Can massage therapy help with low back pain in the long term?

 

Low back pain: a common complaint

One of the most frequent complaints we hear about from our clients is low back pain. Some clients present with episodes of pain that are acute, which means they came on suddenly. Others describe pain that is chronic: it’s been there on and off for months or even years. And they may go so far as to identify with the pain, i.e. “I’ve got a bad back.” Either way, it can be debilitating and prevent you from fully enjoying life. 

How and why does low back pain happen?

Low back pain can range from a dull ache and tightness to sharp spasms that make movement next to impossible. You might recall a specific incident, like the time you hoisted a heavy suitcase into a taxi after a flight. Or you are not quite sure how or when the pain came on. Sometimes clients come to us with a diagnosis and imaging from a physician. And a medical history that may even include surgical interventions for structural conditions of the spine. More often than not, however, your pain is unknown in cause.

For More Information: Low back pain Massage

Want to hear some good COVID-19 massage news? Massage Therapy with safety protocols is SAFE!

 

Hi! So, we have been open now since July 6th and steadily rebuilding our team. The first couple of weeks felt pretty stressful. We have a whole list of new safety protocols and cleaning procedures to practice. What once felt routine and easy (all the things that happen before and after your massage) has took a while to adjust to, but is now the new normal. It feels good to be able to share some good COVID-19 massage news. Whew!

Our track record over the past 4 months is now over 1,500 appointments since reopening with zero issues of covid transmission. Therefore, I feel that I can comfortably say that massage therapy is a safe activity with our safety protocols securely in place. Thank you to all NYC’ers for taking masks and social distancing seriously! All of our hard work is what’s allowing businesses to stay open and for us specifically to be able to offer medical massage in New York.

With the recent uptick in cases in NYC, we are re-instituting mandatory PCR covid testing for our therapists. Since we reopened, I myself have had 7 tests, all were negative. As long as testing is readily available, therapists will test every two weeks even though it’s not required by NYS. You can view the therapists’ test results here.

Great COVID-19 Massage News: Bodyworks DW has moved ahead to our “Stage 2” Reopening

We’ve had months of practicing our new massage safety measures and things are running smoothly. So, we have moved ahead from our “soft” reopening to our “stage 2” reopening. This means we are starting to bring more therapists back to work. And using all of our treatment rooms. And soon, bringing the front desk back to the office.

Part of our confidence stems from knowing that it’s not just our studio that has stayed covid-19 free. I’ve spoken with numerous other studio owners both in NYC, and in upstate NY. Thankfully, I haven’t heard about anyone running into problems with covid. That means that hundreds of therapists have been working on thousands of clients with no issues or infections.

So, if massage therapy was going to be a source of transmissions, we’d have heard something by now. We haven’t, which is great COVID-19 massage news!

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for transmissions to happen. A particular therapist in NYS (not at our studio!) could get lax with safety or be skirting the guidelines. Or a particular therapist could get lax with precautions outside of work and get the virus. But if massage therapy in general under the new guidelines was creating viral spread we would have heard about it by now from contact tracing programs. It’s wonderful to be able to say that medical massage in Midtown and Fidi at our studios is safe!

Massage Therapy Safety Protocols: A Quick Review

A lot of the changes we have made have been more on our side, including following CDC cleaning guidelines, setting up hand sanitizer stations, changing how we were storing linens, etc. Most of those are happening behind the scenes and don’t really change how you, as clients, experience getting a massage. We want to be transparent about them so that you can trust that we are keeping our studios clean. But in terms of what you actually “need to know” there are only really a few main changes.

For More Information: Massage Therapy New York

Massage for Arthritis: Everything You Need To Know About the Benefits

Arthritis is a scary word for most folks. It sounds like some kind of point of no return as we get older. Once we have it, the thinking goes, we just have to suffer with it. However, the reality is a lot more complex than that. The good news is that there are many ways to relieve the pain. Both at home, and with integrative medicine such as licensed massage therapy for arthritis. Getting massage therapy in New York for arthritis can be especially helpful. New York State has the highest education requirements for licensed massage therapy of any state. This includes hundreds of hours of training in medical massage.

