Massage for arthritis, does it really help?

Arthritis, an incurable disease causing painful inflammation and stiffness in the joints. It’s nasty and can be debilitating. “Flare ups” can seem to come from nowhere and stop you in your tracks or ongoing, constant pain and restricted movements ebb away at your energy levels. There are so many medications, injections and procedures available to manage arthritis pain. Keep in mind that there are over 100 different types of arthritis with different causes & treatments. Finding the right medication to manage arthritis pain while keeping side effects to a minimum might be difficult.

So where does massage and complementary therapies come into it? How can massage therapy play a role to improve the life quality of someone suffering with arthritis?

Tiffany Field, PhD, a research psychologist at the University of Miami Medical School says “massage can result in a significant reduction in pain for people with all types of arthritis.”[1] She goes on to explain that moderate pressure, rather than light pressure seems to be the key. Through research she found that moderate pressure stimulates the pressure receptors under the skin. These convey signals to the brain to alleviate pain and produce those lovely stress reducing hormones like serotonin (discussed in a previous blog.)

A 2006 study conducted at the University of Medicine & Dentistry in New Jersey compared two groups of 22 adults suffering with wrist & hand arthritis. Group A were provided with a massage of the affected wrist or hand once a week for 4 weeks and were also taught a self massage technique to do at home. Group B were not. At the end of the 4 week period, group A reported a significant improvement in grip strength, a reduction in pain and had “lower anxiety & depression mood scores”. Group B did not. [2] This is only one of the many studies out there, showing that there are real & fantastic benefits to having regular massage treatments. Wouldn’t it be great to take your pain management into your own hands?

Another study found that massage worked to relieve pain, regardless of the type of treatment given. The 2011 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that massage reduced levels of chronic back pain. Furthermore the type of massage didn’t seem to matter after testing 401 people[3]. Making finding the right therapist and therapy for you a little simpler.

All of this research seems to make the use of massage as part of your regular health care & pain management routine an easy choice.

Over 2000 years ago the Greek physician Hippocrates, when speaking about doctors, wrote that they should be experienced in “rubbing that can bind a joint that is loose and loosen a joint that is too hard.” Even without all the research that we have today, Hippocrates understood the fundamental benefits of massage and really, who are we to argue with the old learned guy?

www.arthritisireland.ie is a fantastic recourse for anyone suffering with this condition.

If you have any questions or to book your appointment feel free to get in touch here Amycoughlanmassagetherapist@gmail.com

[1] – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5467308/

[2]- www.research.net/publication/239602148_hand_arthritis_pain_is_reduced_by_massage_therpay

[3] hppt://annals.org/aim/article/747036/comparison-massage-therapy-usual-medical-care-chronic-low-back-pain