Many individuals suffer from chronic pain from one or more ailments, and massage treatments for arthritis are becoming more popular in Western medicine. Massage therapy has been around for many centuries and has proven to be very beneficial in relieving pain and improving overall health. Massage treatments for arthritis are used daily by professional massage therapists and at home by individuals who are interested in relieving their pain and suffering.
Massage is the manual manipulation of the soft tissue of the body. Common massage techniques are typically applied by using hands, elbows, feet, forearms, or some other device. The objective of massage is usually for the relief of pain or body strain. A massage therapist can also target specific areas of pain in the body to provide more effective massage treatments for arthritis. These massage treatments for arthritis can be painful and should only be attempted by a highly trained massage therapist.
Massage Treatments
One of the primary goals of massage treatments for arthritis is to increase blood circulation as well-being. This allows nutrients to seep through the skin and into the bloodstream as well-being. Many massage techniques can be utilized for increased blood circulation and well-being such as deep tissue massage, Shiatsu massage, acupressure massage, and Swedish massage. Many massage therapists combine these massage treatments for arthritis into a complete therapeutic massage package that incorporates all of the patient’s symptoms as well-being and health care needs.
Massage for Arthritis
Arthritis is a complex ailment of the musculoskeletal system. The condition is known to have no known cure, but massage treatments for arthritis can help to manage the symptoms associated with the condition. When lymphatic massage therapy is used alongside cancer chemotherapy, it has been known to improve the effects of the treatments for those battling cancer, leukemia and other diseases of the lymphatic system. Some studies have shown that massage therapy after a diagnosis of cancer using both Swedish massage techniques as well as massage therapy for lymphatic massage has an improved response rate compared to massage treatments before the diagnosis of cancer.
Massage therapies for arthritis do not always require the use of the massage table or other massage tools. The most common massage treatments for arthritis uses gentle, rhythmic pressure or massage strokes to work the muscles as well as the tissues surrounding the joints and bones. In addition to soft tissue massage, other massage treatments for arthritis include electric muscle stimulation, application of cold compression, application of ultrasound energy, application of heat or damp heat, as well as manual massage.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy and its common terminology, such as massage, are a body-aware language used by massage therapists to communicate the specific techniques used to care for their clients. The language often consists of terms that massage therapists have learned over the years using scientific research, such as massage therapy is “an art form” or “a science of human touch,” or “bodywork.” Massage therapists use specific language to describe massage treatments for different body parts. For example, “a deep tissue massage” is described by massage therapists as “a technique which provides a thorough massage on the back,” or “a massage to the neck and shoulders.”
To explain the therapeutic massage in layman’s terms, massage therapists use specific massage strokes and techniques to loosen tight and sore muscles as well as reduce pain and stress. One of the main areas of massage treatment is the soft tissue, which massage therapists focus on using smooth, rhythmic strokes to release tight knots and increase mobility. The goal of massage therapy is to stimulate the natural healing process within the body to promote increased blood circulation, reduce muscle stiffness and stress, and increase range-of-motion. Massage also aids in the relief of inflammation and stiffness of the muscles. Massage therapists can use massage techniques to correct the underlying cause of pain or injury.
Many massage treatments are performed using long, flowing strokes to release tension from the deeper muscles of the shoulders, back, and neck. This helps the soft tissues to relax. Then, as the massage therapist begins working deeper, they will use massage movements to work on releasing chronic tension from the muscles. This massage session usually takes about an hour, depending on the massage therapist’s experience and the client’s massage needs.