Ease Someone?S Back Pain With A Massage Therapy Gift Card In 4Th Street Downtown St. Petersburg And Tampa 33607

If you know someone suffering from back pain, whether chronic or not, think about giving this person the gift of comfort with a massage therapy gift card to a massage clinic in 4th Street Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607. All massage modalities, including Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy and pregnancy massage therapy, can be customized to focus on easing back pain. The patient should just disclose his or her condition to the trained massage therapist of the massage clinic in 4th Street Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607.

Back pain is said to be next to the common cold in being the most common reason for work absenteeism. This was reported by Shelley Flannery in her article in Massage Envy magazine’s Fall 2007 issue online. She adds that over 25 billion dollars is being spent every year on back pain relief efforts alone.

Flannery refers to a study done in 2003 that proved massage therapy to be more effective than acupuncture and spinal modification in providing relief from back pain. Massage therapy actually reduced the participants’ need for painkillers by up to 36 percent. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and its findings were validated by the American Massage Therapy Association. Flannery interviewed licensed massage therapist Kristen Sykora, spokesperson of the American Massage Therapy Association, who said, “Massage is quite effective for treating lower back pain. It’s the MVP in the health care arena because it’s more of a hands-on treatment.”

Indeed, people everywhere seem to agree, as well, because massage therapy has become one of the most widely used treatments for back pain in recent years.

According to Flannery, back pain is relieved and its recurrence is prevented by massage therapy in various interconnected ways. Stress and lack of activity cause muscle tension. Massage therapy eliminates such tension and eases muscle stiffness by inducing muscle relaxation. Specific problem spots with knots in the muscles can be focused on. This results in better muscle flexibility. Concurrently, the nerves are calmed and the natural endorphins of the body are released. Such endorphins are commonly referred to as “feel good” chemicals. The massage therapy strokes also bring more blood flow to the massaged areas, improving cellular nutrition and facilitating healing.

The effects of massage therapy may not be immediately felt, though, Flannery warns. Sykora explains this by saying, “Your back pain didn’t start overnight, so don’t expect it to be cured overnight either. It’s best for chronic back pain sufferers to be on a maintenance plan for massage, once every three to four weeks.”

Sykora also says that aside from massage therapy, lifestyle changes should be adopted by back pain sufferers, as well. She advises that patients ask for instructions from the massage therapist. Lifestyle changes cover the adoption of proper posture, proper movement in work habits and proper exercises such as stretching, yoga and Pilates. The exercises help strengthen back muscles to relieve back pain. Weight loss may also be necessary for some people because too much extra weight may be too heavy for one’s muscles.

According to Massage Envy, it is very important for one to choose a professional massage therapist who is an expert in using massage to treat back pain. When you go to a Massage Envy clinic, ask for such a specialist. One session alone will not be enough, though. Massage therapy is effective as back pain treatment when done regularly by the same massage therapist who can customize a program for each individual and track his or her progress.

Ease someone’s back pain through a massage therapy gift card to a reputable professional massage clinic, like Massage Envy, in 4th Street Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607. It will be a true gift of kindness and caring in St. Pete and Tampa.