Back pain that is not caused by a specific condition or injury can be difficult to treat. Many times, massage therapy can help. A course of treatment reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine included 262 people with chronic back pain. After one massage per week for 10 weeks, they reported much less pain up to one year after the treatment.
Another study showed massage was more effective at reducing pain and increasing function when stretching exercises were included and participants worked to improve their posture.