Massage For Arthritis

Did you know that massage can play a significant role in alleviating the symptoms brought on by arthritis? According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis costs the U.S. as much as $128 billion annually! Research has found massage can help with arthritis by increasing your body’s ability to produce endorphins which reduce pain in the body and gentle massage and stretching can reduce arthritis pain usually caused by spasms. 

Massage on a regular basis eases the symptoms that are plagued from arthritis. That includes less depression and anxiety; reduction of pain and inflammation; better gripping power; better flexibility and joint mobility and in general, greater improvement.  Additionally, a common link between arthritis sufferers is lack of deep sleep.  Sleep deprivation allows the release of certain pain chemicals throughout the body.  Massage can help a client get back the “deep sleep” needed to fully complete the body’s restorative process.

Some clinical findings of a December 2006 article, The Archives of Internal Medicine, show massage therapy improved flexibility, lessened pain and improved range of motion in the participants. Further down the line, massage may reveal a clients decreased reliance on medications, which of course can lead to a decrease in health care costs.  With time, you can hopefully see that massage is not only safe and effective, but also cost effective!

I understand there are many forms of arthritis.  This is a chronic condition with no cure and it is important to me to help my clients find relief from a condition they have to learn to live with.  As a massage therapist specializing in senior massage, communication is very important from the first session to each and every session that follows to ensure my clients tolerance level, safety, and utmost comfort as we work together to ease their chronic pain.

Frequency of the therapy

Just like all therapies, massage requires some time and dedication to make it most effective. The first time you receive a massage you may get some relief but to get the most out of the therapy you really need to do massage bodywork on a regular basis.  While every individual is different, a recommended schedule would be to see a therapist once a week for about a month and thereafter, twice a month to maintain the effects of your sessions.

If you have any questions whether massage would be right for you, please consult your physician.  Then, contact me!  My website has forms for physician referral as well as a physician permission form.