Muscular Pain Massage Therapy
- Managing pain can be quite a struggle for some people, but for those who have discovered the healing benefits of massage can deal with everyday life more effectively. They have more energy and patience and can even get back that zest for life. Many conditions or situations cause muscular pain, but for a person who works out and someone afflicted with fibromyalgia, treatment plans are going to be very different.
- For someone who works out often, the pain he experiences is generally tolerable. Everyday activity may be a challenge with his worn out muscles, but in most cases, range of motion isn't restricted. Treatment in this situation involves stretching and a combination of moderate to light pressure depending on the client's tolerance.
- Fibromyalgia (FM) is a painful nonarticular rheumatic condition of at least three months' duration, characterized by widespread muscular achiness and specifically 11 of 18 prescribed points on the body that are tender when palpated. It affects 2 to 6 percent of adults and is more common in women. Most people know it as the disorder that makes you "hurt all over." Treatment for fibromyalgia almost always involves the application of heat or cold, depending on the tenderness of the area. Light to moderate pressure is recommended for these clients, as deeper pressure may leave bruises. Gentle stretching is often incorporated into the routine.
- The culprit of the pain cycle is reduced circulation. This is when the muscles spasm restricts the blood flow to that particular area, which leaves you in pain. Muscle spasms are the most common cause of knots or adhesions. Receiving a massage breaks up these adhesions, which increases the blood flow to that area. Massage affects other processes that contribute to pain such as the immune, respiratory and lymphatic systems. Massage can also psychologically heal. Cortisol is the hormone that's produced when you are stressed. Receiving a massage slows the production of this hormone, reducing the effects of stress, depression and anxiety leaving you in a relaxed, euphoric state.
- Sometimes it takes several sessions to get to the source of the pain, and other factors, such as your lifestyle and willingness to participate in self-care, make a big difference in your pain management plan. Many people feel great after a massage but may feel their pain emerging again a few days later. Changing a few things in your life, such as the way you hold your phone or how you stand, stretching and drinking plenty of water are just as important as massage on the path to healing.
