Massage is one of the most commonly used methods of physiotherapy. Thanks to procedures of this type, a therapeutic effect is exerted on the body. However, even without special doctor's prescriptions, massage has a positive effect. The person feels relaxed, his mood improves. In addition, procedures of this type help to prevent a number of diseases not only of the musculoskeletal system, but also of other systems.
Despite the seemingly completely harmless procedure, patients often have a backache after massage. In such situations, people, as a rule, begin to blame massage therapists, believing that they are charlatans and perform the manipulations incorrectly. However, pain is far from always due to the careless actions of specialists. Therefore, it is worthwhile to examine in more detail whether the back should hurt after massage.
general information
First of all, it is worth noting that even if the massage therapist performs incorrect actions, the person will begin to feel severe discomfort either immediately after the procedure, or after a few hours, but not the next day or later. As a rule, the back hurts after massage, as discomfort appears in the muscles.
You need to understand that any training leads to stress. Accordingly, an unprepared person, having gone to the gym for the first time, is faced with the fact that the next day after performing a set of exercises, his body muscles ache. The same thing happens with physiotherapeutic procedures. The back hurts after the massage, since the muscles in this area are rather weak and most often they are clogged with metabolic products, and ATP, on the contrary, is very small in them. That is why the back of a person gets tired much faster than the limbs.
It is also worth noting that in weakened spinal muscles a violation of the venous outflow often occurs. This leads to blood stasis and a worsening of metabolic processes. However, the situation changes radically after the first massage session. There is an increase in blood flow, and stagnant muscles get a pretty impressive load. In addition, metabolism begins (as with a regular workout), which leads to the accumulation of lactic acid. It is because of her that a person complains that his back hurts after the massage. This is a normal occurrence, so you should not blame the specialist for incorrect movements.
If the pain syndrome is really due to the fact that the human muscles have not received stress for a long time, then in this case the feeling of discomfort will pass in a few days. If relief does not come, then you should consult a doctor. Perhaps the patient experienced an exacerbation of a particular ailment, a radicular syndrome developed, or similar procedures were completely contraindicated for him.
When is massage prohibited?
Procedures of this type are strictly prohibited when:
- Exacerbation of the chronic process. For example, during muscle spasm massage can only aggravate the situation.
- Obtaining dorsal hernia of impressive size.
- The transition of the hernial sequestration to the spinal canal.
If the patient still decides on physiotherapeutic procedures for hernia, he must tell the massage therapist his diagnosis and the doctor’s testimony. In this situation, all movements should be as smooth and careful as possible.
Can a massage therapist be to blame?
Of course, it is worth paying attention to the massage therapist himself. If we are talking about who learned to massage from video lessons and stretches his back to an unpleasant crunch, explaining that this is the only way to get rid of salt deposits, then you should immediately refuse his services. Otherwise, after the procedure, the patient will notice not only that his back and neck hurt after the massage, but also other unpleasant symptoms.
It should be noted that during the procedure there should not be any pain or discomfort. The masseur should not touch the intervertebral discs themselves. Only zones near them can be massaged. Otherwise, there is a big risk of vertebral displacement.
Contraindications
If we talk about why the back hurts after the massage, then perhaps the patient decided to carry out a similar procedure at the most unfortunate moment when he has health problems. For example, such manipulations can in no case be performed if a person is diagnosed with:
- Hemophilia.
- Oncological disease.
- Psychological pathologies.
- Osteomyelitis.
- Bone tuberculosis.
- Venereal disease.
Also, this type of procedure is prohibited for those who suffer from bleeding, open wounds, various injuries (including a fracture, bruise or rupture of soft tissues). Pregnant women in the third trimester of bearing a baby should also not perform a massage.
Additional causes of muscle pain in the back
Unpleasant sensations may appear if the specialist has incorrectly selected the massage technique. Each individual case must be considered individually. For example, if a person wants to relax, then there is no point in conducting point stimulation. Therefore, if after a Thai massage your back hurts, then perhaps you should not contact such specialists who perform similar procedures according to one scheme.
If the nerve endings on one of the back zones are inflamed, then in this case any manipulations with the back can also lead to an even greater pain syndrome. Therefore, you should not take risks with exacerbations.
