THE alternative therapies for arthritis are becoming more and more popular. If you suffer from arthritis, you can turn to massage to relieve pain, condition and stiffness. Maybe you haven’t tried massage because you don’t know what will happen, because you don’t know if massage is a good idea for joint pain and inflammation, or you don’t know no where to find a good massage therapist. This article will address these effective questions and show you how massage can play an important role in the effective management of arthritis.
What is a massage?
You will have a trained professional known as a massage therapist, who presses, rubs, taps, strokes, kneads and otherwise manipulates the muscles and soft tissues of your body. Massage is one of the oldest healing arts. The ancient Chinese, Egyptians and Greeks are all known to have practiced it. Massage gained acceptance in the United States in the mid-1800s, only to fade away over the next century and not revive until the 1960s and 1970s.
Today, there are more than 100,000 massage therapists working in the United States. They practice massage in many settings, from hospitals to health clubs to private studios. People come to them for many different reasons: to relieve pain, to rehabilitate from an injury, to reduce stress, to relieve anxiety and depression, and to improve general well-being.
Although there are more than 250 varieties of massage techniques, most practitioners use one or more of a few basic methods. Many use a form of Swedish massage, which uses long, flowing strokes intended to be calming and relaxing. As your body relaxes, the massage therapist may also apply targeted pressure to relieve areas of muscle tension.
Other popular forms of massage include deep tissue massage, which involves strong pressure on deeper layers of tissue, and myofascial release, in which long, stretching strokes release tension in the fascia (connective tissue around the muscles). There are also the Asian techniques of acupressure and shiatsu, which use finger pressure on specific points on the body, and the technique called reflexology, which holds that rubbing certain points on the feet, hands or ears has a positive effect on various parts of the body.
What are the benefits of massage?
If you suffer from a chronic illness, massage can have many benefits. If done correctly, massage can provide a wonderful break from the stress of living with arthritis or another stressful condition. It can help with relaxation, which in itself promotes healing and reduces stress. It can also reduce pain, improve joint movement, relax tight muscles and stimulate blood circulation. But, massage for those of you who suffer from arthritis should be treated as a complementary therapy, that is, a therapy that is used in combination with, and not to replace, other regular medical treatments such as pain medicine or physical therapy. Below are five ways massage can benefit you, even if you don’t have arthritis.
One of them is relaxation.
The best and probably biggest benefit is relaxation, that’s number one. The massage should bring a feeling of well-being to the body. Mary Kathleen Rose is a licensed massage therapist in Colorado and after 25 years of experience, and working with people with chronic illnesses, she developed a style of massage she calls Comfort Touch which is characterized by slow pressure, wide and ambient. It is not clear why or how massage promotes relaxation. Some believe that massage triggers the body’s parasympathetic nervous system (which supports the body’s repair processes), muscle tension is improved, heart rate slows, and the fight-or-flight response is revered.
Your circulation changes.
Although the mechanism is not well understood, massage is also thought to promote the circulation of lymph in the body. (Lymph is a fluid that circulates throughout the body; lymph cells help fight infections and disease.) Massage can also increase blood circulation. However, exercise actually has a greater effect on increasing blood circulation than massage. And during a relaxing massage, local circulation may increase, but systemic circulation slows, as evidenced by lowering blood pressure, body temperature and respiration. This may explain why many people become cooler during massage.
You will be relieved from pain.
There is evidence that massage can actually relieve pain. Those who get massages certainly think so. A study by the American Massage Therapy Association showed that 93 percent 100% of people who tried a massage felt it was effective in relieving their pain and there are many theories as to why a massage relieves pain. But some researchers believe massage promotes the release of pain-relieving hormones or may block pain signals that are sent to the brain.
You will have better joint movement.
Through the use of direct pressure, massage can affect the muscles and connective tissues of the body, increasing mobility. This can help increase the range of motion in joints and stiffness in muscles, tendons and ligaments for those who suffer from arthritis.
There are also psychological benefits.
The psychological benefits of massage are well documented. Massage can change your mood, relieve anxiety and depression and improve your sense of well-being and security and is why so many people will turn to massage.
How to choose the right massage therapist?
Before you go looking for a massage therapist, you should talk to your doctor to see if this is a good idea for you. If you have certain conditions, such as dermatomyositis or severe osteoporosis (thinning of bones), your doctor may advise you not to try massage. Once you have the green light from your doctor, you can start looking for a massage therapist, but you’ll want to make sure they have the necessary training and licensing. It might be a good idea to find someone who has worked with people with arthritis and with whom you are comfortable. The person you choose should be someone you feel safe with, safe enough to tell them your needs and what you prefer. Please don’t be afraid to voice your opinion if something doesn’t feel right or is uncomfortable or causing pain. A good massage therapist will ask you questions about your current health, whether you are having a flare-up, or the severity and frequency of your symptoms, such as your pain or level of functionality.
