Conditions Helped by Massage

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Fibromyalgia

Widespread pain for at least three months duration in combination with tenderness at 11 or more of the 18 specific tender point sights" - also known as trigger points. 

This condition is generally associated with achiness in the neck, trunk, and followed by fatigue and lethargy. Massage is a very important component in the treatment of Fibromyalgia. 

Research indicates that massage therapy decreases pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression, reduces levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), and improves sleep patterns. 

Massage therapy also assists the body in the removal of waste from muscles, while increasing blood and nutrient flow.

This results in a greater availability of oxygen to cells. Various systems of the body are benefited by massage. The central nervous system responds by relaxing. This aids the endocrine system, decreasing cortisol levels and increasing serotonin, a neural hormone that directly affects pain sensitivity. 

Muscle Soreness 

If you have exercised or participated in sports, you are undoubtedly familiar with muscle soreness. While it may immediately follow physical activity, muscle soreness sometimes takes as long as 24 to 72 hours to be a painful reminder of exercise. 

Immediate muscle soreness is due to a buildup of metabolic by-products such as lactic acid, and may lack of sufficient oxygen (ischemia). 

Massage duplicates the effects of light exercise and stretching, resulting in increased circulation and relaxation. With a massage, you do nothing but relax and enjoy, while the massage therapist locates and works on the muscles most in need of attention. 

Delayed Muscle Soreness (DMS) 

Delayed Muscle Soreness (DMS) happens when you use your muscles for an activity that is out of the ordinary for you. Muscles that are suddenly called upon to perform unfamiliar actions such as running, jumping or raking, become sore and tender. 

The pain manifests itself about twenty-four hours later. Discomfort may start out as a vague nagging pain which worsens as the day progresses, making it difficult to properly use the sore muscle. 

Even those who are fit can suffer from muscle soreness. However, someone who is more active will experience milder pain, and it will not last as long. 

Sciatica 

Sciatica is caused by a variety of structural and muscular conditions that result in an impingement of the sciatic nerve. 

Sciatica is characterized by an excruciating pain along all or part of the sciatic nerve (originating in the lower back, gluteals, hip, thigh, leg and foot.) Muscular sciatica is a result of a deep muscle spasm in the buttocks.

Muscular sciatica can involve all the musculoskeletal systems of the leg. It responds exceptionally well to the soft tissue approach of massage therapy. 

An ideal way to address early symptoms of sciatica is through the use of therapeutic massage. Massage therapy helps remove waster materials from muscles. Benefits include breaking up muscle spasms and increasing the flow of oxygen to the muscles. Massage also lengthens and relaxes muscle groups, allowing them to rest. Range of motion and flexibility are restored. 

Massage therapy is an ideal supplement to other treatment approaches, such as chiropractic, and may help prevent problems that lead to or aggravate sciatica.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is not a disease but a musculoskeletal disorder brought on by overworked muscles in the neck, shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand. 

Constant repetitions of a specific motion, be it micro-movements (like working with a computer mouse or keyboard) or isometric contractions (such as holding a pencil), can cause muscles in the arm to become sore and fatigued. As muscles tire, the tightness of the tendons and muscles pull on the elbow joint. The increased pressure on the elbow joint causes a misalignment of the elbow. This, in turn, spreads the bones of the forearm (the Radius and the Ulna) apart at the wrist. 

A combination of massage therapy and structural realignment has proven to alleviate the pain and prevent further deterioration. 

By concentrating on all the muscles and tendons involved, the massage therapist may break up the pain pattern and bring enormous relief to the sufferer of CTS. 

Massage therapists are trained to work with pain patterns using various techniques to release muscle tension, reduce inflammation and assist the body in repairing damaged tissues. 

Ice and heat are used to decrease pain and increase range of motion. Stretching and resistance exercise also help strengthen and relax sore or weak muscles.

Arthritis 

Arthritis is a term used for many different degenerative joint diseases that can result from aging, injury, repetitive trauma, or infection. The cartilage and membranes cushioning the end of a bone degenerate or become inflamed. Pain is the result of bony structures rubbing against each other. 

Evidence suggests that a lifetime of physical stresses including poor diet, lack of exercise, poor posture, and a negative emotional outlook all contribute to the onset of arthritis. 

Massage may be a powerful tool to help relieve the discomfort of arthritis. 

A widely used technique, Swedish massage, works with muscles that support afflicted joints. Other techniques, such as trigger-point therapy, can release muscle spasms that occur as a result of the tension caused by chronic pain. 

As massage is a passive form of exercise, arthritis sufferers can also benefit from increased circulation, range of motion, and suppleness to soft tissues. 

Pregnancy 

Pregnancy is a time of major changes in a womans life, and therapeutic massage can help to ease many of the stresses of these changes. 

Massage therapy is a particularly appropriate form of supplemental health care for pregnant women. Benefits can be enjoyed throughout most normal pregnancies. 

Utilizing massage therapy during pregnancy can: 

• Alleviate stress caused by improper posture, muscle weakness, tension, or imbalance. 

• Provide emotional support and physical nurturing. 

• Heighten sensory awareness a necessity for more comfortable birthing. 

• Prepare birthing muscles for release and support during labor. 

• Provide the experience of a loving and nurturing touch.  

Post-Partum 

Post-partum massage therapy can: 

• Reduce and alleviate the muscle tension and stress association with being a new mother. 

• Facilitate the return to pre-pregnancy physiology. 

• Assist the new mother in restoring her abdominal musculature. 

• Aid in repositioning the pelvis and in rebalancing the spine to reflect a non-pregnant weight distribution. 

• Provide emotional support. 

• Massage therapy can also assist a post-Cesarean section mother to recover.  

Colic 

Research continues to verify that touch is a crucial element in the proper physical and psychological development of children. 

Infant massage is an activity that provides many proven and potential benefits to infants and their parents. 

Massage with newborns: 

• Supports the bonding process between parent and child. 

• Facilitates physiological development (especially in premature babies.) 

• Releases womb tension and muscular tension created by newly motored skills. 

• May sedate tense or anxious babies. Relieves symptoms of colic. 

• Massage also assists a baby in discovering their body, potentially improves flexibility, and strengthens their self-esteem. 

Stress 

Stressed out? Pressure, anxiety, irritability, tension... Studies show that stress is related to a wide variety of illnesses. The truth is, our bodies are well equipped to deal with stress. After all, without stress we wouldn't survive or grow. It is usually the mismanagement of stress that causes the real dangers to our health. 

The body reacts to stressors with muscular tension, increased heart rate, perspiration, and increased hormonal and adrenal output. Normally, these conditions are temporary. However, chronic stress and anxiety compound and perpetuate the physical effects of stress. 

Massage therapy is a stress-reduction tool, requiring no active participation during implementation. A massage therapist does all the work while clients simply relax, enjoying a massage that relieves the effects of stress throughout the body. 

Mental anxiety is translated into muscular tension by your brain. A massage relieves muscular tension and signals your mind to tell all your muscles to unwind. In fact, massaging just one area of the body can produce whole-body relaxation! Clients report feeling soothed, re-energized, and better able to tackle challenges. 

Physically, massage assists the body to return to homeostasis by releasing muscle tension, allowing the body to circulate blood more freely. Increased circulation nourishes cells while removing store-up toxins and waste from tissues.