Suffering from Fibromyalgia? You should know that massage therapy is an important part of your treatment.
April 27th, 2010
Fibromyalgia is a common and very complex pain disorder. It affects sufferers physically, mentally and socially. It is classified as a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which has specific symptoms due to a specific cause, a syndrome is rather a collection of symptoms without a clear-cut reason for them.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic, widespread pain; abnormal pain processing in the nerves; sleep disturbances; multiple points of extreme tenderness; fatigue; and often, psychological stress. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Patients with severe symptoms find the syndrome debilitating and have trouble doing even the most basic of daily activities.
Massage therapy can help ease the symptoms of Fibromyalgia by:
- Increasing blood circulation
- Increasing flexibility
- Increasing range of motion
- Decreasing stress and anxiety
- Reducing pain, stiffness, and swelling
- And improving sleep
The Journal of Clinical Rheumatology also lists the benefits of massage for patients with Fibromyalgia symptoms.
Massage therapy helped to improve sleep patterns, decrease pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression and cortisol levels in adults with fibromyalgia. Sunshine, W., Field, T., Schanberg, S., Quintino, O., Fierro, K., Kuhn, C., Burman, I., and Schanberg, S. (1996). Fibromyalgia benefits from massage therapy and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 2, 18-22.
Fibromyalgia patients slept better, and had lower substance P levels and less pain following a month of biweekly massages. Field, T., Diego, M., Cullen, C., Hernandez-Reif, M., Sunshine, W., & Douglas, S. (2002). Fibromyalgia pain and substance P decrease and sleep improves after massage therapy. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 8, 72-76.
Along with regular massage, there are additional steps you can take to ease your symptoms and improve the quality of your life.
- Moderate the quantity and quality of your physical activities to match how you feel each day.
- Practice regular relaxation and stress management techniques (your massage therapist can be very helpful in instructing you on the most efficient way to do this.)
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to keep your weight down.
- Utilize heating pads and warm showers for tenderness and pain.
If you have further questions, please contact your massage therapist. She can help with any concerns you may have and get you started on the road to recovery.
Posted in Fibromyalgia
