How to relieve back pain through pressure points

Muscle soreness and body pain can happen to anyone, even to professional athletes and bodybuilders. You should listen to your body, check whether you have muscle soreness or body pain, and understand why you’re feeling them. There is a difference between the two, and the difference should not be taken for granted. There are two types of muscle soreness that can develop during or after physical activity: acute soreness and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Acute soreness develops during the actual activity, while delayed soreness develops 24-48 hours after the exercise. Moreover, the soreness will be greater between 24-72 hours. This typically happens when individuals are committed to an intensive workout program with increased speed, weight lifted and several repetitions. Insufficient rest breaks in between the routine also lead to soreness. Even though it would only last a few days, it is uncomfortable and disruptive.

On the other hand, pain in the body related to exercise can happen due to several reasons. Let’s use lower back pain as an example. If taken for granted, this could lead to serious injury. Here are some of the reasons why back pain develops after a workout:

• The exercise is not designed for the lower back

• The individual is performing the exercise wrong

• The individual is unaware that he or she has a lower back condition

There are several ways and appropriate methods to relieve lower back pain. If your lower back feels uncomfortable with a particular exercise— let’s say, running, you can substitute it for a low-impact aerobic activity like exercising using a stationary bike. Another option is to go to a doctor for a check-up or a physical therapist to help you. Additionally, if you’ve heard about acupressure, you could learn about the pressure points throughout the body to reduce stress and pain.

What are pressure points?

Acupressure is a type of alternative medicine that originated in Asia, specifically in China. Practitioners put pressure on the sensitive points on the person’s body, typically through body massage and stretching. Some of the positive health benefits of acupressure include releasing muscle tension, improving blood circulation, and helping with anxiety, among others. This alternative practice is still relatively new in the west. Further, there are only a few scientific studies to prove the effectiveness of acupressure. Yet, a lot of people still consider this form of alternative medicine to be helpful in their lives. So, what are the acupressure points that we need to know that could be useful for recovery after exercise? Let’s focus on 6 pressure points to reduce back pain but please take note that you should not engage in this activity if you have chronic back pain.

• Lower back pressure points: located on both sides of the lower back, on each side of the spinal cord, at waist level

• Stomach pressure point: located two fingers below the belly button

• Hand pressure points: located from the joint of the thumb and the index finger.

• Hip bone pressure points: located on both sides of the hip bone from the bony area of the spine and midway between the top hipbone and the base of the buttocks

• Knee pressure points: located on the centre of the back of the knee

• Foot pressure points: Located between the big toe and second toe, two fingers from the joint

Can EMS training relieve back pain?

By now, we’re all familiar with EMS (electric muscle stimulation) training and how EMS itself can be used for recovery and rehabilitation after a rigorous exercise or intensive workout. Just like the acupressure points, EMS training has target points, such as the muscle groups, to stimulate with the aid of EMS devices, such as the machine and training suit. Commonly, there are 12, 16 or 18 electrodes strategically placed in the training suit for specific muscle groups. With EMS training, the pressure points for back pain are stimulated by the electrical pulses, which help improve weak back muscles and relieve back pain and stiffness.

Volt Fitness is a luxury EMS studio in Melbourne that offers short, intensive training sessions with maximum efficiency and sustainable results in a feel-good atmosphere. 20 minutes at Volt Fitness are as good as 4 hours of sweating it out at a traditional gym.

Ready to start working on your fitness goals? Take a look at our training options or chat with us on (03) 8393 5131.