Lower back pain from sitting: what helps, and when massage is not enough

A lower back that speaks up after an hour on a chair. In the morning, when you get out of bed. In the evening, when you finally sit down. Lower back pain is the most common reason people come for a massage for the first time. Here is what helps, what does not, and when the question is not for a massage therapist at all.

Where it comes from

Most often - from sitting. When you sit for hours, the muscles at the front of the hips shorten, those around the pelvis tighten, and the lower back takes a load it was not built for. Add an awkward chair, the car, little movement and stress, and the lower back starts to remind you it is there.

Sometimes the cause is not in the lower back itself, but in the hips or the upper back. That is why a massage for lower back pain rarely works only on the spot that hurts.

What the massage does

It releases the muscles around the lower back, pelvis and hips that hold the tension, improves circulation in the area, and brings back the feeling that you can stand up straight without thinking about it.

For tension that has lasted a few days, a 60 minute classic massage is often enough. When the pain has been there for months and keeps returning, ninety minutes or a myofascial massage give time to reach the cause. If your lower back and hips feel tied up from sitting, the stretching massage restores mobility.

What you can do between massages

Get up every hour. Walk while you talk on the phone. Do not sit on the edge of the chair. A little movement every day does more than one massage a month, and together they work best.

When to see a doctor first

Pain that runs down the leg, especially with numbness or weakness. Pain after a fall, a blow or lifting something heavy. Pain with a fever. Pain that wakes you at night or does not ease at rest. Sudden strong pain with no clear cause.

These are not cases for a massage therapist. Ask your doctor first - we will wait for the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Massage or physiotherapy?

If there is a diagnosis or an injury - a doctor and physiotherapy first. If the lower back is tight and sore from sitting and tension, massage is the right place.

How many massages do I need?

For tension that has lasted weeks - a few sessions closer together, then monthly upkeep. How many exactly shows after the first one.

Does the massage hurt when the lower back is very tight?

It can feel tender, but it should not hurt badly. The pressure changes as soon as you say.

How much does it cost?

The classic massage is €60 for 60 minutes. The myofascial massage is €90 for 90 minutes.

Where

The studio is inside Hotel Forum, 2 Sofiyski Geroy Str., Sofia. Open every day from 10:00 to 20:00, by appointment. English spoken.