Massage therapy is one of the oldest methods to get rid of body pain. These days massage therapy has become very popular because of its quick, effective ways.
The professional and experienced massage therapists are called masseur (in case of male therapists) and masseuse (in case of female therapists). It helps to reduce muscular and joint pains and also loosen the knots of our body. It’s a very relaxing and cheap technique which can be used as a part of the treatment.
These days a lot of people have Fibromyalgia because of the hectic lifestyle. They have to face many obstacles due to this in their everyday life.
Do You Know?
- The word ‘’ massage’’ has derived from the Arabic word “Massa,” which means “to touch or feel.”
- Archaeologists have found some proof of massage in the ancient era from many countries like India, China, Japan, Korea, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, and Egypt.
- American Massage Therapy Association surveyed in 2012 and came to know that there are approximately 2, 80,000-3, 20,000 massage therapists, and schools in the USA.
Is Massage Therapy Beneficial in Treating Fibromyalgia?
The answer is yes. Medical research has proven that Massage therapy has several benefits, including pain relief, reduction of depression, and anxiety. There are various kinds of benefits of Massage; the most effective ones are a single dose, double or multiple doses, and muscular-neural. Those are discussed below.
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A) Single Dosage
- Relief from the pain: The most important benefit of massage is that it can help us to recover from musculoskeletal injuries. Cochrane Review in 2015 published that there is enough evidence to prove that massage can cure lower back pain. It is also capable of curing temporary, chronic muscular diseases.
- Decreased Anxiety: The scientists did research at the Urbana campaign and came to know that massage therapy can reduce anxiety.
- Control B.P and heart rate: It’s a proven fact that massage can help to control blood pressure and stabilize heart rate.
B) Double or Multiple Dosages
- Pain relief: Massage reduces pain within the days or weeks of starting the process.
- Reduction of anxiety and depression: This therapy is proved to overcome severe anxiety and clinical depression.
C) Muscular-Neural:
- Several types of research and surveys have shown that people can get rid of neuro-muscular diseases by changing the measures of Hoffman’s Reflex (H Reflex).
What Are the Massage Therapies for Fibromyalgia?
Often the phrase ‘fibromyalgia massage therapy’ is being used a generalized term which includes things such as kneading or rubbing on the joints or the muscles and tendons. However, the types of massage that will be given to you differ, and the kind of massage that will be given to you will depend on the pain that you are going through.
The Connective Tissue Massage for Fibromyalgia: The particular massage therapy includes those strokes that are quite slow. However, with more deliberate strokes, the specific kind of massage releases more pressure, towards the deeper layers, in the fascia as well as the pressure is given to the muscles. Here you should remember that fascia(1) is the connective tissue. Hence the massage is termed as the “Connective Tissue Massage.”
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1. Shiatsu Massage Therapy for Fibromyalgia
The particular massage therapy will help you to relieve stress or tension, and this is a Japanese treatment that you can use to get relief from the pain of Fibromyalgia. Here the pressure is given on some specific points so that you are relieved from all stress and tension, and this too helps in treating Fibromyalgia.
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2. The Myofascial Massage for Fibromyalgia
In this particular massage therapy, you will get relief if you are suffering from stiffness. It is so because in this therapy, along with relaxing, the contracted muscles also help in improving the blood flow.
Apart from all these the “stretch reflex” inside the muscles are also stimulated. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, who was also the inventor of the osteopathic medicine, supported this particular massage therapy for Fibromyalgia.
3. Swedish Massage for Fibromyalgia
This is one of the best massage techniques for fibromyalgia. This particular kind of therapy is most of the time very gentle, but in spite of being soft, its quite useful for most of the patients suffering from the problem of Fibromyalgia.
Experts think that this particular therapy is either carried out by any kinds of machines or by hand, but they are very powerful and are valid towards releasing long-held tensions inside the muscles.
Massage therapy for Fibromyalgia(2) has proven to be the best medicine and can quickly cure with some sessions every week or month. It seems painful at first but eventually becomes more comfortable with regular exercise.
The best thing about massage is, unlike other medicines and therapies, it has no side effects. That’s why if you are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, get yourself a trained massage therapist. It will make your life less painful as well as relaxing.
If you are looking for different kinds of treatment, then you can try massage therapy for Fibromyalgia, this ancient technique will surely make your life better.
[Also Read: Yoga for Fibromyalgia]
FAQs
1. How Many Times Do You Need to Give a Massage to Your Body?
A: The best answer to this question is every day. But that’s close to being impossible. Thus, if you have Fibromyalgia, you should at least get a massage therapy session twice or thrice a week.
2. Is Massage Helpful in Giving Relief?
A: Massage therapy has proven to be one of the best cures for Fibromyalgia. It can pressurize the muscular joints and heal them by rubbing the joints, muscles, and ligaments. Massage also gives you relief from back pains, mood swings, fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
3. Is Massage Bad for Fibromyalgia?
No, on the contrary, massage for Fibromyalgia can improve chronic pain symptoms.