What is Arthritis and how can Massage for Arthritis Help?

Any time that you see “itis” attached to a medical term it means “inflammation of.” Arth is short for arthron which is Latin for “joint.” Arthritis is simply a catch-all phrase referring to inflammation of a joint or joints.

There are several main types of arthritis…

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degeneration of the structures inside of the joint: bones and cartilage. It is usually due to overusing a joint, ie a wear and tear injury. It develops over time, first with the larger cartilage between the bones breaking down. Eventually the cartilage that encases the bone wears down as well. Then the bones start grinding together. Symptoms range depending on the severity of the degeneration. This can include stiffness and achiness, all the way to sharp debilitating pain.

For More Information: Massage Therapy in New York

How can massage therapy help sports injuries?

 

This blog discusses every detail on how massage therapy can help athletes with sports injuries and shares a focus on massage therapy for injury prevention. We have kept this blog short, precise, understandable, and informative to give you the best insight. Within the first section, we discuss a brief introduction to massage therapy and its relation to sports injury. In the next section, we discuss how massage therapy helps athletes with sports injuries. In the sub-divided section, we discuss each benefit, including better nutrition to muscles, quick recovery time, enhanced muscle flexibility, followed by how it helps to prevent over-training. In the last section, we talk about how massage therapy helps prevent sports injuries in the future. So, let's dig in. 

 

What are the benefits of Medical Deep Tissue Massage Therapy Treatment

 

Deep Massage therapy is best for people who want the whole body to experience therapeutic benefit. The relaxing massage by the therapist releases stress from your muscles, ligaments, and tendons and produces a calming effect on the body. The treatment is found effective against various diseases like diabetes, arthritis, etc. The blog highlights the meaning of deep tissue massage therapy treatment and its importance. So, if you are stressed or experiencing muscle soreness and pain, this treatment is the best solution. It is a relaxation tool that addresses various medical health problems. If you want to acquaint yourself with this therapy and its benefits, keep reading the blog. It is also beneficial for restoring physical and mental health.

 

medical deep tissue massage therapy treatment

How has sports massage in NYC benefited our clients? Part 1: Massage for Crossfit Injuries

 

Competitive athlete? Weekend warrior? Recreational fitness enthusiast? At Bodyworks DW, we work with a wide variety of active individuals. Our therapists provide custom-designed sports massage for crossfit sessions focused on helping you maximize your activity enjoyment. This can include sessions for injury recovery, injury prevention, tune-ups and maintenance. Sports massage in NYC for active people and athletes is hardly a luxury – it’s an investment!

Sports massage for crossfit provides targeted, therapeutic treatment tailored to the biomechanics and physical needs of the athlete. In other words, it’s not going to be like your typical fluff n’ buff spa massage  You’re going to be moving around a bit for analysis. You and your therapist will be working together on increasing range of motion and unwinding injuries. And you’re going to get some homework!

Curious how a sports massage for crossfit injuries in NYC might work for you? We’ve taken some of our most common client-athlete cases and given you a run-down of how a sports massage could benefit each one. Keep reading more to dive in!

Update August 2020: Sports massage for athletes is especially important right now after months of COVID-19 shutdowns! We’ve all been trying to exercise via Zoom in ways that we aren’t used to and without the ability of trainers to give us hands-on adjustments to form and posture. Most of us are feeling more pain and stress than we are used to and could use a tune up 

All-Around Athletes: CrossFitter (CrossFit, Boot Camp)

The CrossFit community is known for its high-intensity, highly variable workouts. These incorporate anything from gymnastics to Olympic weightlifting to aerobic conditioning. In particular, CrossFit places a high demand on the shoulders. There are a lot of overhead movements. And also plenty of movements that require quite a bit of shoulder stability AND mobility. We get a lot of clients coming in for sports massage for CrossFit with shoulder injuries from pushing a bit too much too soon. 

