Lower Back Pain
-Treatment begins with a light effleurage (circular, stroking) massage on the lower back. I then move some of the muscles towards the top of the back with long strokes which also prepares the tissue for more rigorous movements later on.
-Tissue preparation looks very much like traditional deep tissue massage.
-In the demo above I’ve determined Matt has a spasm in his left lower back, which I’m able to confirm using a technique from regular massage.
-For a problem on the left side, I get the patient to lay on their right side so we can stretch the affected area better.
-Once the patient is laying on their right side I put my elbow into the place that’s experiencing a spasm and apply pressure until the muscle has relaxed.
-After the muscle is relaxed most problems disappear within moments.
-By putting the patient facedown I can double check that the muscles in the lower back are more aligned and looser.
-One of the main problems corrected by orthopedic massage in the lower back is functional scoliosis, which is a lot more prevalent now given how much everybody sits.
Hip Pain
-In the demo above, patient Matt has some slight tension and weakness in his right piriformis. The piriformis is a muscle that connects the greater trochanter and sacrum. When the piriformis gets tight, it can pose a problem to both sides of the hip.
-To correct this problem we need to create pelvic alignment.
-This is accomplished by first putting a foam insert underneath the patient’s leg to highlight the piriformis.
-Next I begin cross fiber friction massage on the muscle starting off with my fingers but if the muscle is extremely tight, which it often is, I use my elbow because of the greater force and pressure I can exert with it.
-The motion with the elbow is a back and forth one which creates cross fiber friction.