Massage Took Me From Chronic Back Pain To Pain Free

By Peter Zodrofsky

I had originally thought that body massage therapy would be a soothing, gentle massage that would lessen the ever present tightness in my lower back and shoulders. I was wrong.

I made an appointment at the insistence of my employer because the neck and shoulder pain I had experienced for many years was becoming worse due to the way I sat at my computer.

I was led into a pleasant room with soft lighting and was requested to strip down to my underwear and lay face down on the table. My head sat in a donut shaped holder and there was an arm rest on either side of the table. The massage therapist entered and asked me some questions about my pain and then began to work.

It was just about the most excruciating pain I have ever felt.

Deep tissue massage is used to break up the tightness in the muscle tissue and retrain the muscles. Although the first few sessions seemed to hurt a lot more than they helped, I persisted, coming three times per week for a month. At the end of the second month, I had started to actually look forward to each session and noticed that I had stopped clenching my jaw so much. I also noticed that my lower back wasn’t hurting as much at the end of the day.

The therapist gave me several back stretching exercises that I needed to do at night and the results were quite amazing. I now refer any of my friends with muscle pain to go for massage therapy.

Massage works with the soft tissue; the muscles, ligaments and tendons, to improve muscle tone and stimulate blood circulation. It is a system of pressing and kneading on specific muscle bundles underneath the skin, but an experienced massage therapist can reach deeper muscles.

Another benefit is improved circulation and breathing. The lymphatic system runs parallel to the circulatory system, so there is an improvement in elimination of waste throughout the body. And in order to experience the full benefits the client is shown how to breathe slowly and deeply. Although the few initial visits were rather uncomfortable, later visits were entirely relaxing.

When the muscles are relaxed, it is also helps prevent sprains and torn ligaments. For example, when the structure of my lower back is compromised due to inactivity, I am more likely to strain my back if I lift a heavy object, even though I am aware of how to lift properly (with my knees, not with my back) but because my lower back and legs are weak, I find that massage greatly improves the position and pliability of my muscles, so there is less chance of sprain or strain.

Massage is also great to relieve fatigue, which can be caused from the muscles being so tight that you use up extra energy to function. Because massage effectively relaxes the muscles, the body doesn't have to work as hard and energy can be directed elsewhere.

One last point on the benefits of massage; the use of massage oil helps to lessen the friction of massage on the skin, and is often used as to include aromatherapy along with the massage process. A nice essential oil such as rosemary can leave the receiver feeling calm and relaxed, so don't hesitate to request for your therapist to use scented oil.