Back Massage
During a Back Massage your Massage Therapist will manipulate the soft tissue (muscles and connective tissue) of the back, neck and shoulders. It is without doubt one of our most commonly requested types of massage.
This stems from the fact that muscular back pain affects so many people.
According to NHS England “Back pain is the largest single cause of disability in the UK, with lower back pain alone accounting for 11% of the total disability of the UK population”.
It is also estimated that 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
Broadly speaking muscular back pain can be divided into two categories, acute and chronic.
Acute back pain is more often associated with a muscular injury (sprain or strain) or a medical condition such as sciatica or a prolapsed disc. With the latter two conditions there is usually associated nerve pain, numbness or tingling.
Direct massage can sometimes be beneficial though may not be appropriate if there is inflammation or if the cause of the pain is unknown. Sometimes massage to adjacent areas can still be helpful in helping other parts of the body to release which in turn can speed up recovery.
Chronic muscular back pain is sometimes harder to understand being long term but is commonly associated with postural factors such as hours on the phone or computer, a lack of or too much movement and exercise, poor sleep and emotional factors such as stress, anxiety, depression or grief.
Massage can be very helpful but should be considered part of a broader strategy of help that includes gentle strengthening exercises, stretching such as Yoga, staying hydrated and improving quality of sleep.
Booking a Back Massage at our Hove Centre
We generally categorise treatments according to the type of massage, not the area being treated. However, you can book a general back massage or one of the treatments below if you want a specific type of massage:
As a guide, if you want a more clinical strong treatment then book a Sports Massage.
For a strong but more relaxing approach Deep Tissue Massage or Myofascial Release.
For something more gentle and relaxing try Aromatherapy, Hot Stones, Lomi Hawaiian or Swedish.
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Read about our team of Therapists
From the NHS Website:
You should contact a GP or NHS 111 immediately if you have back pain and:
* numbness or tingling around your genitals or buttocks
* difficulty peeing
* loss of bladder or bowel control
* chest pain
* a high temperature of 38C or above
* unexplained weight loss
* a swelling or a deformity in your back
* it does not improve after resting or is worse at night
* it started after a serious accident, such as after a car accident
