Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Massage Chairs Help to Treat Lower Back Pain

By Steve Esquire

Many people do not realize that lower back pain affects almost everyone at some point in their life. In fact, $50 billion is spent annually to diagnose and treat lower back pain in the United States. The most common cause of lower back pain is job related disability. Treating lower back pain can involve a variety of techniques including the use of massage chairs. Massage chairs provide an effective and reliable massage therapy treatment for some conditions of lower back pain.

There are two types or categories for low back pain. There are short-term back problems which are termed acute. There are longer-term back problems lasting weeks to even months which are referred to as chronic. Most treatment methods except surgery are more along natural lines. There are some conditions where the patient may have back pain for years on end.

There are two schools of thought on treatments which are blending together more and more. The blending of Eastern medicine and Western medicine has increased the options available. This is very good for patients as now they have more natural therapies as options as well. Although in certain situations surgery may be the only option.

Low back pain is often best treated by specialists in the same medical field. Doctors treating low back pain are typically doctors of osteopathic medicine or chiropractic doctors. The difference between these doctors is their area of specialty. Osteopathic is focused on joints where chiropractic is specialized for the spine.

Some conditions such as degenerated disc disease or back injuries can be of a more chronic problem. These types of conditions can cause scar tissue which makes the soft tissues more brittle. In these situations the soft tissues need to be stimulated and stretched. Some of these more chronic conditions have been where massage chairs have been used to help improve the flexibility of these harder muscles.

Some persons suffering from low back pain have used massage chairs to help them in some aspects of their recovery. Their soft tissue has become stiff and that is what creates the pain. Increasing the flexibility of the soft tissues is important to restore elasticity. Massage chairs have been used to help increase the flexibility of the soft tissues including joints, ligaments and tendons.

This concentration of force can happen because of poor posture, incorrect sitting position, or improper lifting techniques. This makes a few of the muscles, tendons and ligaments take the majority of the weight which causes them to become fatigued. This will lead to increased stiffness and eventually pain.

Many natural treatments are geared toward restoring flexibility in the muscles and other soft tissues. Massage chair therapy seeks to stretch out these muscles to help restore flexibility. Massage chairs are used to stimulate the lower lumbar and other muscles of the back to help redistribute the weight properly.

Massage chairs come with a variety of techniques to help with spinal health. Many massage chairs have traction systems. For instance, you can stretch out the lower body from the hips to the ankles. There are also stretching systems for the arms and shoulders. Massage chairs also have options to apply heat to different parts of the body.

Massage chairs are used to warm up the lower back muscles and to make them more flexible. This helps to improve range of motion of the spine. Massage chairs are used by chiropractors for their patients prior to spinal adjustments. This makes the adjustment easier when the muscles are not stiff. There are a number of positive treatments with massage chairs and they can also be used in the home for periodic relief of back aches and pain. - 16887

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