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 2^nd 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.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS?  Simply put, it is the entrapment and/or compression of the median nerve.  We have 9 tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel which is made up of 8 carpus bones and the carpal ligament that makes a band around the inside of the wrist to hold all the tendons, nerves and ligaments in place.  The median nerve passes through this opening and can become irritated.  When the tendons become irritated due to overuse, they can become inflamed and put pressure on the median nerve causing various issues – pain, numbness, tingling, loss of gripping ability or hand strength.  The pain can be felt in the wrist and hand as burning, weakness and pins & needles sensations that are felt in the thumb and first three fingers of the affected limb.

At any point along the nerve path that serves the hand, the nerve can become entrapped or irritated.  Anywhere along the nerve path if muscles become overly tight and squeeze or compress this nerve, CTS symptoms can result.  Even if there are no issues with the carpal ligament at all.  One such area is where the nerve passes through/along the elbow.  There is a small muscle located in this area that is very susceptible to overuse and can cause some of the same symptoms as true CTS.  This muscle, the Pronator Teres can become very tense or hyper-tonic and can press on the median nerve as it travels down toward the hand.  There are actually many other causes of CTS-like symptoms that come from muscles no where near the wrist.  Other causes can be misaligned bones in the wrist, a fracture or trauma to the wrist, arthritis, gout, trigger points in the forearm, and sometimes even hormone changes due to pregnancy.  Surprisingly, neck and shoulder problems are the most common cause of wrist pain.  When the actual cause of the pain is located in an area other than where the pain is felt, this is called referred pain. This referred pain often leads to misdiagnosis by doctors.  There are several tests your massage therapists can do to determine if you have true CTS or if the pain is being referred from another muscle group.

As with all muscle pain conditions, the earlier the pain is addressed, the more effective the treatment will be and the sooner the condition can be resolved.  Massage therapy is a proven, effective treatment for this complex condition.  I have seen many cases of this syndrome successfully resolve with a combination of massage therapy, stretching and self-care that have helped many avoid the cost, pain and downtime of surgery.