80% of Adults Experience Lower Back Pain
You are not alone, about 80 percent of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetimes. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days. Men and women are equally affected by low back pain, which can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp sensation that leaves the person unable to function normally. Pain can begin abruptly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time due to changes of the spine caused by posture or holding patterns. Sedentary lifestyles attributes to this pain by leading muscles down a dysfunctional path.
As a massage therapist I have worked with many clients to resolve musculoskeletal pain in the low back. Last month I had a client come in with severe low back pain which was affecting his day to day activity. After just 3 weeks of bi-weekly massages we were able to significantly decrease his pain and improve his range of motion.
In a study published in the February 2014 edition of Scientific World Journal, researchers investigated whether chronic low-back pain therapy with massage therapy alone was as effective as combining it with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.
The study was conducted on 59 individuals divided into two groups, all of whom suffered from low-back pain and were diagnosed with degenerative changes of the spine, other intervertebral disc diseases or spine pain.
In both patient groups, the pain measured was significantly reduced and the level of disability showed significant improvement compared to the baseline. Researchers concluded massage had a positive effect on patients with chronic low-back pain and propose that the use of massage causes fast therapeutic results and that, it could help to reduce the use of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of chronic low-back pain.
Relief from low back pain is just one of the many benefits massage therapy. Click here to check out some more benefits of massage!
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