Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Research: Back Pain & Massage

99% of my clients complain of back pain, either lower or upper. It's not surprising: our back forms the structural center of our body. No wonder people need their backs massaged.


I recently read a study referenced on The Touch Research Institute website.  The study showed massage's efficacy in reducing back pain:

Massage therapy was compared to relaxation for chronic low back pain. By the end of the study, the massage therapy group, as compared to the relaxation group, reported less pain, depression and anxiety and improved sleep. They also showed improved trunk and pain flexion performance, and their serotonin and dopamine levels were higher.  (Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Krasnegor, J., & Theakston, H. (2001). Lower back pain is reduced and range of motion increased after massage therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience, 106, 131-145.)

Of course, we probably didn't need this study to tell us that massaging the back feels good.  But it's good to know for sure that it truly helps!

2 comments:

  1. Massage is the only natural way to redeem the pain. It just stimulates the tissues by rebuilding the blood flow. If our body is just left there with pain, Its a plague to eat the whole body with pain.

    Thanks for crisp update

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the comment, Houston! Yes, I recommend regular massage for all of my clients. The long-term benefit is remarkable.

    ReplyDelete