Spina Bifida

Massage therapy can only complicate congenital neurological problems(not to mention acquired through stroke), especially if the person suffering the problem has developed spastic muscles.
The only way to deal with that is a lot of stretching exercises, and gait training. Im sure if you talk to a physiotherapist/physical therapist close by, they would be of aid to you in this matter.

Spina bifida is a relatively complex problem; you have to keep in mind three things before you think of massage therapy;
(1) the type (sb cystica, sb occulta, etc)
(2) the severity
(3) the level (occurs most commonly in the lower lumbar region, but cases differ)


if the case is superficial with thin coverings, l1 l2 or higher, or has severe neurological manifestations, its better that the person who has it stays away from massage therapy. If, however, all you can see is a depression and/or a tuft of hair, and there are no neurological manifestations, massage is not contraindicated. Massage therapy is not an answer to neurological problems caused by spina bifida, and can not treat its effects.

I was diagnosed with spina bifida occulta in my L4-L5 at age 23. I had back pain and muscle spasms in the lower back, hips, and upper legs since high school. At the time, I contributed it to the fact that I was a dancer. However, the pain and spasms began getting slowly, progressively worse over the years. Thankfully, to date, I haven't experienced any neurological manifestations due to the condition.

I have had massage therapy in conjunction with physical therapy (strength training, stretching, etc.), and it did help alleviate some of the pain I've experienced. To be honest, the most beneficial alternative therapy that I've utilized has been yoga. Yoga allows you to strengthen your core (muscles which help support your back and maintain good posture - again, will help your back pain, especially for those with lower lumbar pain), and will stretch out your back muscles. Currently, I do yoga 3-4 days per week, and it has helped with the pain (both the degree of severity and the frequency) a great deal.

Now, please keep in mind that I am by no means an expert, and yoga might not be the answer for everyone. It happened to work for me, and is now one part of my management plan for my condition (I also utilize medications for the pain and strength training to help support my back). The other thing to keep in mind is that, if you and your doctor decide that yoga might be something worth pursuing, you shouldn't dive in full-force, at least not until you've gained some experience in the area. You'll need to take it very slow, modify positions to accomodate your limitations/abilities, etc, or you can worsen the effects of your condition. When I started, I went to my yoga instructor on the first day, explained my condition and my goals (to reduce my daily pain, to get to a point where I could possibly get back into a dance studio), and she not only helped me to find modifications to the poses that would not further exacerbate my condition, but would also allow me to benefit from the stretch, but she also showed me stretches and poses that would benefit my condition specifically. As my strength has increased, and my abilities expanded, we've altered those stetches and poses to accomodate those changes.

Before you start any sort of alternative therapy, you should definitely talk to your doctor or your orthopedic surgeon. They will be able to tell you what sort of management plan is best for you and your condition. Best of luck to you!