According to The Mayo Clinic, massage can be an effective treatment for lower back pain. While useful to treat the pain associated with a slipped disc, massage therapy only provides short term relief. If you have a herniated disc, you should talk to your doctor before obtaining massage therapy. Be sure to inform your massage therapist about the exact location of any disc problems, so she can avoid aggravating the condition.
Instructions
1. Talk to your client. Before performing the massage, ask about the specific location and nature of the back injury. See if they obtained a doctor's diagnosis, and use this information to advise your treatment strategy.
2. Have a bolster ready. Lying prone on a flat massage table may place stress on the ruptured disc, and can cause pain in the injured area. If your client expresses discomfort, you can reposition her legs with a bolster to reduce stress on the lumbar region of the spine.
3. Begin the treatment. You should start by warming up the superficial tissue with long, fluid strokes. Relax the client by working the entire back, not just the area around the disc injury.
4. Avoid deep work in the injured area. If you press too deeply you can cause nerve pain. Techniques like friction and deep compression should not be applied to the area of the disc injury.
5. Treat other affected areas. Slipped discs can put pressure on nerves that run out of the spine and down the leg. If the client's pain is referred down their leg or in other muscles, be sure to give these areas special attention. Work the posterior leg muscles with a combination of light, fluid strokes and deeper friction work.
6. Consider Eastern techniques. Eastern modalities, like Shiatsu, work on the theory that there are energetic pathways throughout the body. A major energetic pathway rests on both sides of the spine. There are pressure points throughout this meridian that can be stimulated with your thumb or fingers. While you should avoid stimulating the pressure point directly above the injured disc, working the others can help restore the energetic flow to the area.
Tags: disc injury, fluid strokes, injured area, massage therapy, your client