Why Remedial Massage Therapy Could Be the Solution to Your Chronic Pain

Massage therapy has been shown to aid in the treatment of acute pain and prevention and management of chronic pain.

People who live with chronic pain often turn to massage therapy to help naturally improve their quality of life. Massage releases serotonin, which is the body’s natural production of anti-pain chemicals.

An aggravating factor in pain syndromes can be a lack of deep, restorative sleep. Massage is very effective at increasing deep sleep. With more deep sleep, you have less pain.  This is helped by the relaxation of the muscles and the decrease in activity within the nervous system.

Fibromyalgia and arthritis are two chronic pain syndromes that can be positively impacted by massage therapy.

In a study of massage therapy for knee osteoarthritis, a group receiving massage therapy for the pain showed significant improvement in pain, stiffness and physical function. They increased their range of motion and reduced the time it took them to walk 50 feet.

In another study, conducted by the Touch Research Institute, people with arthritis in their wrist and hand reported less pain and a greater grip strength after massage therapy. They also had lower anxiety and depressed mood scores.

For people looking to naturally manage their chronic pain, massage therapy can improve quality of life by impacting mood as well as managing pain and other benefits.

When you live with chronic pain, having a toolbox of strategies you turn to for pain relief is important. Massage can be a powerful tool for relaxing both mind and body.

Massage therapists utilize a holistic approach, focusing on the entire body system and its relationship to soft tissue. Their care isn’t focused only on the site of pain.

Another benefit of massage therapy is how it helps you become more aware of your body and better familiarize you with the pain you experience. As an experienced massage therapist I not only help relieve muscle and other soft tissue pain. The value of human touch is amazing!

Integration of Remedial Massage Therapy into a team-centred approach of patient care may help your chronic pain management.

Effective with chronic back pain.

There is an emerging body of evidence that supports the effectiveness of massage therapy for the treatment of non-specific low back pain, one of the ten most common general practice patient presentations in Australia.

Studies have found massage to be effective for persistent back pain 

Improvement in shoulder pain and range of motion.

There is also evidence that suggests soft tissue massage is effective for improving pain, function and range of motion in patients with shoulder pain and neck pain

Improved post-surgical pain and anxiety.

Pain management is critical for patients after surgery and massage therapy has been shown to improve post-operative pain and anxiety. The integration of massage therapy into the acute care setting has been shown to provide benefits to patients’ ability to deal with the challenging physical and psychological aspects of their health conditions and enhance the recovery process.

Reduced acute pain and healing improvements.

Effective management of acute pain is vital in preventing the transition to a costly chronic state, which has negative outcomes for patients and healthcare systems. Massage can provide significant reductions in acute pain levels, but also improvements in related relaxation, sleep, emotions, recovery, and finally, the healing process. These factors all contribute to effective resolution of acute pain states, preventing chronic transition.