QuestionQUESTION: Hi,
I got a deep tissue massage 3 weeks ago. Five minutes after the massage, I had to bend down and I felt like I pulled something. Since then it has not gone away. The intensity is less but it still hurts, especially when I am sitting upright on a hard surface. The doctor gave me some anti inflammatory pills but it has not gotten any better. Please help me out as I am getting very worried. My life has been paused.
Thanks,
Saanika.
ANSWER: Hi Saanika,
Thanks for your question!
To assist you better, there is 1 things I would like you to answer.
Where EXACTLY did you 'pull' . I need the exact spot presumably on your back.
I do not think that deep tissue massage had anything to do with it otherwise the pain would have been felt immediately during treatment.
Await your reply.
Jeremy
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the reply Jeremy, I just felt a sharp pain in the lower right side of my back. The pain is at the same spot. About halfway between my vertebra and my side and above the hip.
Answer
Exercises
Hi Saanika,
It seems that you have pulled a muscle/tendon.
If its on the waistline it seems that the interior and exterior oblique muscles are involved. If you 'bended' to one side these muscles usually get injured.
If you bent straight forward the erector spinae might be affected.
In both cases those muscles are extremely strong and lack an excellent blood supply in the tendon area explaining why it takes so long to heal.
The best treatment is to put a towel in hot water. It should just be hot enough not to scald the skin so please be very careful not to burn yourself.
Put it on your lower back rolled into a cylinder lenghtwise and relax. This can be done only in the bath sitting down and relaxing your back muscles. Allow the heat to penetrate your back for about 5 minutes. Then very carefully sit straight and get up.
Hopefully the heat will cause vasodilation and blood will be able to freely pass.
Just to see how much that muscle is used, hold the spot with the palm of your hand and walk a few paces. You should feel this muscle pumping hard. We are usually not aware how much that muscle is used.
Untreated, the muscle will heal within 4 to 6 weeks depending on your body weight and healthy lifestyle.
Another factor which could delay healing is your lower back anatomy. If there is some lordosis (large curvature of the lower back spine) and your bum sticks out because of the condition.
An easy exercise is to lie flat on your back. Put your hand in the 'hands up' position where your arms are perpendicular to your body side. Lift one knee by bending your leg. Grab it with the opposite side hand and twist your waist down flat stretching the lower back waist muscles. Your physiotherapist could show you how to do this should you not understand. I'll try and upload pictures of exercises over here.
Hope you get better!
Jeremy