Shoulder stability and mobility is a complex interaction between the scapular-thoracic interface and the glenohumeral (GH) joint. The scapulae (shoulder blades) sit near the upper half and outside portions of the back of the rib cage. The GH joint (or shoulder joint) is at the side of your upper arm. It’s where your arm attaches to your shoulder. Both have to work together to keep your entire upper body properly positioned when doing any overhead movement. 

For More Information: Sports massage NYC

How to get a great massage in New York that exceeds your expectations

 

Satisfaction in life has mostly to do with things turning out about how we expect, or better. When things happen below our expectations, we tend to be dissatisfied. I train my industry leading massage therapists at Bodyworks DW on intake and outtake with new clients. A lot of that training goes into how to help clients have realistic goals and expectations for a medical massage in New York. In general, that means helping some clients realize that massage has a lot more to offer than simply relaxation and stress relief. And also helping other clients realize that for most pain issues it takes more than one session to completely relieve their issue. 

Massage in New York can help relieve pain for the long term

If your experience of massage is limited to the occasional hotel spa massage while on vacation… You likely view it as a form of relaxation and stress relief. And no more. If you are in real pain, you’ll go to a chiropractor, physical therapist, or straight to the hospital. And for most massage therapists working at a hotel spa, you are not wrong to think of massage in this limited way. The training requirements for massage therapists vary greatly from state to state. Not to mention country to country. 

For example, here are the training requirements for 4 popular vacation states, and the New York requirements:

• Florida – 500 hours and NCETMB or MBLEx
• California – 500 hours and MBLEx or NCBTMB
• Virginia – 500 hours and MBLEx
• Texas – 500 hours and MBLEx or NCETMB
• New York – 1000 hours and state exam

MBLEx is the “massage and bodywork licensing exam” and is used by many states in the US. NCETMB is the “National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork” test. Both are multiple-choice question tests of a massage therapist’s knowledge. This includes anatomy, technique, and professional ethics. 

For More Information:  Deep tissue massage in midtown 

Deep Tissue Massage for Back Pain: What are the Best Therapeutic Techniques?

 

Back pain massage is one of the most common requests of our massage therapy clients. Deep tissue massage for back pain can be a life saver! Our spine protects and houses a large part of our central nervous system. When trauma or dysfunction happens to your body, it is going to want to protect this region first. One way that your body does this is by sending pain signals to the area. The pain is a signal to rest and heal. Unfortunately, with our busy lives, we tend to ignore this signal. 

“Splinting” (ie contracting) the spinal muscles is another way that your body protects itself. This can help with an immediate injury. But it can exacerbate chronic back pain and tightness. Back pain massage is a holistic approach to rectify this dysfunction. Therapists communicate through touch to your nervous and muscular systems. The massage helps your brain understand that the original injury has healed. When your brain processes that it realizes that it doesn’t need to protect anymore. So it lets your back muscles go. The splinting is no longer necessary.  

Great massage therapists employ many different deep tissue massage techniques

Back pain can be the result of a wide variety of neuromuscular issues. And responses to various kinds of trauma. Therefore, our approach for each client case is unique. Crafting an effective massage requires an understanding of how each technique is going to affect your specific body. Each technique has a specific intention. And also produces a different sensation and result. Massage therapists frequently combine techniques to achieve an overall result. This includes reduction in pain, tightness, and restriction!

Deep tissue massage techniques are most effective for long term back pain relief

Deep tissue massage does involve a higher intensity group of techniques. However, deep tissue massage techniques should not simply to beat up your body. Or cause you unbearable pain! There is a point past which more pressure has no therapeutic benefit. And only causes more pain.

The name deep tissue massage indicates that the techniques are going to produce more intense feelings. This is due to the higher applied pressure and greater specificity of this pressure. However, the sensations should always be bearable to be effective. You should be able to breathe through the intensity. And not flinch or tighten other muscles. The techniques discussed below all fall under the larger umbrella of deep tissue massage.

For More Information: Back pain massage in Midtown