Your back has so many hard-working muscles
and ligaments that it's easy to experience strain and pain in different areas
throughout your life. Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment.
Osteopaths are registered practitioners who complete minimum accredited
university training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, general healthcare
diagnosis and osteopathic massage techniques. A key part of osteopathic
medicine is a massage technique called OMT, or osteopathic manipulative
treatment. In OMT, physicians use their hands as a primary tool to diagnose and
treat illness and injury. This form of manual medicine lets DOs examine the
back and other parts of the body such as joints, tendons, ligaments, and
muscles for pain and restriction during motion that could signal an injury or
impaired function. Although they sometimes focus on the back, these physicians
are not chiropractors. OMT is a
treatment very specific to how and where people injure themselves and how that
injury can lead to symptoms.
Massage
techniques are becoming more widely accepted in the medical community as a
credible treatment for many types of back pain and/or as an adjunct to other
medical treatments. Research shows that massage therapy has several potential
health benefits for back pain patients. It's common for people who have spinal
stenosis to become less active, in an effort to reduce pain. But that can lead
to muscle weakness, which can result in more pain. A physical therapist can
teach you exercises that may help:
- Building up your strength and
endurance
- Maintaining the flexibility and
stability of your spine
- Improving
your balance
Patients with chronic back pain are urged
to seek the advice of a spine specialist. The all-important first step to
relieve back and neck pain is to obtain a proper diagnosis. Back pain can be
caused by many problems including spinal stenosis, fibromyalgia,
spondylolisthesis, osteoporosis, compression fractures, and bone tumors. The
in-depth and specialized training spine physicians receive equips them to treat
a variety of disorders causing back and neck pain.
There are many therapeutic products
available for use in the home, such as hand-held massagers and massage pillows,
which are designed with the goal of mimicking some of the techniques used by
massage therapists. For people who have experienced significant pain relief
from massage and are interested in investing in a product that delivers
overall, massage-like benefits, a massage chair may be an option. Most massage
chairs are designed to mimic the Shiatsu and Swedish massage techniques, making
them potentially helpful for specific pain points in the back or neck and for
overall relaxation.
Physical therapy and exercise are an
important part of treatment plan. Your doctor can recommend a physical
therapist who can teach you specific exercises to help you manage. Each type of
massage techniques has its own benefits, so be sure to discuss your back pain
with your therapist. You may decide on one particular massage style and repeat
it with every visit, or you may decide to combine various styles at different
times. Either way, you'll discover how back massage can make you feel more
relaxed and relieved of pain, stress and tension.
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