Posts Tagged ‘stress’
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 | 
Tags: anxiety, fatigue, joint, massage therapy, muscle pain, muscle tenderness, pain relief, sleep problems, stress, stress management | 
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Massage Therapy for Better Sleep
January 11th, 2010
Quality sleep is as important as being active as far as staying healthy goes. Without enough quality sleep, we cannot function optimally in our daily life. We need good quality sleep to help rebuild our body and recharge our brain. When we experience quality sleep, our bodies go through all the phases of sleep: drifting off, light sleep, REM and deep sleep.
Why is quality sleep so important? During the deeper phases of sleep, our body carries out vital functions necessary for good health. We produce enzymes which allows us to absorb much needed nutrients from the food we have consumed throughout the day. Our tissues, nerve cells and other biochemicals regenerate and our brain uses this time to recover energy used in our daily conscious state. Our immune system is also engaged to help combat illness. That is why we are encouraged to sleep as much as we can when we are sick. During deep sleep, we process emotions and stresses of the day and our brain develops our days experiences into memory.
Severe consequences can arise from lack of good quality sleep. Poor immunity, higher stress levels, irritability, weight gain and more seriously, falling asleep while driving or operating equipment, which can lead to loss of life.
Tips for Better Sleep
1. Get out in the sun – this will help improve your body’s natural sleep cycle. Be sure to apply adequate sunscreen.
2. Cut down or eliminate caffeine.
3. Grab a cat nap during the day, if you feel sleepy.
4. Set a regular wake/sleep schedule and stick to it
5. Darken your bedroom or wear an eye mask at night.
6. If your mind just can’t stop working, schedule regular massage therapy sessions to help calm both your mind and body.
Massage therapy is a powerful tool for improving the quality of your sleep. It improves circulation to help nourish the muscles, relieving muscle tension, so they can properly relax. It works on the nervous system to calm the mind down and relieve anxiety. We all need good quality sleep to properly function in our day to day lives. There is nothing better than waking in the morning feeling rested, relaxed and renewed!
Call us at Absolutely Spahhhvelous to schedule your next session and sleep like a baby tonight! 940-343-5667
Posted in Sleep Quality & Your Health |
Tags: anxiety, health, massage, muscle tension, relax, sleep, stress |
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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!
