Back pain, stiff shoulders, aching lower back?  You are not alone.  Roughly 60% of the UK adult population can expect to have back pain at some point in their adult life. So, it’s not surprising to hear that back pain accounts for 12 million working days lost every year!

But it isn’t just about the impact on the economy.  Back pain can be extremely debilitating – if you’ve ever had it, you’ll know just how miserable back pain can be!   It can range from a persistent ache  or sore muscles to excruciating shooting pains that can travel out from the spine down the arms and legs or into the head resulting in severe headaches.

The most common cause

One of the most common causes of back pain is muscle tension. We spend a lot of our time sitting, driving, or just having poor posture. This puts pressure on the muscles of the back, shoulders, neck and hips.  These muscle groups are interrelated so tension in one area can transfer to another.

Another common cause is a sudden increase in exercise regimes – hitting the gym when you haven’t been for months or taking up something like yoga and really pushing yourself beyond your pain threshold.  Over exertion can result in muscle strain which, without treatment, can become a long-term issue.

Back pain often starts as a nagging ache in your shoulder or lower back.  Before long you will notice that you have a have a stiff neck or back and possibly the occasional shooting pain down your arm or leg.

Muscle tension can be very invidious.  You persevere, trying to get on with daily tasks. Or keeping on with the exercise in the hope that the muscle strain resolves itself!  All the while the tense muscles are trapping lactic acid and other toxins in the muscle fibres.  If the tension isn’t released, then the toxins build up and the tension spreads. 

A trip to the Doctor is a good idea but more often than not the whole situation can be resolved by a course of massage.

Our Back Care Massage

This treatment lasts for 50 minutes.  In this time the therapist will assess your posture and identify which muscle groups are holding tension.  They will work on the muscle groups in your back and any associated areas where tension is present.  They’ll start by warming, lengthening and draining muscle tissue.  It is deeply cleansing. It’s like wringing out your muscles, flushing out the waste and filling the tissue with fresh blood, nutrients and lymphatic fluid.  This is not always a relaxing experience. Tense muscle can be painful but the benefits outweigh the discomfort – believe me!

Regular massage therapy can keep back pain at bay – so what are you waiting for?  Book now!

Client feedback

“Brilliant massage. Felt like I had so much more space between my head and shoulders after, as my shoulders relaxed and dropped, and it was so relaxing too!”  Rebecca

“Ali does the best deep tissue massage I have ever had. I am always full of knots, but I come out feeling as light as air.  I also love that whilst I am getting the benefit of her hands of steel, I am giving a little back by supporting the wider work done by Phoenix” Eve

“My back feels so much better” Kate

Roger’s story

Roger came to us recently with severe pain in his shoulders.  The pain was restricting the movement in his arms. He couldn’t lift his left arm above shoulder height. The pain was affecting his sleep. He was waking in the night in pain and then unable to get comfortable enough to fall asleep again. He is a healthy guy with no other medical conditions or even aches and pains, so he was completely thrown about his shoulder pain. He had been living with it for some time when his shoulders finally seized, and the pain became unbearable.

This is the point at which Roger found Phoenix.  He came along for a deep tissue massage and explained his issues to the therapist.  The therapist worked on Roger’s upper back, shoulders, neck and arms to release the muscle tension. 

The group of muscles in the front of the chest (pectorals) also needed treating to get them to relax back into normal position.  If you only treat one muscle group the related muscles will simply stretch further – it’s all about balance

Stretches and homework

Muscle tension isn’t always a quick fix. Roger needed several massage sessions and we gave him stretches to do at home in between his massages.  After only 3 weeks Roger noticed a really positive change to his pain and range of movement so it didn’t take long to correct the imbalance.

Now Roger comes along once a quarter for a maintenance treatment just to make sure his muscles are still clean, balanced and working to an optimal level

In Roger’s own words

“The massage was excellent, as was the conversation. Phoenix is an excellent service, with brilliant and talented staff. I would recommend it to anyone” 

A word of caution

Back pain can result from issues other than muscle tension.  Pain can result from structural issues with the spine itself such as slipped discs or there may be a cyst or other growth present. You should never just ignore back pain and hope that it will just go away.  Always get your back pain checked out by a Doctor.

Phoenix Health & Wellbeing is a charitable social enterprise. We use the proceeds of your Leeds massage treatment to subsidise treatments for those who have chronic health issues and low incomes and would not otherwise be able to access our therapies. Find out more here Roughly £4 to every £10 spent with us will go to help others.

Opening times:

Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 20:00

Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00

Sunday closed.