Back pain is the most common reason people book a massage. Sometimes that is exactly right. Other times the massage helps for a day or two and the pain comes back. Here is how to tell the difference.
When a massage is enough
Massage is a good choice when the pain is muscular and recent: a stiff neck after a long day at the computer, a tight back after training, tension from stress. If the pain goes after one or two massages and does not return, the massage has done its job.
For this, a therapeutic or deep tissue massage is usually recommended — or a sports massage after exercise.
When it is time for an osteopath
An osteopath is the better choice when:
- the pain returns after every massage;
- it hurts in one place but the cause seems to be elsewhere — a lower back that has ached for years, or a neck linked to headaches;
- you have an old injury, an operation or a posture problem;
- movement is restricted — it is hard to bend or turn your head.
Massage works on the muscle that hurts. An osteopath assesses the whole body and looks for why that muscle is tight — a shifted posture, compensation after an injury, a restricted joint. When the cause is addressed, the pain stops coming back.
When to see a doctor first
Neither massage nor osteopathy is for these cases. See a doctor if:
- the pain follows a fall or a blow;
- there is numbness or weakness in a leg or arm;
- you have a fever or unexplained weight loss;
- the pain is severe, wakes you at night and does not ease with rest.
Can you do both?
Yes, and it is often the best combination: the osteopath works on the cause, and massage between sessions keeps the muscles relaxed. That is why it helps when both are in one place.
Where in Burgas
Ability Spa at Hotel Bulgaria has both: massage therapists among the best in the city and osteopath Petar Damyanov, trained in St Petersburg and France with many years of practice. An osteopathy session is 60 minutes for €59; a full-body massage is €45–49. More on the osteopath in Burgas page.
