Is Massage Therapy really worth the cost?

Hello Jacksonville! I know that many of you come through the doors of Active Medical & Chiropractic because you are looking for a drug-free way to manage your back pain. Patients often tell me that the hands-on therapeutic services we provide like massage therapy really help to reduce their pain.

Well this week a new report has come out that says science backs this up! The Group Health Research Institute in Seattle recently performed a study of 401 back pain patients. Their study demonstrated that massage therapy was just as effective at relieving lower back pain as a combination of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and weekly physical therapy, the standard treatment for this condition. All of the participants in the study had experienced at least three months of pain, and their pain did not come from a specific event such as a car accident.

The study compared the standard treatment to both relaxing (or ‘Swedish’-style) massage and deep-tissue structural massage. The results were the same in both cases, with patients reporting a decrease in pain and an increase in their ability to perform exercises over the course of a year.

Not only did the study participants who received massage treatment improve just as much as those who received medication, they also appeared to improve a little bit faster. That’s right, massage therapy worked more quickly than drugs. That’s quite a result!

Frankly, it’s not news to me that regular massage therapy makes my patients feel better. I see it every day! But it’s great that studies like this are bringing the benefits of massage to more people’s attention.

If you’d like to schedule a massage session for yourself, just give us a call. Our phone # is (904)398-4860. We want you to start feeling better, faster. Today!

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com

Easy stretching tip for the spinally challenged among us....

Hey Jacksonville, Dr. Chris from Active Medical &Chiropractic here with a quick tip on stretching out your back. You don’t have to wait to visit our office to start working on sore lower back muscles. There are some techniques you can use in the comfort of your own home. And one of them uses some items you’d never expect: two tennis balls and a roll of duct tape!

Putting this together is pretty simple. Take two tennis balls and place them side-by-side, and then wrap them in duct tape until you have nice duct-taped wrapped peanut that will hold together. “Okay doc,” you say, “I’ve got this weird contraption, now how do I use it?”

You put your duct-tape peanut on the floor and lie on top of it, face up and knees bent. The tennis balls should be oriented parallel to your waist and in the middle of the curve of your lower back.

Once you’re more or less comfortable in this position, it’s time to do some exercises! Raise both arms straight up and point your fingers towards the ceiling. Keep those elbows straight!

Now, take one of your arms and slowly lower it over your head so that it is parallel to the ground. You should still be keeping your arm fully outstretched. It’s okay to move your neck if you need to.

Hold this position for several seconds and then slowly return your arm to its original position. Now repeat the same motion with your other arm. Repeat this process four more times.

While you are moving your straightened arms up and down, the tennis balls should be working into your lumbar spine like the knuckles of a massage therapist, helping to loosen and soften the muscles. Try it and see for yourself!

You can use this technique to help alleviate lower back pain, and practicing it daily could help prevent future pain as well.

Of course, if you are in a lot of pain and need to see a professional, please give us a call! 

And as always, take care and be well, Jacksonville!

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com