You will want to avoid the therapist who makes claims suggesting that massage will fix or cure your arthritis, and you may want to look for a male or female massage therapist. For some, it doesn’t matter whether the therapist is male or female. Make sure your massage therapist has received proper training and is licensed.
No matter who your massage therapist is or what type of massage you receive, the massage should not hurt. Those of you who already have arthritis are already suffering and you don’t need more. So, before you get a massage, it’s important to think about whether any of the following suggestions apply to you.
Your therapist should avoid places that are very painful or have limited function, which means you will need to inform your massage therapist of your current condition before the massage and continually let them know how you feel during the massage. Your therapist should also avoid techniques such as deep tissue work that could aggravate these painful areas. In most cases, if there is arthritis in a specific joint, it is best to avoid direct, deep pressure. Your therapist should also use broad, full-hand contact pressure instead of the sliding and kneading movements of classic Swedish massage.
The next thing to do is to avoid any uncomfortable positions.
If you have neck arthritis, you won’t want to be face down, but you will want to lie face up or sideways with a pillow under your head. Now, if you have difficulty climbing onto the table, the therapist may lower the table or provide you with a stool to help you climb. There are even massage therapists who will come to your home so that the massage is adapted to your particular situation.
If you have osteoarthritis, make sure the massage therapist avoids direct contact with the painful areas, the affected joints and themselves. Using gentle, broad pressure on the muscles surrounding the joints may provide relief. For people with rheumatoid arthritis, they should avoid direct pressure on areas of pain or inflammation. There is a technique that uses slower movements that can provide relief to areas of tension surrounding the affected areas.
Additionally, simply holding an area while allowing the warmth of the therapist’s hands to penetrate the tissue can be very soothing and the slight movement of your arm can promote local circulation of blood and lymph and promote better mobility .
When should you cancel your appointment with the massage therapist?
If you have a flare-up, it would probably be a good idea to avoid a massage. When you know how you respond to touch, you’ll have a better idea of when it’s a good time to get a message.
What to expect from a visit to a physiotherapist?
You should have already discussed your condition with your therapist before making an appointment, but your therapist should still ask you about any particular areas of concern just before the session. If it’s your first time, let the massage therapist know that you’ve never had a massage before and are nervous. Talk to the therapist and tell them exactly what you want from the session, and discuss which part of your body needs the most attention. A typical full body massage includes the back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck and shoulders, but you can also exclude one or the other, or perhaps want to you that he or she focuses on a certain area.
What is the price of a session?
The average cost of a massage can vary considerably, ranging from €30 to €120 and more per hour. Check with your insurance provider to see if they pay for a massage because often when it is ordered by your doctor, there is a good chance that your insurance will pay for it. A full body massage usually lasts about an hour or you may get a half hour partial massage or you may want to get just a 20 or 30 minute session to see how your body responds.
Usually massages are done while you are lying on a table but they can be adapted to your own situation, and they are usually made withoil, but they don’t have to be done that way. You might have a reaction to the scented oils the therapist uses so you might ask them to use an unscented lotion instead of the oil, especially for areas that have inflammation. Another thing, most massages are done without clothes, but if you are not comfortable undressing, the practitioner will leave the room while you undress and get on the table, which will be covered with a clean sheet. You should be covered at all times to keep you warm and comfortable with the area being worked on being the only thing not covered.
You can get a massage, but it’s not as relaxing.
There are self-massage techniques that can help relieve pain and tension, but it’s not as relaxing as traditional massage. Your hands, arms, legs, and feet are good, easy-to-reach areas that can benefit from self-massage. But, remember to avoid those inflamed joints; your therapist can show you some techniques that are unique to your situation. Here is a list of some more general suggestions for self-massage:
- Place one hand on a joint on your leg, and use your other hand to support the hand on your leg. This strategy uses the heat of the hand to penetrate the joint.
- Kneading a stain for a short time, 15 to 20 seconds is often enough. Grasp the muscle area between your palm or thumb and your fingers. Lift it slightly and squeeze it as if you were kneading dough. Work into the muscle with slow, steady pressure and release movements.
- Press your hand on a tense muscle. Slide your hand firmly along the length of the muscle in slow, repeated movements. Apply varying pressures to find what works best for you.
- Use a suitable massage device. Nowadays, there are more and more devices dedicated to self-massage. This is the case of percussion massagers in particular, but also massage rollers For example.
Originally posted 2021-03-12 04:07:28 .