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Posts Tagged ‘sleep problems’

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.

Sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome know how hard it can be to find relief.  CFS is characterized by fatigue that doesn’t go away even after long periods of rest. It is made worse by physical and even mental activity. Studies show that women are four times as likely as men to be diagnosed with CFS, although this is possibly attributed to the fact that men are less likely to seek treatment for chronic fatigue.

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes CFS. It is often preceded by a viral illness, and in some cases is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system. But CFS sufferers know the symptoms all too well:

• Painful and swollen lymph nodes
• Sore throat
• Headaches
• Memory loss
• Inability to concentrate
• Sore muscles
• Difficulty sleeping

There is no set treatment for chronic fatigue, and doctors usually do their best to simply manage the symptoms and wait for the condition to resolve itself.

Regular massage can help ease the symptoms of CFS. It can help with joint and muscle soreness, as well as the depression associated with the condition. Massage also promotes circulation, an important aspect of treatment for people with CFS who aren’t engaging in physical activities as much as they normally would.

The Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome defines the benefits of massage therapy for CFS by describing the immediate physiological changes in the body following massage:

Immediately following massage therapy depressed mood, anxiety and stress hormone (cortisol) levels were reduced. Following 10 days of massage therapy, fatigue related symptoms, particularly anxiety and somatic symptoms, were reduced, as were depression, difficulty sleeping and pain. Stress hormone (cortisol) also decreased and dopamine increased. (Field, T, Sunshine, W., Hernandez-Reif, M., Quintino, O., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, C., & Burman, I. (1997). Chronic fatigue syndrome: Massage therapy effects on depression and somatic symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 3, 43-51).

If you are suffering from the symptoms of CFS, it is important to see your physician to rule out any underlying diseases that could be causing the problem. Once those are ruled out, contact your massage therapist to discuss the many benefits of massage therapy for this debilitating condition. Your massage therapist can be instrumental in discovering and maintaining a treatment plan that will relieve your symptoms and get you back on your feet and enjoying life again.