Is it possible to massage the spine if you have osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects human bones.
They gradually become thinner, extremely unpleasant sensations arise, and pain increases. At the same time, the load on the muscles increases - they have to perform the supporting function of the bones, which can no longer cope with it. Frequent accompaniments of osteoporosis are fractures, as well as increased fatigue and severe muscle tightness. To avoid these unpleasant consequences, you will need to use complex treatment methods. They include not only taking complexes of vitamins and microelements, but also physical therapy.

Massage for osteoporosis affects almost the entire body, but special emphasis is placed on the spine. The procedure should only be performed by a specialist who knows well how the treatment of your body and the disease itself proceeds.

The benefits of massage for osteoporosis

In skillful hands, massage for osteoporosis of the spine can really work wonders. Patients who regularly visit a massage therapist’s office note several positive changes:

• Serious reduction in nervous tension. It is achieved both through muscle relaxation and because manipulations have a relaxing effect.
• Improved blood circulation. This is the traditional effect of proper massage. Blood flows to the tissues, stops stagnating, this reduces the risk of concomitant diseases of various types, as well as the manifestation of inflammatory processes.
• Muscle relaxation. As mentioned above, muscles are often tense because the body instinctively tries to direct them to support the weakening bone skeleton. Relaxation is always associated with normalization of blood circulation in the tissues of your body.
• Reduced fatigue. Many patients with osteoporosis complain of fatigue and fatigue. A massage procedure can effectively eliminate this and increase your tone, which will lead to increased performance and improved mood.
• Reduced blood pressure. Blood pressure can also “jump” when a person has osteoporosis and problems with metabolic processes - massage reduces the load on the heart.

Normalization of metabolism. This is necessary in order to significantly improve the condition of your body and the absorption of nutrients.

Purpose of application

Massage for osteoporosis of bones is aimed at normalizing metabolism, as well as reducing pain due to progressive destruction.

Another of his goals is to reduce the discomfort that patients constantly have to contend with.

It should be remembered that tactile influence on the body itself is not a panacea. In addition to this, you need to receive qualified treatment, take vitamins and microelements, and go on a special diet. Other popular methods of physiotherapy are also used, which have already proven themselves in treatment.

The main tasks of the massage procedure

The goal of therapy for any degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the musculoskeletal system is to improve blood circulation in damaged tissues. This helps replenish the reserves of microelements, vitamins, and nutrients necessary for the regeneration of destroyed structures of the spine and joints. The use of drugs that improve blood circulation is not always justified. Medicines do not have a selective effect, and with long-term course use, the body suffers from an excessive pharmacological load. Therefore, massage procedures are used for optimal blood supply to bone tissue. Therapeutic manipulations also have other positive effects on the vertebrae and joints:

• relax skeletal muscles, normalize innervation;
• accelerate metabolic processes, stimulating the production of young, healthy cells;
• eliminate pain caused by muscle spasms and forced stiffness of movement.

During the procedure, the massage therapist’s hands rub the spasming muscles. At the same time, muscle fibers are strengthened, their strength and elasticity increase. With osteoporosis, the body stabilizes the spine by redistributing the load on the muscles. In a physically weakened person, this causes increased muscle tone, and sometimes pinching of nearby nerve endings. Regular visits to the massage room will balance the load as a result of strengthening the back muscle corset.

Types of massage for osteoporosis

The method by which the massage will be performed is determined by your attending physician. Three main options can be used:

• Traditional. Manipulations help reduce pain and also contribute to the overall strengthening of the spine. This method of intervention can be used for a variety of manifestations of the disease.
• Swedish. The specialist will perform active manipulations. The main points of impact are ligaments and muscles. The massage is aimed at restoring mobility to your body and relieving too much tension in the affected areas. In addition, the use of this technique has proven to be an effective method of reducing the potential atrophy of tissues in your body.
• Reflex. It is based on segmental massage methods. The process is aimed at restoring metabolism in the body, as well as stabilizing blood flow.

Osteoporosis of the spine.

Osteoporosis of the spine, as well as osteoporosis of the bones in general, is a gradual process of destruction of bone tissue, which in its effect can be called a time bomb in your body.

The main threat of the disease is bone fragility. With osteoporosis, bone density decreases and the risk of fractures increases. You can break a bone with even the slightest force - for example, twisting your ankle. The most severe stages of the disease are accompanied by hypotraumatic fractures, without additional impact load. The most common fractures are the vertebrae.

The disease is accompanied by severe pain and, as it progresses, leads to disability. The reason for this is hormonal and metabolic disorders. With osteoporosis, bones become porous like a sponge, as a result of which their strength is significantly reduced. From a physics point of view, this process can be characterized as a decrease in bone density. In medicine, there is a special term to refer to this process - osteopenia.

