Massage for Fibromyalgia Can Help You How can debilitating effects of fibromyalgia be minimized? Massage for fibromyalgia can help. With an estimated 3 to 6 million people diagnosed with this condition in the United States today, there is steadily growing segment of our population that is seeking relief. Many sufferers have lived with a disease for over 7 years before a diagnosis was made.
Understanding the physiological effects of fibromyalgia on the body will help you to appreciate why massage for fibromyalgia can be an effective treatment. A major complaint of people who suffer from this condition is the chronic aching primarily associated with muscles. It is believed that the stress related with the condition contributes to the increased tension in the muscles that in turn leads to this persistent pain. Whenever a muscle is used- whether it is for work or from worry- it increases its tone (the degree of firmness or tension in the tissue). If this increased tone is sustained, it places certain demands on the muscle. When the muscle is held in this tensed position, it increases its need for oxygen, and subsequently, a need for more blood flow. In its current state, the muscle may not be capable of receiving this increased oxygen, which then manifests as aches and pain. Additionally, the muscle may now have a much harder time disposing of its cellular wastes, which can exacerbate the painful condition. This is the beginning of a cycle of pain- increased muscular tension- pain that makes living with fibromyalgia such a challenge.
Since the muscles are now in a near constant state of increased tone. They begin to adapt to this new condition by changing structurally, developing areas of fibrous tissue. This leads to the affected muscles pulling on the tendons- the tough tissue that joins the muscle to the bone. The tendons now experience this same cycle of lack of oxygen, pain and change in structure as the muscles. This constant condition of increased tone in the muscles burns a great amount of energy which helps to explain the steady fatigue that plagues most fibromyalgia sufferers. Muscles in the body have opposing muscles. For example, one set of muscles contracts to bend your arm and an opposing set of muscles contracts to return it to a straight position. When certain muscles begin to undergo the changes described above, it can have an adverse effect on their opposing muscle groups. While one muscle stays tense, the opposite muscles will grow weak, causing muscular imbalances throughout the body. These imbalances can contribute to a lack of coordination and uneven wear and tear on the joints. You can see how these debilitating cycles can affect a fibromyalgia sufferer and worsen over time. Now, take a look at how regular massage for fibromyalgia can help to bring pain relief. When you receive a massage for fibromyalgia, it helps your body to function more optimally. For instance, those tense muscles are helped to relax and for a time return to a normal state. Muscular release is the first step towards calming the mind and can help to reduce the body’s wasting of energy. The flowing strokes of massage for fibromyalgia help to increase circulation that in turn carries oxygen and nutrients throughout your system and can aid in the removal of cellular waste and toxins. Massage for fibromyalgia tends to bring a body into a more balanced, natural state. A study conducted by the Touch Research Institute, Miami School of Medicine, in 1994 showed fibromyalgia patients respond well to massage for fibromyalgia. A portion of the study group received 30-minute massages for fibroamyalgia twice a week for five weeks. The rheumatologists that evaluated the results determined that only the group receiving regular masssage for fibromyalgia experienced decreases in pain, fatigue, stiffness and improvements in the quality of sleep. Reference:Fibromyalgia and Muscle Pain, Leon Chaitow N.D.,D.O.
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