Soothe Your Spine: Deep Tissue Massage for Lower Back Pain

Learn how deep tissue massage helps alleviate lower back pain.

We've all been there.

You lift something too heavy while packing up the camper.

Push yourself a bit too hard while adventuring in Girdwood.

Or just – quite literally… sneeze.

And boom. Your lower back is out.

Ouch!

Lower back pain can be painful and make you feel weak, fragile, and desperate for some relief.

At Anchorage Massage Therapies, we've treated hundreds of clients with lower back pain issues. Sneeze… or no sneeze.

That’s why we’ve put together this article about how deep-tissue massage can help relieve low back pain and get you back on the road to whole-body happiness.

Are you ready? Let’s dive in.

What exactly is the lower back?

The lower back is also called the lumbar region. It's the area of your back that starts below your rib cage and sits just above your pelvis.

The lower back consists of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the largest vertebrae in your spinal column. Vertebrae are the bones in your spine.

The vertebrae and muscles in this region are designed to support most of your body's weight and provide mobility and flexibility, especially in bending and twisting movements.

It's very common to experience pain and discomfort in the lower back because we use it for so many movements and because it bears so much of our body weight.

When we stress our lower back, pain can show up as anything from a dull ache to a sharp shooting or throbbing sensation. And as we all know, it’s certainly no fun.

Causes of lower pain back

Issues in your lower back can arise from overuse, strain, injury, or age-related degenerative changes in the vertebrae and discs.

As we mentioned before, sometimes just getting up the wrong way or coughing too hard can trigger stress that your body just wasn’t ready for and tweak your back by surprise.

Here are four other common causes of lower back pain:

1. Workplace Stress

Perhaps your job involves lifting, pulling, or twisting the spine, which can contribute to lower back pain.

2. Poor Posture

Too much slouching while sitting or standing can cause excess pressure on the lumbar region, compressing the discs and muscles and causing lower back pain.

3. Intense Workouts

Overextending your muscles after an intense workout of athletic event can cause microscopic tears that leave your lower back feeling sore and tender. 

4. Heavy Lifting

Lifting something heavy can put sudden pressure on your lower back and cause a slight strain, especially if that area has been inactive for a long time. 

Staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight may help prevent lower back pain.

Low back pain can range from mild to severe, often making it difficult to sleep, walk, work, or do other everyday activities.

But an Anchorage deep-tissue massage can help.

The Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage, unlike other types of massage, focuses on the deeper layers of your muscles and connective tissue.

It’s a therapeutic massage technique that may provide instant relief, help you identify the root cause of your lower back pain issues, and prevent them from recurring.

Here are seven ways deep tissue massage helps to relieve lower back pain:

1. Reducing Tension

Deep tissue massage helps relieve tension in your muscles that are often stressed from carrying the heavy load of your body weight. This tension frequently contributes to pain. Deep tissue massage can ease discomfort and enhance flexibility by alleviating tension and relaxing your lower back muscles.

2. Faster Healing

Deep tissue massage increases blood flow, which helps speed up the healing process. Massage boosts your circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrients to tissues, aiding recovery and reducing inflammation.

3. Improved Range of Motion

Deep tissue massage can improve your lower back's range of motion, which is especially beneficial if you are experiencing stiffness and reduced mobility due to lower back pain.

4. Enhancing Nerve Function

Tension and misalignment in your spine can compress nerves, leading to pain. Deep-tissue massage can relieve pressure on the nerves and improve their function by addressing muscle tightness.

5. Short-Term Relief

Deep tissue massage also provides immediate relief by releasing endorphins, your body's natural painkillers. This instant relief can give you hope and comfort, knowing that your pain can be managed effectively. 

6. Long Term-Relief

Unlike treatments that only address symptoms, deep tissue massage aims to resolve the underlying causes of back pain, which can lead to more significant and lasting relief.

7. Break up Scar Tissue

Deep tissue massage can help break down and dissolve scar tissue that often forms after an injury and may lead to muscle stiffness that causes lower back problems.

By applying deep, steady pressure to the deeper layers of muscle tissue, your lower back can take a breath, relieving pressure and helping you feel better fast.

Now that we know how massage therapy can help, let’s look at a few other ways to relieve lower back pain.

Other treatments for lower back pain

Treating lower back pain often involves a combination of therapies and methods, depending on how severe your pain is and its underlying cause. 

Here are some common treatments:

Self-Care and Home Remedies: Resting your muscles can help them recover, and alternately applying hot and cold packs can help reduce inflammation and swelling.

Medications: Muscle relaxants and over-the-counter medications may help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.

Physical Therapy: A physical therapist can show you ways to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles to enhance your flexibility.

Injections: Acute lower back pain may be relieved with a cortisol injection around the nerves in your spine.

Chiropractic Care: A manual adjustment of your spine may also provide relief.

If you need help determining where to start relieving your lower back pain, book an appointment with one of our therapists.

They will not only provide a pain-relieving massage but also assist with making recommendations on the next steps for your lower back treatment, including home remedies and other healthcare providers that you may want to consider seeing.

If you’re already being treated by your doctor for lower back pain, ask about getting a referral for massage therapy treatments.

Our clinic would happily check your insurance benefits to see if some of your treatments may be covered.

Ready to get out of pain?

One of the best parts of living in Anchorage is our access to exploring the natural world while still having the creature comforts of the city — like a massage therapy clinic at your fingertips (and ours!)

If you're ready to try a deep tissue massage in Anchorage, we're here to help you get started! We offer both 60 and 90-minute sessions.

Anchorage Massage Therapies offers same-day appointments! You can book a deep tissue massage with any of our therapists up to three hours before your appointment.

So, whether an epic adventure has your lower back feeling down… or a simple sneeze led to an embarrassing back pain conundrum, we're here to support you—embarrassment and all.

Because, as always, we've got you, Anchorage.