Massage therapy has now been proven a viable treatment option for low back pain. This is great news, since it is the number one reason people see their doctor. While it has been known for awhile that structural massage helps relieve back pain, recent studies have shown that Swedish massage (usually a more gentle and relaxing method) can offer just as much relief. After 10 weeks of treatment, patients reported their back pain had markedly lessened or disappeared. In fact, the results are astounding. Of the patients that received massage, 1 out of 3 patients reported an improvement in their symptoms while only 1 out of 25 felt better from usual care (medications, rest, and physical therapy). As a bonus, the benefits of bodywork were reported to last up to 6 months.
Massage is also a wonderful complement to acupuncture, which has been shown in a number of studies to effectively treat lower back pain, as well. In a large-scale study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, acupuncture when compared with patients receiving usual care found that, “Effectiveness of acupuncture, was almost twice that of conventional therapy.”
For those who opt out of taking medications and/or do not have a general physician, massage is a great alternative for treating back pain. There are no side effects, it can be more cost effective, and it’s an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two of your day.
With such simple solutions available, there is no reason to suffer. Book a massage today. Know that you are in good hands with Amy Court, our massage therapist, as she has a lot of experience treating lower back pain.
Resources:
German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for chronic low back pain: randomized, multicenter, blinded, parallel-group trial with 3 groups. Haake M, Müller HH, Schade-Brittinger C, Basler HD, Schäfer H, Maier C, Endres HG, Trampisch HJ, Molsberger A. Archrives of Internal Medicine. 2007 Sep 24;167(17):1892-8.
“Chronic Low Back Pain Eased By Massage.” Medical News Today: Health News. Web. 18 July 2011
