One of the most common needs for massage therapy today comes from people who suffer from back pain. Whether due to chronic pain or issues caused by specific activities, commonly sports or other forms of exercise, back pain is common among many people, who are often looking for solutions.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we're happy to provide a number of massage therapy techniques that are ideal for back pain, from trigger point therapy to deep tissue massage, Swedish massage and many others. In addition, we regularly assist clients with tips and actions that will help limit the initial causes of back pain -- many of which come from mistakes made during sports or exercise. Here are a few of these common errors, plus how to avoid them and steer clear of back pain.
One of the most common mistakes involved in the onset of back pain is improper stretching or warmup before exercise. This often occurs because of a lack of knowledge on how to properly engage in these types of movements.
With workouts or exercises which are very specific, such as running, stretches can be done after a brief jog or run to prepare the lower body and buttock muscles. These will help loosen them up for the next steps.
For exercises which require bending over and arching your back, such as deadlifts (or similar movements), it's important to stretch your back beforehand to keep your back muscles loose during the exercise. Stretching beforehand will also help reduce any residual soreness after an exercise is completed.
Some exercises in particular require the use of your back muscles to complete. Examples of these types of activities include deadlifts, squats, and other movements that require an arching of the back.
To ensure that you're exercising safely, it's important to use proper technique during these movements. Make sure you're engaging your glutes, not just your hamstrings, when doing deadlifts, for example.
By using this type of movement and technique, you'll help avoid unnecessarily straining your back while still completing an exercise properly.
Pushing your body too hard may also often lead to back pain. Pushing yourself too hard during a workout or exercise can lead to muscle fatigue, causing issues such as strained back muscles.
It's important to allow your body time for recovery as well as prevent injury by completing workouts at a pace which is comfortable for you, and with movements that do not lead to unnecessary strain on your back muscles.
For more on avoiding common mistakes that tend to lead to back pain issues, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or float therapy services for any kind of pain or discomfort, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.