Back Pain and Remedial Massage Therapy

How common is back pain?

If I asked for a show of hands in response to the question “hands up all those who have suffered from back pain?”, it would be impossible to count! It would be much easier to count the hands up in response to “who hasn’t suffered from back pain?”

In a survey (Omnibus Survey, Office for National Statistics)[i], published in 2000, it states, “almost half the adult population of the U.K. (49%) report low back pain lasting for at least 24 hours at some time during the last year”[ii]. The same survey estimated that “up to 4 out of 5 people (80%) will experience back pain lasting more than a day at some time during their life”.

I could go on quoting statistics forever and if you like statistics, I have listed several helpful websites/documents at the end of this article. The point is that many, many people suffer from back pain that significantly affects their lives. Some back pain may be short-term but a lot of people develop long-lasting chronic back pain that can come to dominate their life.

Back pain does not have a particular preference when it comes to whom it affects. While chronic pain tends to affect older people more than young people, who are more likely to suffer from brief acute attacks, it affects men and women almost equally and worryingly, several surveys show that back pain is increasingly affecting children.

So, what causes back pain and can it be prevented?

Our spine has a big job to do – it allows us to move in a variety of directions; it protects our spinal cord and nerves that supply all of our organs, skin, muscles and other structures and soft tissues; it supports and protects our vital organs; it works as a very efficient and essential shock-absorber. Our spine is never really at rest. Most of the pain suffered in back pain, in fact about 90%, is due to muscle spasm.

Poor posture, e.g. slouching; incorrect lifting – sudden and/or forced bending and twisting movements are often the cause; jobs involving repetitive movements, e.g. from word processing to joinery; jobs or activities that involve being in one position for a long time, e.g. long-distance driving, sitting at a desk, standing on parade; inadequate or excessive training; not ‘warming up or ‘cooling down’ before and after sport or other strenuous activity (like some jobs); nervous tension = muscle tension, = stress = muscle spasm = pain; poor diet; poor general health; lack of exercise; being overweight; illness, injury and other conditions……….. all of these things and many more can contribute to or cause back pain. An individual’s response to chronic pain may include feelings of depression/being ‘worn down’, perhaps becoming withdrawn and lacking energy; it’s so difficult if you see no end to the pain. It’s worth noting that depression can also lead to back pain.

Many of these factors that lead to back pain can be prevented by quite simple changes in behaviour and the home/work environment. For example being aware of times when our posture becomes ‘sloppy’ and correcting it; making sure that the office desk, chair, keyboard and VDU screen are at the right height; learning and using correct lifting techniques; learning relaxation techniques; managing stress better; eating a healthier diet; getting a new mattress for the bed; adopting correct training techniques. These are just a few. We need balance, physical, mental and emotional, to enable healthy functioning of all the systems of our bodies and of our minds.

What role does Remedial Massage Therapy play in treating back pain?

As I have outlined above, the first step in treatment is really prevention, preventing back pain in the first place or preventing worsening of back pain. Treatment of back pain, because it affects all sorts of aspects of a person’s life, really requires ‘holistic’ approach, that is, a combination of solutions that treat the person as a whole and not just as a sore back. On the website Working Backs Scotland Online[iii], it states “the traditional focus on the spine, on biomechanics and medical treatment is now changing to a much more holistic focus on people and how back pain affects their lives. The scientific evidence for this approach is now unarguable and we can see the first signs that it is beginning to produce better outcomes.”

Advanced Remedial Massage works to release the muscle spasm that is causing the pain, to restore function, mobility and balance to structure and soft tissues. With the relief of pain, the release of spasm that limits mobility (it’s muscles that move joints), movement becomes easier and this allows balance to be restored.

The body needs to move to be healthy. Movement ensures that muscles are healthy, the heart is healthy and the respiratory system is working efficiently. Bed rest is not the best response to back pain; in fact, BackFacts (by Back Care) notes that bed rest can “make matters worse”.

Massage will improve the circulation and therefore the oxygen and nutrients to muscles, joint structures and other soft tissues, including nerves and nerve tissue and assist elimination processes. Massage provides a boost for the lymphatic and immune systems and will positively affect the nervous system to encourage rest and repair.

Remedial massage combined with relaxation techniques, stress management, awareness of posture, changing environmental factors and building self-confidence can provide a powerful response to back pain. Massage also makes you feel good and that’s half the battle!

The websites/documents listed below are just some of the usual sources of information on back pain. If you would like more information please contact Moira on 07748 955922; email: essence.therapy@virgin.net.

Moira M Watson ~ Advanced Remedial Therapy, Remedial & Sports Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, On-site Acupressure Massage, Aromatherapy, Workshops, Talks and Demonstrations

April 2005