Similar to the state of overall wellness, managing chronic back pain in 2025 involves a combination of newly integrated technology, personalized solutions and a holistic wellness approach. For your business to be equipped to serve this clientele, though, you might only need to tweak your menu or the services you market. Here's what your spa can do about chronic lower back pain:
Massage Techniques
Deep tissue massage can be effective due to its use for releasing the tension lurking in deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It's also effective for reducing blood pressure and your client's heart rate, relaxing them.
Hot stone massages are another good option, as the heat softens muscle tissue to improve flexibility and range of motion, and promote blood flow. This type of massage can also serve as a relaxing reprieve for clients with chronic pain.
If your spa also offers yoga classes and has the staff to offer insight into the benefits of yoga, a Thai yoga massage blends the benefits of both to lengthen muscles, improve flexibility and address posture issues. This type of massage also encourages body awareness and mindfulness, better attuning a client to their body's movements and sensations, which can help them be more proactive in their approach to managing their pain, especially if they're taking a holistic approach.
Treatments
If your spa has the facilities for balneotherapy, this treatment can be valuable for clients with chronic pain, especially at higher temperatures, due to the hydrostatic pressure and mineral composition. If a standard indoor pool for balneotherapy sits at a temperature between 31-36°C, the ideal temperature for clients with chronic pain would be between 34-36°C. A mineral composition of calcium, magnesium and bicarbonates is often used for their believed properties of relaxing muscles and reducing inflammation.
Mud packs can also be effective for warming the body and providing a localized effect that can reduce discomfort.
New Breakthroughs
A new study has recently posited cognitive functional therapy (CFT) as a viable tool for long-lasting relief from chronic lower back pain. CFT's approach focuses on the interplay between an individual's pain and their beliefs, emotions and behaviors. This news further supports the benefits of a holistic approach to wellness through acknowledging chronic pain as a multi-faceted condition influenced by biological, psychological and social factors. With physical wellness being tied to other aspects of an individual's life, the necessity of spa and wellness professionals to have a robust network of trusted referrals for cohesive client care is only growing in importance.
As CFT gets increasingly popular, adding a physiotherapist to that network could be the next move.