As a rule, the back hurts after massage only during the first procedures. After this, the muscles become stronger and the person no longer has unpleasant sensations. However, if discomfort hurts after a long course of physiotherapy, then it is worth consulting a doctor.
Injured and inflamed vertebrae
Often unpleasant sensations are not at all connected with the massage procedure itself. For example, this can happen if a person has been in the same position for a long time. If the pain appears with enviable regularity and does not go away or intensifies after the massage procedures, then in this case there is reason to believe that a person may suffer from:
- Vertebral injuries. In this case, patients complain of drawing pains that they can give to the arms and legs. The pain syndrome is increasing gradually. At first, unpleasant sensations do not appear, but over time they begin to torment pain constantly.
- Deformations or lesions of the spine. In this case, there is a great risk that a malfunction of a particular internal organ has occurred. At the same time, it is quite natural that even after a therapeutic massage, the back hurts.
- Ankylosing spondylitis. In this case, we are talking about one form of arthritis. There is a lesion of the spine. As a rule, with the development of such a pathology, pain is given more to the inguinal zone.
- Pyelonephritis. In this case, the lower back will hurt most. Among the additional symptoms, it is worth noting the appearance of heat in the body.
- Prostatitis. If a person is diagnosed with this pathology, then in this case the pain will be more noticeable in the region of the sacrum, tailbone and inguinal zone. Patients often complain of discomfort in the lower back.
Also, pain can develop against the background of exacerbation of cholecystitis or in the diagnosis of pneumonia.
External influence
The back does not always hurt after a massage due to problems with internal organs. Often this happens against the background of hypothermia. The loin is a rather vulnerable spot. It also has the most stress. Therefore, if a person is engaged in physical labor, then this can lead to sprains and other problems.
Sometimes severe pain leads to pain.
Good to know
You should be careful when applying for services to specialists who claim that they are fluent in acupuncture. If a person is inexperienced in this matter, then by mistake he can put pressure on another area. As a result, its actions can provoke vegetative disorders or lead to severe muscle spasm. This is especially dangerous if a person suffers from myositis, vertebral displacement, scoliosis and congenital dysplasia.
Such patients need only professional procedures. The course of physiotherapy is usually long enough and it is advisable that it be carried out by the same specialist. After each procedure, it is important to evaluate your condition. If your back hurts after the massage, you must definitely tell the specialist who is performing the procedure.
With an exacerbation of any pathology, it is worthwhile to postpone such measures and wait for the improvement of their condition. You need to understand that during this period the spine and other organs are forced to cope with quite serious loads. Do not aggravate the situation.
If we are talking about manual massage, which involves the reduction of the spine, then in this case the pain will be associated with the fact that the vertebrae "get used" to the correct position. In this case, the discomfort can last a rather long period of time.
What to do to reduce pain?
There are a number of activities that will help minimize discomfort after performing the procedures. First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that the massage couch is quite rigid. If the surface is too soft, then in this case there is a big risk that the spine will begin to bend greatly. Because of this, the procedure can be completely ineffective or bring discomfort in the form of a pain syndrome.
It is also important to ensure that the body is always in the correct position. If the patient is lying on his stomach, then you need to stretch your arms along the body. The neck needs to be turned a little to the side. The head is recommended to be placed on a low pillow.
It is important that the person is completely relaxed during the massage procedure. Do not strain muscles. Otherwise, they will begin to hurt after the manipulations of the masseur.
To slightly improve the blood circulation, small pillows can be placed under the legs.
Features of the procedure
It is equally important that the specialist makes the right movements. First, he must warm up his back. Massaged tissues should be gently stroked. Thanks to this, the patient relaxes much faster. Do not allow strong pressure on the areas that are located next to the heart, kidneys or lungs. If the massage is not manual, then the specialist should not touch directly the vertebrae themselves.
Finally
Having considered why the back hurts after the massage, it becomes obvious that it is far from always worth blaming the unpleasant sensations of the specialist himself. You need to understand that in some situations, such procedures are simply prohibited to perform. Therefore, before a massage, you must list all health problems. If a particular pathology occurs, it is recommended to consult a doctor. He will tell you whether massage is really acceptable in such a situation.
Of course, you should not perform such procedures on your own or trust your back to friends who claim that they know how to perform it correctly. It is best not to save money and contact a qualified professional.