Until approximately 25-30 years of age, a person’s bone density increases, reaching its peak at 30-35 years of age. After this, the reverse process begins - bone density begins to decrease. This process does not develop in the same way for everyone and depends on many factors. Research by scientists has shown that in Russia every third woman and every fifth man over 50 years of age suffer from this disease. Because of it, many, having received a fracture in old age, die within six months, and the majority remain bedridden forever. The consequences of the development of osteoporosis, in the form of fractures of the vertebral bodies and long bones, cause a significant increase in morbidity and mortality among the elderly.

Execution technique

The main type of techniques used in this case are circular movements. The main task is not to cause harm to the patient - not to twist joints or break bones. Therefore, the beginning of the procedure is always uniform heating to improve the circulation of blood and other substances. The patient will need to lie down on the couch and relax. The use of several types of equipment is allowed:

• tingling;
• trituration;
• stroking.

Among the tasks are stimulation of tissues, relaxation, improvement of blood supply. This helps cope with many symptoms. The main thing is to massage regularly for osteoporosis.

Main symptoms of osteoporosis and treatment goals

Since the disease develops over many years, its symptoms are very difficult to notice. Most often, patients do not even know about their illness until a fracture occurs. But even a fracture in osteoporosis is not always diagnosed on time; the patient does not notice it until acute pain appears.

To identify osteoporosis, the doctor sends the patient for an x-ray, but the porosity of bone tissue cannot always be determined in the image. Therefore, doctors use other diagnostic methods. The main therapeutic goal is to prevent fractures by stopping bone loss and strengthening it.

A patient who wants to get rid of an insidious disease must radically change his life: start eating right, give up bad habits and increase his physical activity. Physical inactivity is an “ally” of osteoporosis.

When not to massage

Course duration may vary. The main thing is that all manipulations must be performed under the supervision of a doctor - this will help alleviate this disease. However, there are also contraindications.

If the bone density is low or the joint is severely damaged, you should be careful when applying the effect to the body.

When the disease is in a severe stage and there is severe pain, you should refuse massage. The question of how long the course will be - a month, two or three - is decided by the attending physician, taking into account the characteristics of the patient’s body.

As you can see, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to do massage with osteoporosis will be definitely positive. However, much depends on the skill of the specialist who performs this treatment option. Constant monitoring and caution are the central factors in the success of treating the disease.

Massage techniques

The most commonly used is classical massage, the clinical effectiveness of which has a wide evidence base. When performing it, chopping and pressing movements that can damage bones affected by osteoporosis are excluded. Exercise therapy doctors recommend starting physiotherapeutic treatment with it, and after building up the muscle corset, use other massage techniques:

• Swedish One of the classic massage options with an emphasis on thorough treatment of all parts of the spinal column and joints. The massage therapist uses rubbing, patting, light vibration, kneading, and slight squeezing. During therapeutic manipulations, the neck, back, and limbs are involved. Session duration: 45-60 minutes;
• segmental reflex. The massage therapist acts on certain areas of the body that share innervation with damaged bone structures. This allows, in the complete absence of intense exposure, to improve blood circulation in the back, eliminate spasms and even normalize the functioning of internal organs. The duration of the procedure is an hour or more;
• spot. Acupressure is the treatment of osteoporosis and the prevention of its progression through pressure on certain points of the body. Official medicine considers acupressure as a type of reflex exercise. During this procedure, a specialist presses on a biologically active point with varying intensity. As a result, the functioning of pathologically affected vertebrae and joints improves. Session duration is 60 minutes.

Sometimes exercise therapy doctors recommend cupping massage to weakened patients. During its implementation, sudden movements are excluded. Plastic or glass jars from which air has been removed are placed on the area of ​​damaged bone tissue. Under the influence of vacuum, blood circulation accelerates and microcirculation is normalized.

For patients with osteoporosis, massage manipulations are performed in a gentle manner - measured, slowly, carefully. A course of physiotherapy includes from 10 to 15 sessions, depending on the stage of the disease. After 2-3 months the cycle repeats again.

Benefits and purposes of massage

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the human skeleton. The development of such pathology changes the structure of bone tissue and its density. Bones become fragile and even with minor injuries their integrity is compromised - fractures occur. Massaging the affected areas significantly improves a person’s condition. If you do a massage in compliance with the rules and recommendations, then discomfort and unpleasant pain are eliminated. Mechanical impact on the knee joint or other areas affected by osteoporosis has the following therapeutic effect:

• normalizes blood pressure, stimulating blood circulation in the massage area;
• helps relax muscles, relieve spasm and joint fatigue;
• increases metabolic rate;
• improves performance;
• alleviates pain;
• strengthens the frame of the back muscles and joint tissues.

Complex therapy for osteoporosis is not complete without rubbing the spine. Due to the sharp and significant weakening of the bones, the main load falls on the muscles. Their overexertion causes pain and limitation of movements. Massaging eases the general condition of the osteoarticular system and increases the effectiveness of drug treatment.