Pregnancy Massage | Pregnancy Back Pain

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Here is information from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_pain regarding pregnancy and back pain.  This explains how the pain can originate from the spinal area and radiate to other parts of the body- even the hands.

Back pain (also known as dorsalgia) is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves,bones, joints or other structures in the spine.

Back pain may have a sudden onset or can be a chronic pain; it can be constant or intermittent, stay in one place or radiate to other areas. It may be a dull ache, or a sharp or piercing or burning sensation. The pain may radiate into the arms and hands as well as the legs or feet, and may include symptoms other than pain, such as weakness, numbness or tingling.

Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints. In the U.S., acute low back pain (also calledlumbago) is the fifth most common reason for physician visits. About nine out of ten adults experience back pain at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults have back pain every year.[1]

The spine is a complex interconnecting network of nerves, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and all are capable of producing pain. Large nerves that originate in the spine and go to the legs and arms can make pain radiate to the extremities[2]  

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Here are the different classifications, or areas of location, for the spinal back pain:

Back pain can be divided anatomically: neck pain, middle back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain.

Aside from pregnancy back pain, here is information on general back pain causes:

By its duration: acute (less than 4 weeks), subacute (4 – 12 weeks), chronic (greater than 12 weeks).

By its cause: nonspecific back pain, back pain with radiculopathy or spinal stenosis, and back pain associated with another specific cause (such as infection or cancer).[3] Non specific pain indicates that the cause is not known precisely[4] but is believed to be due from the soft tissues such as muscles,fascia, and ligaments.[5]

Back pain is classified according to etiology in mechanical or nonspecific back pain and secondary back pain. Approximately 98% of back pain patients are diagnosed with nonspecific acute back pain which has no serious underlying pathology. However, secondary back pain which is caused by an underlying condition accounts for nearly 2% of the cases. Underlying pathology in these cases may include metastatic cancer, spinal osteomyelitis and epidural abscess which account for 1% of the patients. Also, herniated disc is the most common neurologic impairment which is associated with this condition, from which 95% of disc herniations occur at the lowest two lumbar intervertebral levels.[6] 

The following is therapy modalities for treating general back pain.  Of course, with pregnancy back pain you do not want to take any medications and all of these therapies need to be approved by your physician. 


With the pregnancy massage sessions that you receive at Release the Pain- it will reduce or eliminate the pregnancy back pain that you are experiencing.

• Heat therapy is useful for back spasms or other conditions. A meta-analysis of studies by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that heat therapy can reduce symptoms of acute and sub-acute low-back pain.[20] Some patients find that moist heat works best (e.g. a hot bath or whirlpool) or continuous low-level heat (e.g. a heat wrap that stays warm for 4 to 6 hours). Cold compression therapy (e.g. ice or cold pack application) may be effective at relieving back pain in some cases.

• Use of medications in chronic back pain is controversial. The short term use of muscle relaxants is effective in the relief of acute back pain.[21] Opioidshave not been shown to be better than placebo for chronic back pain when the risks and benefits are considered.[22] Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs/NSAIAs)[23] have been shown to be more effective than placebo, and are usually more effective than paracetamol (acetaminophen). Ameta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the Cochrane Collaboration found that there is insufficient clinical trials to determine if injection therapy, usually with corticosteroids, helps in cases of low back pain[24] A study of intramuscular corticosteroids found no benefit.[25]

• Back schools appear to improve pain as compared to standard treatments.[26]

• Massage therapy, especially from an experienced therapist, can provide short term relief.[27] Acupressure or pressure point massage may be more beneficial than classic (Swedish) massage.[28]

Depending on the particular cause of the condition, posture training courses and physical exercises might help with relieving the pain.[29]

• Exercises can be an effective approach to reducing pain, but should be done under supervision of a licensed health professional. Generally, some form of consistent stretching and exercise is believed to be an essential component of most back treatment programs. However, one study found that exercise is also effective for chronic back pain, but not for acute pain.[30] Another study found that back-mobilizing exercises in acute settings are less effectivethan continuation of ordinary activities as tolerated.[31]

• Studies of manipulation suggest that this approach has a benefit similar to other therapies and superior to placebo.[32][33][34]
• Acupuncture has some proven benefit for back pain;[35] however, a recent randomized controlled trial suggested insignificant difference between real and sham acupuncture.[36]
• Education, and attitude adjustment to focus on psychological or emotional causes[37] - respondent-cognitive therapy and progressive relaxation therapy can reduce chronic pain.[38]

According to the article in Wikipedia, the following methods to relieve back pain have little benefits:

• Cold compression therapy is advocated for a strained back or chronic back pain and is postulated to reduce pain and inflammation, especially after strenuous exercise such as golf, gardening, or lifting. However, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded "The evidence for the application of cold treatment to low-back pain is even more limited, with only three poor quality studies located. No conclusions can be drawn about the use of cold for low-back pain"[20]

• Bed rest is rarely recommended as it can exacerbate symptoms,[43][44] and when necessary is usually limited to one or two days. Prolonged bed rest or inactivity is actually counterproductive, as the resulting stiffness leads to more pain.

• Electrotherapy, such as a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been proposed. Two randomized controlled trials found conflicting results.[45][46] This has led the Cochrane Collaboration to conclude that there is inconsistent evidence to support use of TENS.[47] In addition, spinal cord stimulation, where an electrical device is used to interrupt the pain signals being sent to the brain and has been studied for various underlying causes of back pain.[clarification needed]

• Inversion therapy is useful for temporary back relief due to the traction method or spreading of the vertebrae through (in this case) gravity. The patient hangs in an upside down position for a period of time from ankles or knees until this separation occurs. The effect can be achieved without a complete vertical hang (90 degree) and noticeable benefits can be observed at angles as low as 10 to 45 degrees.[48]

• Ultrasound has been shown not to be beneficial and has fallen out of favor.[49]