Posts Tagged ‘drug free’
May is Arthritis Awareness Month: How can massage therapy help sufferers of this chronic, painful condition?
May 3rd, 2010
What is arthritis? It’s basically the inflammation of a joint. This inflammation includes redness, pain, swelling, and heat. Millions of Americans suffer from some type of arthritis. It is most common in middle age and late in life, but it does affect children, teenagers, and young adults as well.
There are over 100 different types of arthritis, although most of them are rare. (A comprehensive list of these can be found at the Arthritis Foundation’s website.) The two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which is often referred to as RA.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. It usually only affects the major weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees, and spine, but sometimes affects the hands and feet as well. It is the degeneration and loss of cartilage that produces pain and stiffness in the affected joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. What this means is that the immune system attacks a healthy part of your body, which results in inflammation. Areas commonly affected are the hands and feet, but sometimes included are the neck, jaw, elbows, shoulders, knees, and hips.
Massage therapy for arthritis sufferers was recognized as beneficial as early as the 2nd century BC, so this is certainly nothing new. Indeed, it is an age old practice that can improve quality of life and lessen dependency on pain medications that could possibly be hazardous to your health.
Benefits of massage therapy include:
- Increased circulation
- Increased mobility
- Decreased pain and inflammation
- Relief of muscle aches and stiffness.
During a recent four-week study, patients with moderate to severe arthritis who received regular massage reported less anxiety, decreased pain, and improved mood. In individuals with arthritis in their hands, they even reported greater grip strength. Overall, the massage therapy group showed greater improvement than the standard (pharmaceutical) treatment group on all measures.
Of course, the key to getting the most out of your therapy is are regular, repeating sessions with your therapist. You will certainly feel relief after your very first session, but in order to maintain this, it should become a regular part of your arthritis care regimen.
Contact your therapist today and schedule an appointment to discuss the many benefits of massage therapy for your unique symptoms. Your therapist is skilled in working with patients with arthritis, and knows the right techniques to use to get you back to your normal self.
Posted in Arthritis Relief | 
Tags: anxiety, arthritis, drug free, hand pain, increase flexibility, inflammation, joint, massage therapy, osteoarthritis, pain relief, rheumatoid arthritis | 
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Simple Solution For Nagging Neck Pain
August 1st, 2009
Are you finding yourself so stressed out that your are wearing your shoulder as earrings? Don’t feel bad, you are NOT alone. These times in our world are proving to be more stressful than ever and more and more of us are suffering from the ‘eternal shrug’ syndrome. There is a great solution to help you end your pain and suffering. It is non-invasive, drug free, all natural, and really enjoyable! What is this solution? Massage Therapy!
Massage is proving to be a very powerful and effective treatment for pain and is helping millions of people end their suffering. As reported in the July/August 2009 edition of Massage & Bodywork magazine: “Massage treatments significantly reduce chronic neck pain, according to researchers at the University of Washington.” Sixty-four patients who suffered from neck pain were split into two groups. “One group was given a self-care book and the other was given 10 massages over 10 weeks.” Those who got massage therapy reported a 39% improvement on the neck disability index and 55% reported their pain decreased overall. These results of this research have been published in The Clinical Journal of Pain. — Source: July/August 2009, Massage & Bodywork Magazine.
How does massage help? Massage therapy is effective and successful at treating neck pain because it not only helps the person relax; it also addresses the most common cause of the pain – severe muscle dysfunction and spasm. Unlike conventional medicine, where a patient is prescribed dangerous drugs and painkillers, massage therapy treats the root cause and works to correct the problem, not mask the symptoms. When we experience stress and are the type to hold the stress in our neck and shoulders, we tend to unconsciously pull them upwards. This is not a natural, functional posture for us and the muscles we engage while in this position are not designed to be held that way for a long period of time. They become fatigued, and tense up causing spasms. If the muscle is not allowed to relax, it becomes ’stuck’ and over time will shorten and lose the ability to relax and lengthen on its own – resulting in chronic pain. This is where massage is of great benefit. The techniques used work with the body’s nervous system to break the constant spasm cycle and restore the circulation to the tissue, providing the nutrition it needs to function properly and interpret the relax response so it can return to its normal relaxed state.
Want to find out more about how massage therapy can help you or request an appointment to end your chronic pain? Visit www.sangermassagetherapy.com and send me an email or call 940-343-5667 to find out how massage helps various conditions.
Until next time, have a BLISSFUL day!
