A complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice known as therapeutic massage treatment involves manipulating the body’s soft tissues with specific hand-on techniques. Therapeutic massage seeks to cause cellular alterations in the soft tissues that advance healing, lessen pain, and improve general wellness.
Goals of massage therapy
Massage treatment may have both physical and psychological consequences. Massage stimulates blood vessels, collagen fibres, muscle and tendon tissue, and nerve cells in the lower back and may result in one or more of the following modifications:
- Decrease muscular and tendon stiffness
- Increase in joint range of motion and tissue flexibility
- Lessen soft tissue edema and inflammation
- Lessen the development of scar tissue
- Reduce pain by influencing blood flow in the muscles, which in turn encourages nutrient exchange and toxins’ clearance.
The hormones serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins—which lessen pain, control sleep and mood, and encourage relaxation—are also increased by massage.
While patients normally choose massage treatment on a personal level, some primary care doctors may recommend massage therapy to their patients in order to treat back discomfort.
Common Massage Techniques for Lower Back Pain
Different massage therapy in cambridge modalities may be taken into consideration depending on the treatment objectives. Each style of massage uses a distinct methodology to move the tissue and achieve the desired results.
- Neuromuscular massage or trigger point therapy: A type of manual therapy known as neuromuscular massage focuses on the myofascial trigger points that are believed to be the source of musculoskeletal pain. These trigger points are very sensitive, taut bands of muscular tissue that, when activated, cause pain.
- Swedish massage: Swedish massage works to relax the soft tissues by repeatedly using lengthy strokes, kneading, and elongating motions to loosen the tissues and improve blood flow.
- Hot stone massage: A hot stone massage uses heated basalt stones to massage the skin or place them in specified spots on the body as a kind of relaxation and healing therapy.
- Yoga massage: This massage method, also referred to as Thai yoga massage or Thai massage, combines the advantages of moderate yoga stretching with massage strokes. The body’s “sen” or energy lines are followed by the massage strokes.
- Shiatsu: Shiatsu massage is a Japanese bodywork therapy that uses the fingers, thumbs, elbows, and/or knees to apply deep, firm pressure along particular energy lines or meridians in the body in an effort to facilitate healing.