As an occupational therapist working with children and adults with developmental, sensory and/or learning disabilities for over 40 years, I have made many weighted and/or fidget tools to place on laps, hands and shoulders to provide deep pressure sensory stimulation.
I usually made materials heavy by filling a bag with sand before inserting it into a pillow case for the lap or large sock to wrap around the shoulders. Sometimes I choose the option of placing a Vibrating tool such as a motorized tooth brush inside the bag for added stimulation.
Now, I have adapted these tools to help reduce muscle spasms and pain in my back.
Accupressure and Massage to Decrease Back Pain
I am sharing my personal story and nothing I write should be construed as advice, nor even correct. My expertise is in the areas of child development, developmental disabilities and sensory processing disorders. Check out my books!
After filling the bag with small, HARD objects that are not sharp, I can lay on top of it and wiggle until an object digs into a tight muscle at just the right spot. Small blocks work well.
Individualize the bag contents to meet your needs…..
What are Accupressure and Myofascial Release?
I don’t know whether or not I am actually doing accupressure or Myofascial Release, but I am applying pressure to the points on my back that are tight and painful. A myofascial release therapist taught my husband and myself how to apply pressure by
- pressing my back on top of a hard object (such as in the bag) while supine,
- my husband pressing his knuckle or elbow into the muscle or
- my leaning against a chair back edge, wall edge or back on a tree that can press into the muscle.
Contraindications
According to physical therapist Mary Hughes, PT, DPT, contraindications include include – but are not limited to – those with malignancy, aneurysm, acute rheumatoid arthritis, advanced diabetes, severe osteoporosis, and healing fractures. (2) Your physician and physical therapist can help determine whether or not MFR is an appropriate course of treatment for you.
In addition, Hughes describes the majority of treatments as consisting of “gentle pressure. Sometimes the motion is very fluid, and at other times your limbs may be held in a light stretch. The therapist may begin on the area in which you are currently experiencing pain. However, that is not always the case, as pain can often be referred from different parts of the body.
You may experience some slight discomfort as your tissues release tension. While many patients leave a MFR session feeling very relaxed, it’s not uncommon for there to be some residual muscle soreness. The soreness is “thought to result from postural and alignment changes or from the techniques themselves.” (1)
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-acupressure.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupressure
Therapists may recommend MFR techniques to perform yourself at home, using foam rollers, a tennis ball or massage sticks. OR you can add the Bag of Hard Objects (BHO) described in this post to your arsenal of strategies.
Using an Accupressure Mat
I have found an accupressure mat helpful in both reducing muscle spasms and providing deep pressure sensory stimulation to decrease my anxiety. As I lay on top of it, I can rub my hands on the mat while stimulating my back muscles.
The following video shows the injured muscles I am trying to apply accupressure, MFR or/and massage to release tension and reduce pain.
After my first injury about 15 years ago, I was unable to touch my hands behind my back and shoulder extension was very limited on the left side. I was greatly helped by a therapist trained to do myofascial release. Yes, it caused pain, but the long term results were remarkable
My current physical therapist suggested that I do exercises to target and strengthen these muscles. That’s a great idea and I do this, but I get the most pain relief from deep pressure to the muscles surrounding my scapula that often have spasms. Unfortunately, my current physical therapist is not trained to do myofascial release……
Using the “Bag of Hard Objects”
I focus on wiggling on top of the BHO until I find the right spot and then hold it there for 20-30 seconds to target
- my lower back muslces which are weak due to years of bad posture and;
- scapular muscles on my left side injured from lifting weights at a gym and later the muscles surrounding my right scapula after falling off a bicycle.
I wiggle and massage my back by moving the bag to different areas while also doing full body stretch moves such as “bridging” .
Just explore movement and what feels good….and don’t worry about looking weird….. In the following photo, I am slowly rolling my back off the floor, one vertebrae at a time andd then back down to again apply pressure using the BHO.
Explore raising legs during your back treatment.
Although the weight of gravity helps pull me down on top of the BHO, I also reap benefits from adapted seating using a BHO or accupressure cushion. In the photo below, I wiggle my back against an accupressure cushion. It feels good!
References
https://aculief.com/blogs/natural-healing/the-top-5-acupressure-points-for-back-pain-relief
https://www.myofascialrelease.com/about/definition.aspx
https://www.hss.edu/conditions_myofascial-release-overview.asp
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-acupressure.htm
https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/exercise-fitness/bridge-pose/#:~:text=The%20yoga%20pose%20known%20in%20English%20as%20the,lock%2C%20sarvanga%20meaning%20limb%2C%20and%20asana%20meaning%20posture.
A few other health tips for Seniors
https://2019.recyclingot.com/outdoor-exercise-equipment-for-adults/#.Yi3zyXrMJD8
https://2019.recyclingot.com/pelvic-floor-tips-for-the-ladies/#.Yi3z_nrMJD8
https://2019.recyclingot.com/the-relationship-between-hypermobility-posture-and-pain/#.Yi30VnrMJD8
https://2019.recyclingot.com/tank-top-alternatives-to-difficult-to-don-bra/
Strengthening and Stretching in Outdoor Environments https://2019.recyclingot.com/2155-2/#.Yi32DnrMJD8
Felt balls found in the grocery store for use in the dryer are wonderful as gentle massagers. They come 3 to a bag.
Thanks, thats a great idea, I use tennis balls sometimes, too and always like to try new strategies…..