Lumbar osteochondrosis is characterized by destructive and degenerative damage to the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, and ligaments. The disease is quite widespread due to constant static and dynamic loads on this part of the spine. At the remission stage, the symptoms of osteochondrosis do not bother a person. But when it worsens, acute pain occurs, intensifying with every movement.
CT. On the left is a healthy spine, on the right is an affected one.
Various types of massage are used to treat and prevent pathology. When performing healing procedures, muscle tone is normalized, blood supply to tissues with nutrients and biologically active substances is improved. 5-7 massage sessions, especially in combination with physiotherapeutic procedures, allow you to completely get rid of pain and stiffness of movement.
Basic rules for massage procedures
With lumbar osteochondrosis, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are deformed, and the edges of the bone plates grow, forming osteophytes. This can cause injury to nearby soft tissue structures and the development of an inflammatory process. Massage for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is carried out only after it has been relieved with glucocorticosteroids or NSAIDs, otherwise, with pressure or rubbing, inflammation can affect healthy tissue. You cannot begin the treatment procedure even if you have acute piercing pain in the lower back. Therapy of osteochondrosis using massage is indicated for patients in remission or with nagging, aching pain. What you need to know about the treatment procedure and its technique:
- The treatment course includes 10 sessions, each of which lasts about 20 minutes. For osteochondrosis of high severity, 15 or more sessions are required;
- During the procedure, the patient is in a horizontal position on a medical couch. In case of combined lesions of the spine, massage can be performed in a sitting position;
- at the preparatory stage, areas of the body located next to the spine are treated. After a few minutes, they begin to massage areas with spasmed muscles and painful sensations;
- There is no mechanical effect on the vertebrae - only soft tissues are kneaded. To increase the therapeutic effect, the area of the buttocks, thighs, legs, and knees must be treated. The projection area of the kidneys is affected with significantly less force;
- During the first sessions, patients often experience pain or other discomfort, so they are carried out in a gentle manner. As the muscle corset builds and the patient’s well-being improves, the massage therapist’s movements become more intense;
- When stroking or kneading, the massage therapist's hands move from bottom to top. Lymph moves in this direction, cleansing tissues and nourishing them.
No special preparation is required for the therapeutic procedure. You should not eat food 1.5-2 hours before the session; it is also advisable to empty your intestines and bladder in advance. After finishing the massage, you should lie down for half an hour and only then get up.
Is there any effect from lower back massage?
Of course, after regular massaging of pain points there is a noticeable effect. However, one-time visits will not give the desired result. It is unlikely that long-standing diseases will be cured after the first visit to a massage therapist. But even the initial session will provide relief from aching pain, increase the mobility of the lumbar region, and relieve spasm and tension.
For a complete recovery, it is important to carefully follow the entire range of measures to get rid of the disease: take vitamins and tablets, use ointments, attend physiotherapeutic procedures.
Lumbar massage is useful both for people with an active lifestyle and for those who are used to leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Massage techniques used for osteochondrosis
Massage for osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is performed using hardware or manual methods. The attending physician decides which method will be used. He often prescribes a combination of techniques, when warming up is done by hand, and special devices are used for forceful impact. First, the lower back is gently smoothed with your palms or fingertips. This relieves muscle tension, reduces the severity of pain, and improves blood circulation in the lumbar vertebrae. After preparation, the treatment procedure itself begins. Doctors identify several of its main stages:
- trituration. While moving the hands, the massage therapist carefully monitors the patient’s condition, controlling the pressure. Rubbing is carried out with the edge of the palm, a brush, one or more fingers. The massage therapist's hands move in a transverse direction or in a spiral;
- kneading. At this stage, the muscles located in the lumbar region are affected with fingers or palms. The skin is pulled back, squeezed, and certain points are pressed. As a result, local rigidity is relieved, the muscles cease to be hard, and the movement of lymph and blood in the tissues accelerates;
- vibration. The massage therapist uses a brush, fingers or the edge of the palm to perform rhythmic oscillatory movements. Vibration activates blood circulation and reduces pain intensity. Often this method of influencing the lumbar region is used to prevent the progression of osteochondrosis. If the vibration is of high amplitude, then the muscles relax, and slow movements increase muscle tension.
The treatment procedure ends with stroking the lower back. This is necessary not only to relax the patient and consolidate the result. The specialist determines the condition of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus and outlines ways to correct the detected defects. When choosing movements, he focuses on the stage of osteochondrosis, the degree of tissue damage, including the number of formed osteophytes.
