Hey guys!

This is Dr. David Middaugh with El Paso Manual Physical Therapy.

I got a question from somebody with back pain last night asking if they should get a massage.

They wanted to know if they can go have somebody rub their back up and down because they just felt that their muscles were tight and stiff and they needed to be loosened up.

And, I said most of the time massages are going to be great for back problems, especially if it’s muscular, but here’s four tips that you need to know so that you know not to get a massage if you’ve got back problems.

#1 – Numbness & Tingling

If you’ve got any numbness, tingling, or pain that goes down into your legs, I’m talking about sciatica type problems, that’s a reason you should not be getting a massage.

#2 – Pain At Night

If you’re walking up because of your pain at night, that is also a big reason to not be getting a massage. There could be something more serious going on and you should go get that checked out before getting a massage. It could cause some problems down the line.

#3 – Pain When Coughing & Sneezing

If when you cough and sneeze it makes your back pain worse in that moment, that could be something serious and you want to go get that checked out before getting a massage for your back.

#4 – Pain That Makes You Limp

If you’ve got some serious pain into your leg and you’ve also got back pain and that pain is making you limb or walk funny, that is definitely a reason to avoid getting a massage in the moment, at least for a short period of time, and seeking out some medical attention.

You might get checked out by a physical therapist or go to the doctor to see what’s going on because there’s something potentially serious that’s happening.

Now, guys, I am all for massages.

I love getting massages on myself and I think that massages are great.

You just want to make sure that it’s safe for you so that you can go and enjoy the massage and not end up worse afterward.

I hope this helps.

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