in order to know what course of treatments you will need to undergo.

 There are two considerations you need to know about when you are getting evaluated, the first is the diagnosis proper and then you should also have the medical professional give you the physical reason why you have the condition that you do.

Getting a MRI or X-Ray of your back can give you your diagnosis but it can not tell you why you have the condition.

In the absence of trauma, there are many different physical variables that can contribute to your back pain being on the right or left side of your body. How your stand, how your carry heavy objects, which foot is dominate, which leg is stronger, which side of your body is tighter and the list can go on. The common theme is, how far out of balance are you and which side of your body is tighter and stronger then the other.

Let me give you an example of how being in balance can help you, imagine your body is perfect, it's in balance with it self, it's in harmony with its self and does not have pain of any kind, that is a reach for some, I know but follow me for a minute.

Now, If a body begins fall out of balance and out of harmony with its self, that body has begun the process of degenerative changes and the degenerative changes lead to pain and depending on where the imbalances are will determine if your back pain is on the left or the right side of your body.

In order to control degenerative change you need to identify your imbalances and then work backwards to minimize the effects on the body.

So if you and your health care professional can take the diagnosis and then look at the physical reason why you have your condition you will be on your way to relief of your back pain regardless if its on the right or left side of your body.


If you would like more information on how to look for the physical reasons of your chronic back pain please read the article on Muscle Balance Therapy™ it this article we describe why traditional treatments fail and what you need to know in order to get lasting relief.

The Top 8 Pain-Fighting Agents For Getting Rid Of Sore... Achy... Worn-Out... Painful Muscles And Joints!

Menthol

 

Menthol increases blood flow and circulation to the area it's applied which helps eliminate waste in the blood and speeds healing.

Although it works so wonderfully well... most pain relief creams add huge amounts which cause it to burn your skin, fingers and eyes and make you smell to high heaven!

And unlike other pain relieving creams such as Bengay and Icy Hot, the menthol in our pain relief cream has been "titrated" (e.g. energized to produce 2x the effectiveness)

http://www.losethebackpain.com/aff/index.php?p=bcharlie&w=ROR

Ignatia

Ignatia has been used by Chinese doctors for centuries to help calm the nerves and relieve pain due to emotional upset.

Ever notice how tight and sore your muscles get around the time when you're stressed?

This happens because as your mind gets more stressed... your muscles tighten up and it restricts blood flow.

... and increases pain!

By helping to relax the muscles and nerves you'll experience more blood flow which releases the pressure pushing down on the nerves... which gives you more mobility in your joints and muscles and less pain!

Baja

Naja quickly and effectively reduces pain by heading straight to the pain-center of your body... your nerves!

Like a bucket of water covering a roaring forest fire to smother the inflammation... Naja works within your nerves to heal and soothe your pain.

Phosphorous

Phosphorous assists in the contraction of muscles, the functioning of kidneys and maintaining the regularity of the heartbeat.

... which therefore helps reduce the agonizing burning sensation you feel in your muscles by regulating the nerves which are sending the "pain" message to your brain!

I don't know about you, but I've experienced burning sensations within my muscles in the past and it's no laughing matter!

Rhus Tox

Ever undergo a surgical procedure such as getting your tonsils removed, having an appendectomy (removing your appendix) or any procedure at the dentist?

If so... Rhus Tox was most likely one of the ingredients which helped you get through the terrible pain and recover faster!

Rhus Tox has been used for over 200 years for complaints such as sprains... arthritic pain... backaches... stiffness in the joints... rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis... osteoarthritis... cramps... and even restless leg syndrome!

Lachesis Mutus

The most important effect of Lachesis mutus is its blood-thinning, or anticoagulant, function.

This action enhances blood flow and facilitates the healing process by hastening the removal of toxins from the blood.

By improving blood flow it also removes your toxins which reduces the pain-causing swelling in your joints.

MSM

MSM is included in every joint medication for a reason.

IT WORKS!

MSM delivers vital sulphur to your connective tissue to form health bonds in your cells and joints for faster healing and pain relief.

Research reported in The Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine found that in a recent study, MSM resulted in an 80% reduction in pain when compared to the placebo group.

MSM has been proven many times over to be a very effective and completely safe pain reliever.

Belladonna

Before the Middle Ages, Belladonna was taken as an anesthetic for surgery.

That's how powerful it is!

Today it's used in many cough syrups to take away the pain in your throat... as well as alleviating the symptoms of intestinal inflammation, menstrual cycles, and is even being used in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

If You Hate How Icy Hot & Bengay BURN Your Skin… Or Make Your Fingers STINK To High Heaven… You'll LOVE THIS!

I don't know about you, but when I USED to use the "typical" pain relief creams such as Icy Hot and Bengay... I despised the way it made my fingers smell and my skin burn.

Stop burning your fingers and skinand try Rub On Relief today!