One of
the most common requests of massage therapy clients is back pain massage. Deep
tissue massage techniques can be life savers! 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 meant as a
signal to rest and heal. Unfortunately, with our busy lives, we tend to ignore
this signal.
The
other way that your body protects itself is by “splinting” (contracting) the
muscles surrounding your spine. While this can help with an immediate injury,
it can exacerbate chronic back pain and tightness. Back pain massage is a holistic approach to
rectify this dysfunction. Therapists communicate to the nervous and muscular
systems that the original injury has healed. When the brain processes that it
doesn't need to protect anymore 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 trauma. Therefore, the 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 that includes reduction in
pain, tightness, and restriction!