Types of massage manipulations
In the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis, only classical therapeutic massage is used to eliminate pain and stiffness of movement. But at the remission stage, various techniques are used, including effects on reflex zones and biologically active points. During the procedures, vacuum jars are installed on the patient’s skin, warm oil, thick flower honey, and warming ointments are applied.
Classical
Traditional classical massage is effective in the treatment of any pathology of the musculoskeletal system. At the initial stage, the lower back is stroked with soft circular movements, and the muscles are kneaded using double push-ups. Next, the gluteal muscles are warmed up. The masseur acts on them with energetic pats, combined and double strokes. The same technique is used when kneading the hips and ankles. Then the sacrum and lower back are treated directly. With four fingers, the massage therapist rubs the spasming muscles and performs vibration movements with high amplitude.
At the final stage, the lower back is lightly patted and stroked. During the first sessions, massage manipulations may cause pain. To neutralize discomfort, external preparations with a warming effect are used, for example, Dikul massage balm. Such products have pronounced local irritating and distracting properties. Their use helps to carry out procedures with a full therapeutic effect on the lumbar region.
Using cans
Vacuum massage improves the condition of the lumbosacral spine after the first session. The therapeutic effect of the procedure is explained by the positive effect of vacuum on sensitive nerve endings and blood flow to the affected cartilage and bone tissues. The muscle fibers relax and lower back pain disappears. Vacuum manipulations have a general strengthening and tonic effect, normalize blood circulation throughout the spinal column. Depending on the material from which the jars are made, the procedure is carried out in 2 ways:
- glass. The cotton ball is clamped with tweezers, set on fire and placed in a jar for a few seconds. Then massage devices are placed on the lower back in the area of spasmed muscles;
- silicone. The jar is compressed and placed on the lower back. After relaxing the hand, the device “sucks” to the skin.
Now the massage therapist moves the jars in a spiral, circle or straight line. He gently presses them on the muscles or makes energetic stroking movements along the spine. During the procedure, vibration movements are simultaneously carried out with the edge of the palm, first with low and then with high amplitude.
Spot impact
This method of treatment is often combined with classic massage. The combined effect on the lumbar region allows not only to improve the condition of the muscles, but also to normalize innervation (transmission of nerve impulses). Acupressure for lumbar osteochondrosis is performed only by an experienced massage therapist who knows the location of acupuncture points on the human body. He presses them with varying intensities with the pads of his fingers, and then makes rotational movements.
In the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis, five points located along the spinal column are affected, pressing on them for 2-3 minutes. The characteristic movement of acupressure is “screwing” a finger into the skin. The method is quite painful, so the patient is first prepared: the lumbar region is kneaded, warming ointments and gels are rubbed into the skin.
Useful information: material about injections for lumbar osteochondrosis
Contraindications
Even a physically strong person can feel unwell during a massage procedure. Doctors explain this by dilation of blood vessels, relaxation of striated muscles, and the supply of large amounts of oxygen. A sharp increase in the functional activity of some internal organs leads to a deterioration in the patient’s well-being. A preliminary examination of the patient and a study of the medical history helps to avoid the negative consequences of massage. Contraindications to the procedure:
- the presence of microtraumas on the skin in the lumbar region, hips, buttocks - cuts, cracks, wounds;
- fungal or bacterial infectious skin lesions;
- inflammatory pathologies of veins, predisposition to thrombosis;
- tuberculosis of bones, skin, lungs in active form;
- malignant and benign neoplasms of various localizations;
- venereal diseases;
- bleeding - open and closed;
- osteomyelitis;
- acute pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
Massage procedures are not performed for respiratory or intestinal diseases. Contraindications include elevated body temperature, digestive and peristalsis disorders, acute inflammatory processes occurring in any part of the body. If there are moles in the lumbar area, a preliminary consultation with a dermatologist is necessary.
Massage performed by acupressure, classical, vacuum method significantly improves the condition of the lumbar spine and serves as an excellent prevention of the progression of osteochondrosis. But the feasibility and safety of this method of treatment should be discussed with a doctor, otherwise massage manipulations will aggravate the course of the pathology.
Execution technique
The safety and effectiveness of massage depends on how correctly the procedure is performed. Incorrect impact on the spinal area can lead to serious complications, for example, displacement of the vertebrae, so massage should be performed by a specialist with a medical education.
Requirements for a massage therapist
Before sessions, the patient should undergo a comprehensive examination (the minimum required amount of research is radiography and MRI) to exclude possible malignant and infectious processes, as well as fractures, dislocations and other injuries to the spine.