Low back pain results from a musculoskeletal disorder of the lower back. It can come in varied degrees of pain level. Many things can be the cause of low back pain, but most typically it is caused by muscular strain, injury to the lower back including the discs, ligaments, and muscles that are surrounding the spine area. There are a variety of treatments depending on exactly what is causing the pain, but one treatment that is gaining popularity is massage chairs.
It is thought that 80% of the population will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Given the importance of the lower back to mobility, this certainly seems reasonable. There are certain conditions that occur with aging. However the vast majority fall into the preventable category.
Some low back problems come from Spinal stenosis, Scheuermanns disorder, Ulcers, Pancreatitis, Pagets disease, Pelvic inflammatory disease, and Ankylosing spondylitis. These conditions may require surgery or precription medication and must be treated by a doctor. Physical therapy is usually involved to restore the spine back to health.
The most unfortunate aspect of low back pain is that most conditions can be prevented. Injuries or strains may happen because of poor posture or not lifting an object correctly. Another common issue is not warming up well before an activity.
The common motion causing low back pain that can be prevented is how the body is used. From an anatomical point of view, the weight being put on the spine tends to be concentrated on a few muscles, ligaments and tendons in the lower back. This concentration of force tends to tire out these muscles causing them to become stiff and more brittle. If the force continues to be applied, then these soft tissues can become further fatigued causing them damage.
Massage chairs have found their way into more medical and chiropractic offices as a treatment to the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the lower back. The role of the massage chair is to help to loosen and relax these tight muscles. They have a number of specialized techniques that are applied for effective therapy.
A rolling massage is used to provide a traction function with a massage chair. The rolling is performed by rollers located in the back of the chair to target the spine. The patient is reclined back in the chair, and with the use of the patients weight and the angle of recliner, the rollers gently elongate the soft tissues between the discs. This helps to restore flexibility.
Massage chairs are used to deliver full body heat. These massage recliners have heating elements located throughout the chair. They can be used individually to target specific areas or used for the full body. Heat is commonly used to reduce the instance of swelling and help with the flow of blood in the area.
One common treatment to help heal the spine is the application of traction. Massage chairs come equipped with 3 traction methods. There are lower body tractions which stretch the legs. There are arm and shoulder tractions which stretch the arms. There are traction for the discs of the spine using the rollers in the chair back.
You can find many complimentary therapies being built into massage chairs. One fundamentally important therapy is simply music. Music helps the mind to relax and many massage chairs come with a MP3 player and headphones. You can relax to your favorite music as the massage soothes and relieves your tension.
Low back pain can be particularly agitating because we depend so much on our spine for mobility. Take the precautionary advice here and adapt your lifting techniques and correct your posture. Give your back a fighting chance to avoid injury. Warm up before activities. A massage chair can be used in these pro-active ways as well. You can use the stretching functions and massage treatments to help warm the body up or after to warm down. If you have other stress and tension, then massage chairs are excellent assets to help you care for your back.
